Student Podcasts and Other Audio Projects

ave you noticed how incredibly popular podcasts have become in just the last few years? It seems like everyone is doing them!  Audio apps are exploding also. There is Spotify and Apple Music, Clubhouse and Discord, and I’m sure there are a ton more.

So now is the time for students to start podcasting too!

Unfortunately, most teachers (and students) fall back on the same old assignments: reading, writing and sometimes videos. We give written tests, we have them write essays and occasionally they make a video. Why not audio??? 

So let’s change this up a bit and have them record their voices without including the camera. 

I have done a lot of podcasting in my classes, and I can promise you that I have been blown away at the results. In fact, I was so impressed that I wrote an entire thesis on this topic many years ago. 

(If you’re interested in the publication of that thesis, click here)

If you don’t want to read that long academic journal article, here is the summary:  Students who record their voices, in a somewhat private location, outperform almost any other form of testing. 

The fact that they are not speaking in front of the class or in front of a camera takes all the pressure off.  This allows them to truly express themselves. If you don’t believe me, just try it. You will immediately see the impressive results. 

A simple voice recording allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and express their opinions. They can also practice their pronunciation and speaking skills without any peer pressure or adults staring at them. It basically eliminates their fear! 

Honestly, the options are endless if you are considering podcasting or audio projects.  Literally any written assignment you currently do can be converted into an audio project. Take a look at these examples:

• Read these two articles and describe (verbally) how they are similar or different
• Describe an image using the vocabulary words from this unit 
• Interview someone in your family about their cultural heritage
• What is your opinion on the topic we discussed in class today? Justify your opinion with 2 specific examples. 
• Tell me a story about your childhood and include 3 verbs in the past tense.

But before you jump into any one of these projects, let me give you some advice:

Unless you want to sit for 4 hours listening to students speak, you MUST limit the audio recordings to 2 minutes each. That is plenty long to start.  

Give them clear guidelines about the content of their recordings, such as: 

• Use 10 vocabulary words in your answer
• Make 3 separate points about this topic
• Include an introduction and conclusion

Give them clear guidelines about how to record, such as:

• Make a test recording to check volume before recording the whole project
• Remember that pronunciation and expression count towards your overall grade
• Do not read your response. Just speak naturally. 

The best part about audio recordings or podcasts is that you do not need any fancy technology. Every cell phone on this earth has a “voice memos” app. If for some reason, you can’t find it or don’t like it, you can download a free app called “Voice Record Pro” which works really nicely too.

There are free audio apps for computers also, but I highly recommend that the students record on their phones. This lets them do it from home and not in the classroom. This way, they are in a quiet and private place.

All they need to do is click “record”, speak for 2 minutes and then send you the recording by Google Classroom or email. Easy peasy.

If your students want to start a podcast, have them use “Spreaker”. It is a free website that will “host” their audio recordings (podcasts) in a public place so that other people can find them. It also allows them to measure their audience participation and followers.

But if that’s too complicated, just have them record their voices and send it to you and only you.

Trust me, you will be amazed at the results.

Podcasts, audio recordings or even radio shows are fantastic projects to do with your students. They work well to teach students how to express themselves verbally. Trust me, you’ll be amazed by the results. Just try it!