Mobile Technologies, Podcasting and Language Education

Abstract

The increasing availability of mobile technologies is allowing users to interact seamlessly with a variety of content anytime, anywhere. One of these new Web 2.0 technologies, or technologies that aim at enhancing and creating opportunities for user collaboration, is podcasting (Wikipedia, 2008; O’Reilly, 2005), an online audio and video publishing tool. Podcasts are increasingly being used by language educators and learners, yet in the educational realm, podcasting is still in a development phase as teachers and students are just beginning to experiment with ways to best use the technology. Therefore, few guidelines exist in terms of researching this new technology, specifically with regards to language learning and teaching (Rosell-Aguilar, 2007). In this chapter we begin to close this gap by first providing an overview of podcasting. We then discuss the potential of podcasting to transform ways in which languages are learned. In doing so, we cite illustrative examples of podcasts currently being used by language educators and students, and suggest ways in which the effects of this technology on language learning processes may be researched in order to make pedagogically sound decisions about using podcasts for language learning and teaching. After presenting a case study investigating the use of podcasts at Iowa State University, we conclude with a reflection on the potential for podcasts to transform language learning and teaching.