Podcasts are a true integrative skills activity, requiring writing, reading (to edit the written scripts), speaking, and listening. I have been developing a collaborative podcast activity to use in future classes. 

The activity idea is for students to create a podcast where they will talk about their own learning in the class. Each group will be assigned a two-week period to reflect upon, where they will answer questions such as:

• What did you find the most challenging?

• What did you find the most useful?

• What questions do you still have about the content?

I will provide a few sample questions such as these, but each group will decide themselves what questions they would like to respond to in their episode, as long as they link it back to their learning in the class for the assigned period.

In the first class, I will describe the assignment for the students, and we will brainstorm name ideas for the podcast, such as: ESL For You. After the class, I will send out a Google poll with the brainstormed name list, and students will vote on their favorite anonymously. I will also let students know that they will each need to name their individual episodes, and I will provide some examples, such as: Episode 1: The First Two Weeks in Review. 

Groups will consist of three students each. One student will be the interviewer and the editor, also adding music and an intro/outro, and the other two will be the interviewees. Each group will decide upon four questions; the two interviewees will create scripted responses to two questions and then will create only bullet points for two other questions. This will give them practice in several speaking skill areas.

I have been trying out some free podcast creation tools, and Soundtrap  looks to be a good option that will allow for students to record together but also to record separately as needed and have all the files together in the same cloud-based file for when it comes time to compile the multiple files into a single file and edit.

For these students who may not be familiar with podcasts, I will incorporate a couple into assignments, such as the Espresso English and Voice of America English News episodes below, before we begin work on creating our own podcasts, so they can familairize themselves with the conventions of the genre.

Have you used podcast creation in your classes? If so, please share how you used them in the Connect, Share, and Collaborate section.