ESL Podcast Review

1. English Idioms and Slang
http://www.englishcaster.com/idioms/
This podcast, which I found through About.com, consists of short lessons, each centered around one idiom. Each entry is both recorded as a podcast and posted as text on the website, which is helpful for students with different learning modalities. I listened to the podcast for the idiom "Know One's Place." The podcast is short, succinct, and gives both examples and a clear explanation for each idiom, as well as providing review questions for previous idioms. I particularly liked how examples are given before the explanation, allowing the English Language Learner to make inferences within a meaningful context before being spoon-fed the definition. It seems to be geared toward older students, but it would function well for intermediate ELLs.

2. ESL Cafe
http://www.eslpod.com/website/
This podcast, found through Google, is run by Dr. Jeff McQuillan and is centered on different topics of interest. Each podcast also comes with a study guide (8-10 pages); however, they require paid membership for access. I listened to the podcast on Advanced Placement tests. The topical nature of this podcast may make it hit-or-miss in terms of interest level, but at a cursory glance, the topics seem to be common ones that would teach vocabulary and language that an ELL would need on a daily basis. The podcast is at a reasonable speed for ELLs and would aid in comprehension; however, the language is definitely geared toward advanced learners of English. McQuillan takes the time to explain different vocabulary words and idioms, but the length of the podcast may cause some difficulty in retaining the large amount of information. The study guide may be a possible solution by providing a review.

3. ELT Podcast - Basic Conversations for EFL and ESL
http://www.eltpodcast.com/archive/bc
I listened to the first in this series of basic conversations - "Introductions." The podcast consists of short basic conversations that beginner ELLs would need on a daily basis. The podcast is repeated three times: first in a natural conversational speed, second in a slow speed, and third at regular speed again. The text of the conversation is also provided on the website. The slow speed is helpful for beginner ELLs, and the natural speed dialogue provides a good sense of how the language is spoken. However, the podcast doesn't provide any additional explanation or support beyond repeating the conversation, so this podcast would probably function best as a supplement to a classroom lesson - perhaps as extra home practice.