How I could use Podcast in my classroom

I enjoyed this Absolutely Intercultural podcast a lot. Now, I am a international student and I am interested in culture a lot. I read and watched several episodes from here, and selected the episode of absolutely intercultural 142.

from Absolutely Intercultural 142

While learning abroad using different language and in the different environment, I have thought that language learning is closely related with culture of the language. I think without understanding the culture of the language, we cannot fully use or understand the language. This episode gave a lot of information related with culture and language. I like the information about the website of ‘Internations’ which expatriates community for people living and working abroad as well as all ‘global minds’.

How I could use Podcast in the classroom

I will let my students read this episode first and then share their thoughts or reflections about this episode. I think many students can get a glimpse of importance of cultural understanding while sharing this episode. After this discussion about cultural differences or importance, I will give students some assignments as a group to search the cultural differences between Asian countries and English-speaking countries. With these results, they can podcast their findings like this episode. Their podcast could include their own experiences, some paper articles, or broadcasting etc. I think I can use this podcast site as a source of developing intercultural knowledge of my students, whenever I find good ones from here.

How I can use Bubblr story using Flilckr photo in my teaching

I think I can use my story very effectively while I teach L2 learners English
My Bubblr Story: . How I use my story for teaching.



Photo by Marxchivist
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom1231/254460772/

 For using this story making activity, I can provide more vivid experience and arouse students’ interest in new culture. Learning language means learning the target country’s culture and life style as well. When we comprehensively understand the environment of the target language, we can achieve true learning. Language is a tool to share peoples’ thought and communicate each other. Hence, if we have enough knowledge of the target language, we can be a more successful language learner. I will suggest some examples that I can use in my classroom.


First, I can teach geography using map. Students can visualize the location and the character of each state. I can show the students the map of the U.S.A. and ask them such as: Do you know why is the U.S.A. composed of 50 states? Where is your favorite state in U.S.A? While learning geography of the U.S.A, students can write some story of their interest, with which they can get more focused on language learning.
Second, we can talk about which state they visited until now, and how they felt about that? From the sharing of their feeling and thought, we can be more motivated to learn English.

I can discuss the differences of culture or school life between U.S.A. and their own country. Recognition of the differences between two cultures could enhance the understanding of target culture and motivation of language learning.

Finally, I could have the students create stories or this topic using the map. They may build a story clip according to their own interest. For example, students can make some story of his/her favorate state and why they like the state most, or what is the charactereistics of each state.
Students can put bubbles with text on a series of pictures together about cultrue. Students can text their feelings about foreign culture in the bubbles on a picture. It will improve their ability to make some storylines in English and also enhence their understanding of foreign culture. 
This kind of activity also give motivation to engage in class more actively, also students can grasp the gap between each culture by using visual tools.