Analyzing Audio Recordings for Teaching Language Learners

¶ … Audio Recordings for Teaching English as a Second Language The Use of Audio Recordings for Teaching Language Learners The trends in the field of ELT have changed in this modern era of languages. While people in the olden times used to learn a language to be able to read the literature of that language, nowadays a language is learned to gain communicative skills. And similarly, with the changes in these trends, educators have also noticed changes in the method of teaching English as a second language.

Advancements in technology have aided the use of other modes of teaching rather than just the text book (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). Among these modes of teaching, audio recordings make up one of the methods. Audio recordings are used to deliver lectures and they also make the lesson more interesting. However, the main question that to address is whether audio recordings are an effective way of teaching English as a second language.

Review of Research: In 2008, Lord carried out a small study including 16 students that were given Spanish lessons with the help of audio recordings, in the United States. She found that there was significant improvement in her students after the lessons. Their pronunciation had improved a great deal as a result of the audio lessons. A similar study was carried out by Ducate and Lomicka (2009). However, the results weren't as noticeable. Nonetheless, the students had positive reactions about this new method of learning languages.

Abdous, Camarena and Facer (2009) conducted a survey through eight different language classes. They concluded that the use of podcasts had a very positive effect on the students' skills. Audio recordings had proved to be a very helpful tool and had improved the speaking, listening and reading skills of the students.

Another research by Abdous, Facer and Yen in 2012 reported, after conducting a study in 27 language classes over three years, that, they have found out that the way audio learning is integrated in the curriculum has a very notable effect on the grades of the students. On the contrary, there have been some researchers who have found contradictory results.

They believe that there are several limitations of this method of language-learning; although it gives audio lessons, there is lack of another element that's vital in learning a language and that is interaction (Rosell-Aguilar, 2013). However, it was determined that these audio lessons come with other resources through which interaction can be encouraged, e.g. transcripts and print exercises. In more advanced learning capacities, educators can find quizzes and forums, or applications in devices such as smart phones, tablets etc.

Moreover, when audio learning is induced in classrooms and not individually, interaction can be encouraged in the form of reporting, summarising, discussing, comparing and contrasting, collectively. Reflection on Using Audio Recordings for Teaching Language Learners: I remember when I took Spanish classes. We used to learn with the help of audios and videos where we learnt how to pronounce certain words; it was an interactive and interesting way of learning.

Our instructor would ask us to repeat after the audio and therefore in not less than three months, we were quite fluent in basic Spanish. At year end, we took examination where we had to listen to the question from the audio recording and write down the answers. This brushed up our listening skills, which are equally as important as speaking skills (Gottlieb, 2006). We can also see that when students are learning beginner English. Audio recordings can be very helpful.

During the class, the lessons and the exchange of words between the teachers and students can be recorded and later, the students can listen to these recording so as to revise what they learnt. They can hear their own voice as well as the explanations by the teachers which helps them to learn better by listening to the recordings over and over again until they have learned the meaning and pronunciations of all the words.

This is very helpful since at the beginner stage, it is not possible for them to take notes so easily or to be able to read them later on. This method has been proved to be a more effective learning tool as compared to recordings made by commercial people as familiar voices make it easier to learn (Rosell- Aguilar, 2013). According to Abdous et al. and Kashdan (2012, 2006), it is vital that language teachers provide their students regularly with audio resources during lessons of both intermediate and advanced level.

Only this way will the student be able to develop comprehension of the language. Written material, for example, notes cannot be relied on for the effective learning by the student. This is because, to learn a language, students need to cover all the aspects of that language. Only by learning to write or read a language, students cannot master it. And, since modern era learning is based on developing communicative skills, what is most crucial is that students learn how to listen and speak.

Due to the ever-increasing globalization, different communities get to interact with each other and thus, the language barrier has to be removed by learning languages, other than one's mother tongue. Therefore, students need to learn.