Recognizing that podcasts were becoming more and more popular among EFL students, and there was a lack of research investigating the benefits of podcasts in English learning, this research aimed to explore how EFL students perceived the effectiveness of using podcasts to improve their English listening skills. The study employed a mixed-method design to gather data from both a student survey and interviews for analysis. There were 206 EFL students from FPT University who were interested in the research topic. However, the research recruited 178 eligible participants with experience in using podcasts to complete the survey. The online interviews were carried out with a random selection of 8 students. The data analysis revealed that most of the survey respondents had prior exposure to utilizing podcasts as a tool to enhance their English listening skills. The research results indicated that a majority of EFL students had positive perceptions regarding the effectiveness of podcasts in enhancing EFL listening skills. It also highlighted both the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of podcasts as a listening learning method for EFL students. Furthermore, the students offered solutions and recommendations to enhance the future success of implementing this learning approach.
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
The ability to use the English language plays a critical role for people all around the world. English is considered a tool in today's connected world which consists of a diverse range of academic, career, and social contexts Writing, speaking, reading, and listening are the four important skills in English, and reaching a high level of listening is really crucial since it can help improve other skills effectively (Alzamil, 2021, p.367) However, EFL students frequently face struggles in improving their listening skills, which are necessary for communication and comprehension, and require innovation in order to reach an advanced level Therefore, there is a need for an effective method of practice to improve English skills among EFL students.
Nowadays, utilizing digital material is increasingly popular, and modern technologies play an important role in shaping teaching and learning methodology Thanks to the development of smart devices; e.g., smartphones, laptops, televisions, and tablets; students can approach Mobile Learning (M-Learning) applications The M-learning resources include the following: quizzes, online Q&A forums, gamified microlessons, MP3 players, and podcasts (Al Qasim & Al Fadda, 2013).
Podcasts are one of the most dominant, developing technological tools which have been utilized in higher education for a long time (Naidionova, & Ponomarenko, 2018) It first appeared at an event named “BloggerCon” organized in 2003 Journalist - Ben Hammersley set the name
“Podcast” in 2004, it is the combination between “iPod” (a music device developed by Apple) and
“broadcast” (Sullivan, 2019) Podcasts appear in over 155 countries worldwide with at least 525,000 podcast shows, and more than 18.5 million episodes have been released (Goldman, 2018) The application of podcasts is also utilized in teaching and lecture presentations
Likewise, at the University of Sheffield, podcasts are used as a tool to support students to update the new rules of the school Winchester University utilizes podcasting so that students can deal with dyslexia issues (Harris & Park, 2008).
Regarding English learning, there is an increasing interest among English learners in using podcasts for listening practice Podcasts provide listening sessions that are available to students to practise both inside and outside the class Podcasting is considered an online communication that helps EFL students to get access to new educational resources proactively (Al Qasim & Al Fadda, 2013) Furthermore, compared to individuals who did not use podcasts to improve the learning process, those who did, had higher listening comprehension scores and enhanced learning motivation (Yoestara & Putri, 2019).
In Vietnam, within the framework of the increasing prevalence of new English learning methods in place of traditional teaching and learning, podcasting is still a new phenomenon and is considered an innovative approach to improve students’ English listening skills However, the advantages of learning English by using podcasts have not been fully investigated It is important to explore the use of podcasts to enhance EFL students' listening skills, especially through students’ perspectives at FPT University, in order to understand the efficacy of this method and provide suggestions for pedagogical enhancement when this method is further utilized in the future.
Aims and significance of the research
This research aimed to investigate the potentials of podcasts as an educational tool for augmenting the listening skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at FPT University Given the surging prevalence of podcasts due to several benefits, such as being versatile and readily accessible, this study was anchored on understanding how their superior features might influence how EFL students acquire information presented in English To fill the research gaps, clarify queries, and intersect the boundaries between digital media and English language education, the following objectives were established:
(1) The priority objective of this research was to explore the reasons and variables influencing the decisions and perceptions of EFL students towards using podcasts to enhance their English listening skills This objective was grounded in two prior studies that show that the motives for using podcasts to learn English, as well as students' perceptions, are significant in justifying the premise of "using digital media for language learning" (Godwin-Jones, 2017; Lai & Gu, 2011).
(2) The goal of this study was also to identify the specific benefits and challenges that EFL students at FPT University encountered while using podcasts to learn English, as well as to determine which factors students perceive as having the most significant impact on their use of podcasts for English listening skill enhancement This aim was supported by research that emphasizes the importance of understanding students' experiences and obstacles when using podcasts to enhance their English listening skills, including technical issues and licensing expenses, as well as comprehension difficulties due to the absence of visual cues when learning a foreign language because the majority of podcasts are aural (Kukulska-Hulme, 2009; O’Bryan & Hegelheimer, 2007).
(3) The study provided recommendations for the use of podcasts in English language learning for students and teachers at FPT University to improve their English listening skills and suggested some pedagogical practices for teachers based on the analyzed data results The research presented findings in multiple dimensions that not only theorized and hypothesized the application of digital media in language pedagogy but also drew on the practical experience of EFL students to evaluate its effectiveness (Chinnery, 2006; Hubbard, 2009) This study also suggested new approaches to language learning and contributed to the archive of scholarly literature that investigates the interaction between digital technology and educational outcomes and foreign language learning (Dudeney, Hockly, & Pegrum, 2013).
