Nowadays the podcasts are on the rise. Many people are listening to these audio recordings for a variety of reasons, one of them being language learning. way to improve oral comprehension and language pronunciation by observing the speech of native speakers in different contexts.
With that in mind, we selected the 5 podcasts most ears of the moment for you who want to improve your knowledge in the English language. Turn up the volume and check below.
1. this American life
this American life (This American life) is a podcast free weekly, which is based on entertainment journalism.
Each file corresponds to an episode of the radio show of the same name, where real-life cases and situations of American citizens are discussed. Stories are usually told in first person.
Every week the announcers choose a certain theme, and select different types of stories that fit the chosen context.
O podcast it is successful not only among students of English as a foreign language, but also among native speakers, as it covers different strands of taste. The registers range from a dark tone to an ironic, intriguing or even humorous tone.
The success is such that This American Life usually alternates between first and second place in the iTunes like podcast with the highest number of downloads.
2. stuff you should know
Also known by the acronym SYSK, stuff you should know (things you should know) is a podcast general knowledge, which addresses very curious topics. The plot of the audios tends to have popular culture as a reference, which brings a touch of comedy to the podcast.
Episodes are subdivided into different categories, such as animals, death, psychology, etc.
The range of topics is quite wide and covers topics such as "How cockroaches work", "How much is there money in the world?”, “Bank robberies”, “What is the panic attack like?” and “Mysticism in the space".
Stories often attract great interest from the public, who are always eager to know more about subjects that arouse curiosity, that are fun or that are not discussed and explained usually.
stuff you should know usually maintains a consistent position in the top 10 in the iTunes, with regard to podcasts with the highest number of downloads.
3. Portuguese as a second language
Also known by the acronym ESL, Portuguese as a second language (English as a second language) is a podcast directing the teaching of the English language as a foreign language, that is, as a second language.
Each week, three episodes are available: two are dialogues, and one is focused on cultural information.
In the episodes, a lot of vocabulary is taught, from different contexts. The audios often use phrases and expressions common in the everyday lives of native English speakers.
The way to speak the contents taught is a highly valued issue. The words and phrases are said at a slow pace, in order to facilitate the listening audience's understanding of the pronunciation.
Regarding the theme, there are sequences of episodes about how to shop, how to order information and other types of contexts commonly addressed in English classes in English schools and courses. languages.
4. 6 minute English
6 minute English (6 minutes English) is a podcast produced by the BBC, and consists of audios of about 6 minutes where different themes of the English language are addressed.
The announcers, 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 others podcasts of English language teaching, in the 6 minute English announcers speak at a normal speed, that is, they do not speak slower to help the listener.
Another highlight 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 discussed.
5. Serial
Serial it is a podcast ofthe same creators of this American Life, based on investigative journalism, and subdivided into several episodes that narrate real stories in an almost documentary way.
Each season has a central theme, whose story is divided into episodes about different aspects of the case (evidence, trial, testimony, etc.). Season one, for example, is about the murder of a young teenager, in which the main suspect is her ex-boyfriend. Despite claiming innocence, the boy was sentenced to life in prison.
The episodes are through an in-depth data collection that even includes interviews with friends and relatives of the victim and the accused.
Virtually all stories are narrated by the same person (unlike others podcasts, the dialog is not a common record). The work has some advantages such as soundtrack and sound effect, and real recorded testimonies.
The acceptance of the podcast by the public is a great success. It has even happened that an NGO that works to prove the innocence of unjustly convicted people adopts 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, the podcasts are a good choice.
In addition to helping to develop listening comprehension, this feature is also useful for vocabulary acquisition and even for intuitive grammar learning: it's very It is likely that the mind of the listener retains some sentences and that this helps to remember, for example, how to use a certain verb, with what preposition and in what context.
Another positive point of podcasts it's the upgrade that they can bring to the pronunciation. When listening to native speakers of the language, it is possible to be more attentive to the correct way to pronounce certain words and/or sounds.
For those who are about to take public exams that require knowledge of the English language, the podcasts they can also be a means of keeping up with current events. Sometimes they are approached 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 through the Internet.
This type of media is usually made available together with other similar ones, in order to form a kind of collection, which can be used to improve oral comprehension and language pronunciation by observing the speech of native speakers in different contexts.
The term podcast it's a kind of word junction iPod, multimedia device that stands for Personal On Demand (in reference to something personal and made available on demand) with broadcast (streaming).
Are you interested in enriching your studies on the English language? See also other texts we have prepared for you:
- how to learn english alone
- Songs to learn English
- English in Enem: how to study
- The 10 most used conjunctions in English
- Top slang in American and British English
- The 20 most used phrasal verbs in English
- 130 most used nouns in English
