TERM PAPER
IMPROVING ENGLISH LISTENING SKILLS THROUGH
PODCASTS
A TERM PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF
ARTS IN ENGLISH
SEMINAR IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE USAGE IN THAI SOCIAL
CONTEXT FACILITY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
BANSOMDEJCHAOPAYA RAJABHAT UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2022
Group Members
1. Mr. Nuttapong Pengjam
2. Miss Nattharika Meumkhunthod
3. Miss Phanittaporn Saephan
4. Mr. Jadesarit Hanab
5. Miss Chayada Katsanathiraphan
6. Miss Sirapat Kaewbuathong
iii
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................iv
Introduction ........................................................................................... 1
Definition of Podcasts........................................................................... 2
Why are Podcasts very popular?........................................................... 3
The advantages of podcasts .................................................................. 4
Applications for listening to podcasts................................................... 5
1. Spotify ………………………………………………………..6
2. YouTube ................................................................................... 7
Previous Research Finding ................................................................... 8
Conclusion ............................................................................................ 9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 10
APPENDIX .................................................................................................... 13
iv
Improving English listening skills through Podcasts
Abstract
In English communication, there are 4 English skills consist of speaking,
reading, writing, and listening. One of the most important skills is Listening
skill because it is necessary for English communication. It is also used most
widely in people’s daily lives. Therefore, improving listening skill will provide
better communication and comprehension of the English language. There are
many ways to improve English listening skill such as watching a movie, talking
with other people in English, listening to English music, etc. One of the most
popular methods is podcasts. Podcasts are audio or video on social media
platforms which can be downloaded to listen every time. Thus, the purpose of
this research is to introduce podcasts for improving English listening skill. In
this research, there are various definitions of podcasts that were given by
researchers and also the reasons why podcasts are very popular. Then, the
advantages of podcasts which are about improving English listening skill. Next,
the recommendation of the applications for listening to podcasts. Finally, the
previous research which can support that podcasts can improve English
listening skill.
Keywords: English listening skills, Podcasts, Improving English listening
skills
1
Introduction
The English language is necessary for worldwide communication in the
present day. Everyone can communicate with others from the other side of the
world within minutes by using the internet and a lot of platforms of social
media. Because English is used for communication in this world, many people
need to learn English. People in the world want to get better opportunities for
education and employment. In Thailand, English is not the first language or
second language for Thai people. It is a foreign language. Whoever in Thailand
can use English well, they will get a better job. English skill is very useful for
Thai people because Thailand has many tourist attractions and travelers. They
need to communicate with Thai people, therefore Thai people should have
awareness about learning the English language.
In the way of learning language, there are 4 skills that a learner has to
improve: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. One of the essential skills is
listening. Listening is a complex process of interaction where you must
interpret what they have known and heard (Abedin et al., 2009). Listening skill
plays the main role in learning the language. Before they speak or express
something, they need to listen and understand an idea of what they get from
another speaker. What learners have to learn about listening is the sound,
rhythm, intonation, and stress of the language, especially in the English
language. Nowadays, there are many ways that learners can improve their
English listening skills such as watching the news or listening to a song and
one of the effective ways to improve listening English skills is podcasts.
Podcasts are audio or video which can be downloaded on the Web to an
iPod or MP3-Player for listening to it later (Paul Man, 2007). People can use
podcasts every time they want. They can listen while they are going to work,
or they are jogging in a park. A podcast is proper for everyone. The purpose of
2
using podcasts is varied such as listening to songs, news, storytelling, etc. One
of the purposes is to use it to improve listening an English skill according to
Astri & Erwin (2018), the influences of using podcasts in English language
skills such as listening and speaking contribute a lot to give some improvements
both for the teachers and the students. For these reasons, we choose Podcasts
for improving listening skills.
Definition of Podcasts
As you are aware, a podcast is a type of audio content that is able to be
downloaded or streamed nowadays. The speech content of the podcast was
created by whoever desired. Moreover, a podcast is primarily delivered online,
playing everywhere and every time.
Other academics have given the meaning of podcast as follows: (Chan,
Chen, and Dopel (2011) defined a podcast as a media stream consisting of audio
and/or video and PDF files. Listeners can download their favorite podcast and
transfer it to devices such as MP3-Players, iPods, and mobile phones.) A
podcast is an audio file that is possible to download from the internet. The
podcast was first known in 2004. It is defined as online audio blogging or
internet audio publishing. The term "podcasting" is a blend of the words “iPod”
and “broadcasting” (O'Bryan and Hegelheimer, 2008). Podcasts are audio or
sometimes video programs on the Web, which are usually updated at regular
intervals. New episodes can be listened to on the computer or downloaded to
an MP3 player or iPod for later listening. (Paul, M. S. 2006) In the academic
circle, the term derived from media studies and became “a curiosity sitting on
the periphery of mainstream media, an esoteric offshoot of digital culture” as
Llinares, Fox, and Berry (2018, p. 6). The definition of the podcast was
summarized as “audio and video via subscription” by Geoghegan and Klass
(2007, p. 5). In the author’s perception, a podcast is an audio or video published
3
on the internet platform. There are podcasters who produce podcasts
storytelling or interviewing famous people on many topics. The listener can
choose their favorite content themselves.
