A podcast is a series of digital media files (audio or video) that is released episodically that can be downloaded, or streamed from their online hosts. There are literally gazillions of podcasts available on every conceivable topic, so as with any other authentic material, they can be chosen according to students’ needs, interests and levels of proficiency to plan engaging, motivating English lessons.
The following is a list of links to podcasts I’ve found useful and interesting for my students. If there’s one you especially like that isn’t included here, please link us to it in the comments below!
(Updated 5 March 2011, future new additions will be indicated in pink)
TEFL:
- Podcasts for students at different levels, now including business English: podcastsinenglish.com
- Learn and practise useful English language for everyday situations: BBC 6 minute English
- BBC’s Talk about English
- Latest BBC Learning English Downloads, audio, texts and sometimes even activities.
- Quick and dirty grammar tips, with a nice focus on writing/punctuation: Grammar Girl
News & Current Events:
- BBC News Podcasts
- The Economist Online Audio/Video
- Documentaries made to fill in the gaps in current news stories: PBS Frontline
Business:
- 10-15 minute summaries of World Business News from the BBC, updated daily
- The top business brains from the Guardian and the Observer come together for a weekly dose of economic reality: The Business
- The Economist’s guide to doing business in cities around the world: Doing Business in…
Literary:
- Contemporary authors read their favourite stories in the New Yorker archive: New Yorker Fiction Podcast
- Interviews with contemporary/popular witers: Barnes & Noble’s Meet the Writers
- Garrison Keillor tells us about each day in literary history and reads a poem of the day: Writer’s Almanac
- Live, oral storytelling: The Moth
- The Economist’s Book of the Month
- Weekly author interviews, readings and reviews: Guardian Books
Drama:
- BBC Play of the week
- Contemporary drama in a rural setting from the world’s longest running soap opera: The Archers
Travel:
- Inside guides and information on the hottest places to go from Guardian.co.uk: London Walks
- Lonely Planet Travelcast
- Rough Guide Podcasts
- US National Parks Podcast
Miscellaneous Topics:
- New! 360 Documentaries stories on a variety of topics from Australia
- A variety of human interest stories on a weekly theme: This American Life
- New! Human interest stories, exploring “ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience”: Radiolab
- Short stories illustrated on post-it notes, read aloud on a video pod-cast: Post-it Note Stories Videos (Lots of other great, useful stuff on this website for reading/speaking lessons, too)
- 15 minute stories of objects that changed the course of history: A History of the World in 100 Objects
- David Attenborough presents a series of ‘Life Stories’, interweaving natural histories with his personal reflections and experiences: David Attenborough’s Life Stories
- Video podcasts on a variety of current events and business topics: The Atlantic Video Podcast
- A wide range of topics from the BBC world service: BBC Documentary Archive
- Legal topics for the layperson: Legal Lad
- Advice about etiquette focused on particular situations, great for some polite functional language: Modern Manners Guy
- Short programmes with tips on everything from grammar to public speaking to nutrition: Quick and Dirty Tips
