Abstract:

Podcasts/vodcasts can be used in the foreign language classroom in a variety of ways as the benefits of using them are numerous. They are authentic material and therefore students are exposed to real-life communication situations. Through podcasts/vodcasts students practice their communication skills and engage in processes of exploration, observation, and interaction. As an increasingly popular form of digital content, podcasts/vodcasts offer a versatile and engaging platform for language learners.

The present paper delves into the creation, implementation, and benefits of incorporating podcasts and vodcasts into the instructional toolkit for teaching foreign languages. Our presentation explores the integration of podcasts/vodcasts as a dynamic tool in French language teaching that allows students to develop their oral expression and reception. More specifically, we are going to show how we integrated the podcast/vodcasts as a teaching tool in a group of Greek students in the French Language and Literature Department at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki during an academic semester within the framework of a course of language. We opted for the podcast/vodcast to improve the oral skills in French of our students and give them a safe and authentic context in which they can develop their phonetic skills and their oral expression by interacting with each other around current themes. We gave them the authentic context of taking part in an institution's linguistic campaign about biographies of historical people (authors, poets, painters, archeologists).

Our objective was to create audio files or videos using digital tools to present the life of a historical figure. The CEFR’s (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) descriptors helped us to define the didactic objectives and the final forms of assessment. A series of activities around the theme led the students to the final product, a collective podcast or vodcast to take part in the annual campaign.

A group of 15 Greek students, training to become future teachers of French as a foreign language, participated in the implementation of podcasts and vodcasts as a didactic tool to enhance oral competence. This initiative took place over one semester, from February 2023 to June 2023. At the end of the academic semester, the student’s groups (5 groups of 3 members) presented their work and were evaluated by their teacher and each other. They also participated in interviews to share their experience (benefits, obstacles, challenges, preparation time, resources consulted, materials used, digital tools employed, collaboration, etc.). The observation of their productions and their responses to an interview in June 2023 enabled us to draw relevant conclusions about the use of podcasts and vodcasts in the teaching of foreign languages.

Keywords:

Oral skills, podcasting/vodcasting, teaching, foreign languages, French language.