5 Tips to choose a language podcast
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
First check the speed. While most podcast platforms give you the opportunity to slow it down, it's better to start with a podcast in which speakers adjust their speed to learners. This means their speech won't be distorted by having to slow it down and, crucially, that they understand what learning a language means, especially if they make the effort to articulate. If they don't, you're wasting your time.
Look for the transcript. Don't rely on the generated one, which doesn't pick up on all the words and nuances. Having the proper transcript will help you connect the spelling of the words with their sound and improve your listening/comprehension. And again, it will tell you that the podcast creators truly understand and value the language learning process.
Check for repetitions. While most of the time, repeating what we've said is neither welcome nor appreciated, it's a key teaching tool. Any teacher worth their salt will not only repeat phrases, words, conjugations, and grammar rules, but they will do so, versioning their examples and explanations, to ensure everything is clear. In other words, if the podcast hosts never repeat a thing, it's time to move on.
Quantity does not mean quality. If the podcast hosts cover a lot a language and language points in a short space and time, you can always pause, digest the content, and come back to it, but a good language podcast will focus your attention on one key language point in depth, as opposed to many in haste. There's so much one can learn in 20 to 30 minutes.
Aiming for the right level. That's the trickiest point of all. In my experience of using language podcasts, as a learner, and checking them for my students, as a teacher, podcasts host don't always know how to target the right level, often because they're not teachers themselves. This doesn't necessarily mean that the podcast isn't good, although a sure sign that it's not, is the amount of slang used. Slang is fun, but not useful! So I'm afraid, more often that not, it's a case of trial and error. Unless they're done by language schools and teachers, in which case, you have a better chance of finding the right level for you.
Whichever podcast you end up choosing, aim for a fun one, because engaging with the content will carry you further than you think is possible!
And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch.
