Scholars in Digital Humanities have pointed out that using digital tools, such as podcasts, in language learning plays a positive role (Burdick et al., 2012; Travis & DeSpain, 2018). In particular, Birgit Philips (2017) found that podcasting involves students in higher-level cognitive processes, which facilitates language learning, creative thinking, increases learner confidence, supports collaborative learning, improves language production skills, and enforces transferable skills. However, most studies focus on the effectiveness of teacher-produced podcasts to enhance listening skills in language acquisition settings, mainly in European languages. This study seeks to address the knowledge gap in student-produced podcasts in language learning and highlight how involving Arabic as a Foreign Language students in podcast-making might help develop their speaking skills and boost their confidence in the target language.
The presentation will describe the process of implementing the student-produced podcast project in three main phases: the planning phase, the implementation phase, and the evaluation phase. It will also highlight potential challenges experienced by students, including difficulties in correctly pronouncing some words and limited creativity in content due to a limited vocabulary. Finally, the presentation will discuss the benefits of podcasting in transforming students into active learners capable of generating knowledge in meaningful contexts and how to overcome some of the challenges encountered during the process.

Authors:
Carla El Khoury, University of Oslo, Norway

About the Presenter(s)
Carla El Khoury is an Arabic Lecturer and the Coordinator of the Arabic program at the Department of Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interest lies in the area of Task-Based Learning (TBL).

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