I don't know how teachers taught up to date culture without video podcasts! I enjoy using all types of podcasts to supplement the culture sections in our really outdated textbooks. I actually found enough information to completely stop using the textbook except as a teacher guideline! Specific podcasts that are informational (and FREE) to help my teaching include:
Samantha Brown's Tour Of Latin America: This podcast was free last summer after the series aired & included clips of her television show throughout the countries of Latin America. Since they are only clips of the show, they are perfect as "fillers" for 5-10 minutes during class. Specific scenes such as a restaurant in Argentina & a clip from the Feria de Abril in Spain are two that I have used recently. The link below sends you to the website set up with her most recent podcasts, but as I mentioned earlier, the podcasts that I reference throughout the year now cost a fee through Itunes. http://podcasts.travelchannel.com/samantha-brown/page1 It is important to check Itunes & the internet frequently for updates since free offers don't last forever!
Coffee Break Spanish (http://freelanguage.org/learn-spanish/coffee-break-spanish-podcast) is also a podcast that I have used this year. This native dialogue contains relevant grammar and when combined with listening comprehension questions it is a great tool for students to listen to native speakers. The rate of this podcast is quite fast for my Spanish 8 students, but once they listen a few times they understand. It is nice that there are so many different episodes because it is easy to find an exact grammar or vocabulary topic that is related to what we are currently studying! My finace is also using coffee break to help him brush up on his Spanish skills so he can join in when I speak Spanish!
Overall, Spanish podcasts and cultural videos are readily available on the internet for classroom use! It is important, as mentioned earlier to stay current with the available resources as sometimes they change quickly. Podcasts, both video and audio only are a great resource for any subject area at any level!
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Bridget,
ReplyDeleteYou are using some excellent podcasts. Today's teachers are really lucky to have such tools available through the internet, aren't they! Previously language teachers had to rely on tape recordings, language labs and films. Having all of these rolled into one access point- the internet- makes connecting the students with native speakers so much easier!
Dr. Burgos