ESL Pod Podcast Review

In terms of usefulness for the teacher, ESL Pod serves the most like an instructional tool. It does not look as "authentic" as the other two podcasts reviewed here but would be the most useful. The teacher can organize their instruction by units, daily English, Cultural English, or particular topic (food, travel, etc.) There are also a myriad of options with at least 1000 podcasts to choose from which is helpful for the teacher to specifically choose what they need. With each podcast there is a transcript, vocabulary, cultural note, idiom explanation, and comprehension questions. The downside to all of this amazing content is that the teacher would need to subscribe and pay a fee. Another downside is this podcast does sound very "school-like" and less authentic.

Culips Podcast Review

The Culips broadcast is more marketed for all learners and would be more suitable for a middle or high school classroom. In this podcast, there are 7 different series that a teacher could use for a variety of purposes. For example, one series is "speakeasy" where the podcaster focuses on pronunciation and sounding more fluent. There are also different conversations with different speeds such as "chatterbox" which is a series of stories, and "simplified speech" which is a slowed down version. There are also study guides that go along with these podcasts.

Culips seems really useful for the classroom. I appreciate that there are study guides and with each podcast there are particular vocabulary terms/idioms that are highlighted and explained. This makes the work for the teacher easier to figure out the podcast that they want to use. I also appreciate that there is a variety of series, so the teacher can determine what series would be appropriate for the learner. In terms of interest and authenticity, I would say that All Ears Podcast sounds more real and like a podcast one would listen to just driving down the road, but for instructional purposes Culips is a great teacher tool to have for ESL teachers.

All Ears Podcast Review

This podcast is hosted by three teachers in TESOL with the intent on helping advanced learners understand English more comprehensively, or help them pass the IELTS exam. This podcast is available for download on iTunes, or it can be listened to on the website. Podcasts are separated into several categories with many podcast options.

The one I listened to was English Acronyms to Break the English Barriers. The content is called a "web class" and the teachers are Lindsay and Michelle. They do speak in conversational, podcast style, so it is clear that this would be appropriate for someone who is an advanced speaker. Lindsay and Michelle do talk quickly which may be challenging for someone even with a moderate fluency. With that being said, I do really like the banter and conversational style of the women. Topics are diverse and range from business to specifics of grammar. I would highly recommend this podcast for advanced learners and adult learners.

What Comes Next?

In the recent wave of school closings and opting to go to remote learning, Beard (2020) poses the question of how this will affect education in the future. Beard uses the anecdote of a Chinese learner and now entrepreneur, Haoyang Li, who boasts that the Chinese simply are "better" at education than the English because of cultural differences. Li founded Squirrel AI, a company that is among others using computer algorithms to guide learners with only a few "super teachers". Companies such as Li's claim that by separating the learner from the teacher, it creates concentration on the education itself rather than the social aspect.

This article is of particular interest this week since many of us are moving to remote teaching and hosting content online. After this is over it will raise many questions. Why are teachers necessary? What role do teachers and the education system play in our society? Can education be hosted all online to change the way we live our lives. I found this article to be interesting because so much of what we do as teachers is build relationships and whenever I explain my job, I almost never see myself as a deliverer of content. I can't help but wonder if Li's vision could work in a society such as ours that tends to be driven by social situations and reader response. For example, go into most English classrooms and we are teaching interaction and thought rather than spelling and grammar. I can't help but wonder if this is a cultural disconnect or simply one man's experience that maybe doesn't translate to me? What I know is we are all about to embark on an educational revolution and should hold on to what we love so dear: teaching.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/mar/19/can-computers-ever-replace-the-classroom

Making ELL education Relevant

Koester (2020) reports on the Monmouth Central Intermediate School's ELL program. Javier Reyes provides what he calls "place based education" where science lessons are based are the area they live rather than random places that students have no familiarity with. In addition, the class is taught entirely in Spanish. This school has seen a great influx in ELLs after a Smithfield meat processing plant was established. To accommodate the need of learners many are enrolled in what is called dual-language transitional bilingual education program where they receive academic English skills and Spanish speaking skills. These skills in tandem help to create a culture that is relevant to the students needs. Students are able to engage with skills and tools that are more "English" but are put into a relevant context.

This article was especially relevant after having discussed the lingua franca this week and how students should be taught necessary language skills. This article was a breath of fresh air from the other articles that all, of course, centered around our global COVID19 crisis. Oftentimes in education we become disconnected for usage. I am a stern believer in education to be educated, but throughout my years I do find that foundational skills that will be used in real-life scenarios continue to be necessary.

The ESL Bridge

These past weeks our course has been discussing how ESL can encourage student voices and bridge gaps between students. This week the article I read served as a testimony to this same idea. The program began in 2003 at the Assumption Church in Philadelphia with 90 adult learners. Since its beginnings, the Parish has had hundreds of immigrants who credit the sense of belonging to the program. There is a small fee with the learning needing to purchase their own books, but since it is not immersion, students are able to maintain their livelihood and learn. Learners come from all different backgrounds and have authentic experiences with cultures and, of course, learning English.

Of course in coursework we study the methods and the benefits, but to truly see faces and hear experiences makes this week a little different. This article highlights the necessity of authenticity and communication as learning. Even today I thought I would love to talk to someone in French, just to get some practice in. I don't have the opportunities like the immigrants in Philadelphia..or do I? When the authenticity isn't possible, this is where technology could come into play. I did a quick google search and found tandem and hellotalk.com. Both applications boast that you can chat with someone from another country to practice your language. In the tandem app you choose the language, you choose the topic, and it connects you. Apps and technology will never replace human interaction, but it provides a doorway that have previously been nonexistent.









Reference:
Israel, D. (2020). English as a second language program helps Bayonne immigrants find their voices. Retrieved from
https://hudsonreporter.com/2020/02/28/the-english-as-a-second-language-program-that-helps-bayonne-immigrants-find-their-voice/