Why are Podcasts very popular?
You are able to listen to podcasts wherever you are. People nowadays
possess a strong desire to have access to online content wherever they are and
whenever they want. People now have instant access to the content they want,
no matter where they are, whether it would be music, news, TV, or social
media. Listening to podcasts is different from watching YouTube videos or
television shows because you can listen to podcasts without needing to watch
the screen, allowing them to listen while walking or driving home from work.
You can listen to it without a lot of effort if you have a smartphone,
tablet, or computer. Unless your phone or tablet doesn't have a native podcast
app, a few quick swipes will provide one for you. On a computer, type
"podcast" into Google, and the first few results will give you access to podcasts.
Podcasts are not only easy to find, but in 99% of cases, they are also free. In
case, if you want more options, there is another choice, that you can subscribe
to premiums such as Spotify. Therefore, podcasting has become a suitable
method for entertainment and education.
In recent years, the popularity of podcasts has grown quickly. The overall
number of Apple podcast downloads peaked at 7 billion in 2014, 10.5 billion
in 2016, 13.7 billion in 2018, and 50 billion in March 2018 (Apple Podcasts)
(Locker, 2018, p. 1). According to Locker (2018), podcasts now reach over 155
countries, with at least 525,000 active shows and more than 18.5 million
episodes (Locker, 2018, p. 1). People are paying attention, and development is
still taking place.
4
The advantages of podcasts
The convenience of podcasts is an extremely useful method of
communication, especially for the audience. You have the flexibility to listen
to anything you want, whenever you choose. The most convenient element of
the podcast experience is that you can select when and where you want to
consume the content. There is no restriction on time for podcast listening
Podcasts are phenomenal for listeners. As there is no need to log in or tune in
at any time like a radio or TV program. You can listen to podcasts whenever
you want. You can pay attention to anything at any time. While running or
walking, people listen to podcasts. Take a walk, work out, or listen to music on
your way to work; listeners do not need any special equipment to listening to
their favorite podcasts because they are portable. Nowadays, almost everyone
owns a smartphone, and all that is considered necessary to listen to a podcast is
a smartphone. Because the smartphone is portable, people can listen to podcasts
almost anywhere, and podcasts cut costs. Podcasting is not very expensive for
advertisers or podcasters. The setup and making costs are less. The ability of
podcasts to reach a large audience at low cost makes them an effective medium
of communication. Podcasts, according to Rosell-Aguilar (2007), are an
effective medium for improving English language skills. It is a medium used to
practice teaching methods for good communication to connect with the global
community Human behaviors such as listening and repetition, and lifelong
learning theory. (Extracurricular learning). Anne and Volker (2007) and Hasan
and Hoon (2012) discussed the benefits of podcasting which not only improves
the listening comprehension and pronunciation skills of learners, but also helps
the development of the process of learning grammatical structures and
vocabulary. It can be concluded that podcasts are useful for the process of
practicing English listening skills performance as well because it is modern
technology, useful, easy to use and convenient. There are learning resources
5
that are virtual media and learners can develop listening skill in terms of
pronunciation. It also helps develop speaking skills. Podcasts can be used by
learners who learn English as a second language in and out of the classroom
throughout their lives.
Applications for listening to podcasts
1. Spotify
Figure 1
According to businessofapps.com, Spotify is the world’s biggest music
streaming platform by the number of subscribers. Users of the service simply
need to register to have access to one of the largest collections of music in
history, plus podcasts and other audio content. Depending on Spotify's website,
Spotify is available across a range of devices, including computers, phones,
tablets, speakers, TVs, and cars, and you can easily transition from one to
another with Spotify Connect (one of Spotify's features). It means that Spotify
is easy to use every time and everywhere because that application is easy to
access at every moment. Even more, students nowadays have their own
gadgets, like computers, phones, tablets, speakers, etc. This application can also
help users practice recognizing many people's accents. Spotify can be used to
help users improve their listening skills by listening to different accents.
6
Listening to English podcasts can improve listening skills because
podcasts can be used as media to improve listening skills. When someone learns
the English language, they should comprehend their listening skills because
listening is one of the skills that must be comprehended in learning the English
language. Listening to English podcasts can add to the vocabulary, improve
pronunciation, and can improve comprehension in listening skill, and there is a
way to improve listening skills. Vocabulary can be obtained because people
will usually listen to the English language, and it can add new vocabularies.
