Today podcasts are on the rise. Many people are listening to these audio records for a variety of reasons, including language learning, in order to improve oral comprehension and pronunciation of the language by observing the speech of natives in different contexts.
Thinking about it, we selected the 5 most heard podcasts of the moment for you who want to improve your knowledge in the English language. Increase the volume and check below.
1. This American life
This American life is a free weekly podcast based on entertainment journalism.
Each file corresponds to an episode of the radio program of the same name, which deals with real life cases and situations of American citizens. The stories are usually told in the first person.
Every week, announcers choose a specific theme, and select different types of stories that fit the chosen context.
The podcast is successful not only among students of English as a foreign language, but also among natives, as it covers different tastes. Records range from a sombre tone to an ironic, intriguing or even humorous tone.
The success is such that This American Life tends to alternate between the first and second place on iTunes as the most downloaded podcast .
2. Stuff you should know
Also known by the acronym SYSK , Stuff you should know is a podcast of general knowledge, which addresses very curious topics. The audio plot usually has popular culture as a reference, which brings a bit of comedy to the podcast .
The episodes are subdivided into several categories, such as animals, death, psychology, etc.
The range of topics is quite wide and addresses issues such as “How do cockroaches work”, “How much money is there in the world?”, “Bank robberies”, “How is the panic attack?” and “Mysticism in space”.
The stories usually attract great interest from the public, always thirsty to know more about subjects that arouse curiosity, that are fun or that are not usually discussed and explained.
Stuff you should know tends to maintain a consistent position in the top 10 places on iTunes , with regard to podcasts with the highest number of downloads .
3. English as a second language
Also known by the acronym ESL , English as a second language (English as a second language) is a podcast aimed at teaching English as a foreign language, that is, as a second language.
Three episodes are available each week: two constitute dialogues, and one is focused on cultural information.
In the episodes, a lot of vocabulary is taught, from different contexts. Audios often use common phrases and expressions in the everyday lives of native English speakers.
The way of speaking the contents taught is a highly valued issue. The words and phrases are said at a slow pace, in order to facilitate the understanding of the pronunciation by the listening audience.
With regard to the theme, there are sequences of episodes on how to shop, how to ask for information and other types of contexts commonly addressed in English classes at schools and language courses.
4. 6 minute English
6 minute English is a podcast produced by the BBC, and consists of audios of about 6 minutes where different themes of the English language are covered.
The speakers, with a British accent, communicate in a very simple way, using words that are easy to understand so that the content is accessible to different audiences.
Unlike what happens in other English language teaching podcasts , in 6 minute English the speakers speak at a normal speed, that is, they do not speak more slowly to help the listener.
Another important point is that, on the page where each podcast is available, there is a vocabulary list with words that may raise doubts.
In addition, the public can also consult the audio transcript and a brief introduction on the topic covered.
5. Serial
Serial is a podcast by the same creators of This American Life, based on investigative journalism, and subdivided into several episodes that tell real stories in an almost documentary way.
Each season has a central theme, the story of which is divided into episodes about the different aspects of the case (evidence, judgment, testimonies, etc.). The first season, for example, is about the murder of a young teenager, in which the main suspect is her ex-boyfriend. Despite pleading innocence, the boy was sentenced to life in prison.
The episodes are based on a thorough survey of data that includes interviews with friends and relatives of the victim and the accused.
Virtually all stories are told by the same person (unlike other podcasts , dialogue is not a common record). The work has some added value as a soundtrack and sound effect, and recorded real testimonials.
The public’s acceptance of the podcast is a great success. It has happened, even, of an NGO that works to prove the innocence of people unjustly condemned to adopt the case presented in the first season.
How can English podcasts be useful?
For those who study the English language and seek to improve their knowledge, podcasts are a good choice.
In addition to helping to develop listening comprehension, this feature is also useful in acquiring vocabulary and even in intuitive grammar learning: it is very likely that the mind of the listener will retain some sentences and that this will help to remember, for example, how to use a particular verb, with what preposition and in what context.
Another positive point of podcasts is the upgrade they can bring to the pronunciation. When listening to native speakers of the language, it is possible to be more aware of the correct way to pronounce certain words and / or sounds.
For those who are in the process of taking exam tests that require knowledge of the English language, podcasts can also be a means of keeping up with the news. Sometimes they are addressed in the form of text interpretation.
Curiosity
Podcast is a digital media that corresponds to the audio recording of a TV or radio program, which can be downloaded or accessed from a computer, cell phone or other electronic device, via the Internet.
This type of media is usually made available together with similar ones, in order to form a kind of collection, which can be used to improve oral comprehension and pronunciation of the language, by observing the speech of natives in different contexts.
The term podcast is a kind of combination of the word iPod , a multimedia device that stands for Personal On Demand (in reference to something personal and made available on demand) with broadcast (transmission).