Exploring students' perceptions towards the integration of english podcasts into EFL classrooms to enhance their pronunciation skills

Abstract

Learning a foreign language requires mastering its four main skills, including reading, listening, writing and speaking. This latter involves pronunciation, which is a language aspect that is often regarded as a hurdle by many EFL learners. Having a correct pronunciation is considered crucial that is why many foreign language learners want to acquire it and improve it as much as possible. However, only a few teaching programs are included to target this skills. In light of this, the current thesis aims to explore first-year EFL learners' perceptions towards the use of English podcasts in the purpose of enhancing their pronunciation since it involves exposure to native speakers. In order to accomplish this goal, this study follows a non-experimental design, implemented with 60 first-year BA students of English as Foreign Language at the University of Bejaia. Moreover, it employs a mixed method, which bases on both quantitative and qualitative tools for the data collection; the study method employs a students' questionnaire as a quantitative research tool; while, it uses an online interview posted for teachers of English at the same university to investigate their perspectives concerning the issue under study. The findings disclosed positive attitudes of the participants regarding the implementation of this new material to enhance EFL students' pronunciation because it can be practical, enjoyable and interesting while creating opportunities to listen to native speakers in the educational field. The teachers' perceptions also were positive as the data revealed. The study entails some suggestion for an advantageous use of podcast in EFL classrooms.