Improved pronunciation can be obtained because when listening to English
podcasts, the speaker is usually a native speaker the language, and they will
pronounce English well. Therefore, people can use the English podcast to
improve their listening skills.
The use of the Spotify application then made it easier for users to
improve their listening skills and understanding because they could listen to
podcasts whenever and wherever they are.
2. YouTube
Figure 2
YouTube is the best platform to host video podcasts due to having the
biggest reach of any social media platform and receiving billions of views each
day. It is also the second-most popular social network, and Facebook is the only
7
website with more active members than YouTube (Statista, 2022). Moreover,
YouTube "allows registered users to upload original short videos,
documentaries, animated shorts, slideshows, movie clips, television clips,
music clips, and video taken via mobile devices" in addition to allowing non-
registered users to watch videos and provide comments (Buzzetto-More, 2014).
As a result, YouTube is the most popular large application or platform in the
world and is the most popular among users in the entire world.
There are some studies of YouTube indicating the ability to improve
English listening skills. According to (Ebtesam Thabet Alqahtabni 2014), who
conducted a study on the effectiveness of YouTube videos as a teaching tool to
enhance Saudi EFL students on their listening comprehension skills. The
participants were 26 students from the third secondary grade at Al Arqam Saudi
Private School for Females in Riyadh. The experimental group consisted of 14
students, and the control group consisted of 12 students, and they took part in
an eight-week study. The experimental results show a startling result: using
YouTube videos is more effective and stimulates student interest than the
control group. This is because students in the experimental group performed
better in the post-test after watching YouTube videos for two months, which
indicated their improvement in listening comprehension. Moreover, the results
of the study showed statistical differences in the post-test, in which the
experimental group’s scores significantly increased on the post-test to (9.86)
while the control group’s scores had a slightly insignificant increase to (7.75)
in the post-test.
As a result, YouTube is the most popular application and platform in the
world. It is an online tool for improving your English listening skills, but it also
depends on your diligence in listening to English yourself. If you don't practice
often, you won't get the benefits you expect.
8
Previous Research Finding
There are some studies related to the use of podcasts in listening
education. The first research from Galina Kavaliauskiene (2008), entitled
“Podcasting: A Tool for Improving Listening Skills”, this research has a wide
range of implications. These are a few examples: First, individual online
listening to podcasts at one's own pace and at a convenient time prompts and
encourages learners to improve their listening skills without lack of motivation.
Second, increasing learners' awareness of appropriate individual ways to
improve their listening skills promotes language learning. Third, students are
aware that listening skills can be improved with a lot of practice at their own
pace. The second research from Sartika Dewi Harahap (2020) is entitled
“Podcast Impacts on Students’ Listening Skill: A Case Study Based on
Students’ Perceptions”. The findings and discussions revealed that students
agreed that podcasts could assist them in comprehending English and that they
were able to use podcasts as a medium to improve their listening skills. It
captivated their interest in the podcast's content and provided clear native
pronunciation obtained from the podcast. Aside from that, most of the students
agreed that podcasts were simple to obtain because there are various podcasting
websites available through the internet. The third research from Supranee
Puimom (2015), entitled “A Use of Podcast for Enhancing Thai College
Students’ Skills”, is a study of developing listening skills through podcasts.
After the podcast listening test, it was concluded that most students had very
good scores, more than 80%. And because the level of language in the podcast
is not too difficult. Thus, students view podcasts as good tools and useful for
learning, so podcasts encourage students to have good knowledge and
understanding and help them better understand.
9
Conclusion
Listening is an important skill in English communication. It is necessary
to understand what people say before reacting. If we are not good at listening,
we need to practice a lot. There are numerous ways to practice and improve
your English listening skills. One of the ways is through podcasts. Podcasts are
audio or video Files that can be downloaded for listening at anytime and
anywhere. Previous research indicates that podcasts can help learners improve
their listening skills. Podcasts can prompt and motivate learners to improve
their listening skills. Listening to podcasts can raise a learner’s awareness of
the proper way to perfect the skill of listening. Podcasts can help learners learn
the language, and they are eager to use podcasts to improve their listening skills.
A study of developing listening skills through podcasts. After the podcast
listening test, it was concluded that podcasts are good tools and useful for
learning. From previous research, we can summarize that English listening
skills can be improved by using podcasts.
10
References
Andriani, H. (2018). The use of Spotify application to improve students ability
in listening through English Song: A Pre-Experimental Research.
Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar (Unismuh Makassar).
https://library.unismuh.ac.id
Astri, M. R., & Erwin, H. K. (2018). The Use of Podcast to Improve Students"
Listening and Speaking Skills for EFL Learners.
https://www.researchgate.net
Buzzetto-More, N. (2014). An Examination of Undergraduate Student’s
Perceptions and Predilections of The Use of YouTube in The Teaching
and Learning Process. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and
Learning Objects. 10, 17-32.http://www.academia.edu
Galina, K. (2008). Podcasting: A Tool for Improving Listening skills.
http://cejsh.icm.edu.pl
Goldman, T. (2018). The impact of podcasts in education: (Research report).
Santa Clara University. https://scholarcommons.scu.edu
Grant, R. (2022, July 14). Why are podcasts so popular? Listening Dog Media.
Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://listeningdogmedia.com
Haahr, T. (2021, February 24). Why are podcasts so popular? 5 Reasons Why
People Love Pods. The Podcast Host. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from
https://www.thepodcasthost.com
Khairiah, S., Mulia, & dan, K. R. (2021). Improving Students’ Listening skill
using Podcasts. Journal of Digital Education, Communication, and
Arts, 4, 51-61 https://jurnal.polibatam.ac.id
11
Lucian, B. (2021). Podcast – towards an inclusive definition. In Acta
Universitatis Danubius: Vol. 15 No. 2 (2021), (pp. 33). https://dj.univ-
danubius.ro
Mansoor, I. (2022, September 6). Spotify Revenue and Usage Statistics (2022).
businessofapps.com. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
https://www.businessofapps.com
Maryam, M. (2022). 10 YouTube Statistics That You Need to Know in 2022.
OBERLO. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/youtube-statistics
Md. Masudul, Hasan and Tan, B. H. (2012). The English Teacher. ESL
learners’ perception and attitudes towards the use of Podcasts in
developing listening skills, 2, 161-163.
https://www.melta.org.my/journals/TET/downloads/tet41_02_05.pdf
Md. Minhajul, A., Saiful, H. K. M., & Shorna, A. (2009). Listening Skill at
Tertiary Level: A Reflection. The Dhaka University Journal of
Linguistics.
https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/DUJL/article/download/4144/
3436
Nicole, L. MFA. (2022, September 13). How to Listen to Podcasts on Spotify.
wikiHow. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from
https://www.wikihow.com/Listen-to-Podcasts-on-Spotify
Paul, M. S. (2007). Developing Students’ Listening and Speaking Skills
Through ELT Podcasts. Journal Education 教育學報.
https://hkier.cuhk.edu.hk/journal/document/EJ/ej_v34n2_115-134.pdf
12
Riverside.fm team. (2022). How to Start a Podcast on YouTube in 7 Steps
[2022 Guide]. RIVERSIDE. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from
https://riverside.fm/blog/how-to-start-a-podcast-on-youtube
Ruethairat Sriphuangmalai. (2018). Development of English listening
comprehension achievement using podcasts for prathomsuksa six
students at Nongkungsalanumtiangwittayakorn school. http://ithesis-
ir.su.ac.th/dspace/bitstream/123456789/2238/1/57254403.pdf
Sartika D. Harahap. (2020). Podcast Impacts on Students’ Listening Skill: A
Case Study Based on Students’ Perceptions. https://stp-mataram.e-
journal.id/JIP/article/download/166/141
Supranee Puimom, Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi.
(2015). A Use of Podcast for Enhancing Thai College Students’ Skills.
https://research.rmutsb.ac.th/fullpaper/2558/2558240240398.pdf
The Quick Start Podcast team. (2022, January 23). Podcasting: Advantages and
Disadvantages. Retrieved September 15, 2022, from
https://quickstartpodcast.com/podcasting-advantages-and-
disadvantages/
Webb, K. (2019, November 8). YouTube made a few subtle changes to its
homepage that will now give you more control over your
recommendations. INSIDER. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from
https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-redesigns-homepage-bigger-
thumbnails-recommendations-2019-11
What is Spotify? (2022). Spotify. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from
https://support.spotify.com/us/article/what-is-spotify/
13
Appendix
14
Minutes of Meeting
(Group 6)
-Date: 17 August 2022
Consult with our advisor on the article’s subject.
-Date: 23 August 2022
Find an article topic on the subject are interested in doing.
-Date: 24 August 2022
Propose the topic of the article to the advisor.
-Date: 6 September 2022
Propose the article to the group advisor
-Date: 15 September 2022
Compiled individual information into new articles.
-Date: 20 September 2022
Submit the article to the advisor for verification.
-Date: 27 September 2022
Edit the article to be completely correct.
-Date: 23 November 2022
Make a sheet of knowledge
-Date: 26 November 2022
Create PowerPoint to presentation
-Date: 27 November 2022
Rehearsal presentation with advisor
-Date: 3o November 2022
Presentation
15
16