Turkophone

Abstract

Web radio is one of the media platforms that broadcast transiently through internet connection. Web radios involve digital volume and image files that recorded beforehand by means of podcast files. Mentioned files can be saved on computers, tablets, mobile and smart phones via various applications. Listening activities which are done through podcast contribute to language teaching in consideration of including up-to-date broadcasts, cultural factors and chosen from real life as they contribute to improve the listening comprehension skills. Computers, MP3 Players, tablets, smart phones are widely used in today’s new generation’s daily lives. When using these communication tools by taking advantage of the ease of Web 2.0, they can disseminate information and their abilities via these channels by using social media, blog, interactive dictionaries, web pages and podcast (pocket radio) without any difficulty. As browsing the history of podcast application, it is necessary to emphasize that the end of 90s and the beginning of 2000s was the era in which computer and internet technologies were widely used in education field. Podcast application basically emerged with the spread of the new technologies such as Web 2.0 internet sites and RSS. The application serving in many different fields undoubtedly remains as a very useful tool also in education. Podcast applications used within the scope of the ‘distance education’ in order to save time should not be confused with the podcasts that are used in language education. Podcast activities aimed at improving the skills in a foreign language education are directly prepared for the purpose of the course and in terms of the principles of language teaching. The implementation processes of podcasts will be examined from technical and pedagogical aspects throughout the study. The issue of which type of contributions do such activities may be to the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language will be examined by presenting podcast assisted application examples.