The Effects of Podcasting on EFL Upper-Intermediate Learners' Speaking Skills

Abstract

Podcasting is increasingly being used by language teachers as a tool for delivering educational materials and encouraging learning outside of the traditional classroom. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of podcasting on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ speaking skills. A total of 60 Iranian EFL upper-intermediate learners participated in the study. The participants were divided into three groups: two experimental and one control group. The treatments comprised learners producing podcasts of their pair and group discussions and uploading them to a podcasting service. Learners’ performance, in both experimental and control groups, were pre- and post-tested. The results of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that the inclusion of podcasting in the language classrooms had a positive effect on EFL learners’ speaking skills in the experimental groups. The results also showed that the learners in the student-made podcast group improved more on their speaking skills compared to the other groups. The results also indicated that podcasting incorporated within a preplanned syllabus (textbook) likely produces better results than podcasting as a main teaching material.