The Effects of Teaching English Using a Podcast on the Listening Ability of Thai EFL Learners

Abstract

Listening is the most important skill in learning language, especially English as foreign language. At present, Thai EFL learners have faced problems in listening English particularly, vocabulary, accent, and the rate of speech. The objective of this research was to examine the effects of learning English using a podcast toward the listening ability of Thai EFL learners. This research also studied learner’s opinions of learning English using podcast. With the quantitative and qualitative research method, this research was conducted with twenty people who are third year undergraduate students studying in English major, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University. The participants were selected using clustered random sampling. The researchers used the achievement test (pre-test and post-test) to examine the effects of learning English through podcast on the listening ability of Thai learners. Learners Questionnaire was used to investigate learner’s satisfactions towards learning English through podcasts. Based on the results, the post-test mean score for listening ability ( =13.45, SD =2.28) was higher than that of the pre-test mean score ( =11.90, SD =2.85). The paired t-test showed a significant difference between the pre-test scores (t = 6.945, p< 0.05). The results from the pair t-test which showed a significant difference in the Pre- and Post-test scores and the high post test scores of individual students, so it indicated that the use of podcast in English learning has an influence on learners’ listening ability. The findings revealed that the participants had positive attitudes towards the use of podcasts in learning English. They agreed with the use of podcasts because the content of the podcast is interesting, the podcast has a variety of content and so on.