With these objectives, the research explored student perspectives on the use of podcasts to improve their English listening skills The varied and comprehensive student insights were regarded as invaluable feedback for teachers to modify and optimize the use of podcasts in EFL teaching EFL students’ experiences using podcasts to learn English listening were instances that shed light on the difficulties associated with the use of podcasts and contributed to a more realistic understanding of the feasibility and potential limitations of using podcast in learning and teaching English (McKnight, 2016).
Podcasts are being used by students for educational purposes and for English learning Despite the fact that there have been several studies on the benefits of podcasts in education around the world, none has been conducted in the context of Vietnam, specifically at FPT University With feedback from FPT university students as part of this research, the study pinpointed both pros and cons of lOMoARcPSD|20493335
12 using podcasts in language learning Moreover, as being an onsite study, the findings of the research provided recommendations for students to improve their English listening skills through the use of podcasts.
This study paper demonstrated how podcasting enhanced EFL students' listening skills, which has never been mentioned in any recent studies As podcasts are believed to be adaptable and accessible digital media (Evans, 2008), understanding the benefits of using podcasts in language learning can offer significant insights for educators and curriculum program makers as the need for cutting-edge and adaptable learning media rises (Rosell-Aguilar, 2007).
Additionally, by examining the advantages and challenges that students were encountering while utilizing podcasts, this research also provided a general overview of the strengths and weaknesses of this learning medium The findings of the study also contributed to the development of more efficient and student-focused EFL learning strategies using podcasts.
Research on students’ perspectives focused on the experiences and viewpoints of students whose English listening skills have been significantly impacted by the use of podcasts The insights identified highlighted the important areas for further development, thereby improving the experience of learning a language.
Understanding the effect of podcasts on learning outcomes assisted building varied learning tactics and methodologies as podcasts are employed in a growing number of educational contexts By shining light on the application of podcasts to enhance EFL listening abilities, this study added to the body of information already available in language education and digital learning literature.
Research Questions
The study sought the answers to the following questions:
1 What are EFL students' perceptions toward the use of podcasts for English listening practice?
2 What specific benefits and challenges do EFL students at FPT University experience when using podcasts for English listening practice?
3 What are the recommendations for the use of podcasts for FPT students to achieve better English listening skills?
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition and origins of podcasting
2.1.1 The genesis and evolution of podcasting
Podcasts are a series of digital audio files that are published to the internet by content creators and streamed periodically so that users may select between downloading or “e-listening” on various broadcast electronic devices (Berry, 2006) The term "podcast" is a composite word - a noun that blends the words "iPod" and "broadcast", which is related to an event that was first introduced to the public by Steve Jobs in 2004, when the "broadcast" feature was integrated exclusively on the iPod and iTunes by Apple Inc (Apple WWDC, 2005; McCracken, 2005).
In fact, the birth of podcasting can actually be traced back to the 1980s with the inception of
"Internet radio", a platform that allowed digital audio channels to be streamed live over the Internet (Hammersley, 2004) The introduction of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) in the late 1990s and early 2000s played a crucial role in the advancement of podcasts Former VJ Adam Curry and software engineer Dave Winer collaborated on a project called "Ipodder", which aimed to integrate the RSS protocol into the URL, permitting users to download their favorite multimedia files from the RSS feed to their iPods (Winer, 2003).
Some of the world's first podcasts have been known as Patriots Unfiltered by the New England Patriots (2003), IT Conversations by Doug Kaye (2003), Daily Source Code by Adam Curry (2004), and others (New England Patriots, 2003; Kaye, 2003; Lim, 2006) In 2005, the term
"podcast" was formally acknowledged as the keyword of the year by the Oxford Dictionary (Skiba, 2006).
Currently, the podcast industry encompasses five significant types: Solo or Monologue Podcasts; Interview Podcasts, which may feature one host with one guest or multiple guests in a panel format; Conversational or Co-hosted Podcasts; Storytelling Podcasts; and Repurposed Content Podcasts (Dennis, 2019) Podcasts are frequently delivered in two formats: Podcasts and Vodcasts (Schnackenberg, 2009).
2.1.2 The popularity and impact of podcasting
Since 2005, the number of podcast users has substantially expanded, with a large number of studies substantiating this ascendency A 2022 poll by Edison Research, Triton Digital, and The Infinite Dial noted that a staggering 160 million U.S citizens, similar to 62% of Americans aged
12 and above, have engaged with this audio platform at least once (Edison Research & Triton Digital, 2022; The Infinite Dial, 2022) Correspondingly, statistics from Insider Intelligence (2022) indicated that up to 144 million people in the US tune into podcasts monthly (Ruby, 2022).
Podcast coverage is predicted to extend far beyond the United States and be a worldwide phenomenon The Podcasting and Audio Publishers Association (PAPA) indicates that by 2025, over 18% of worldwide internet users will be podcast listeners (PAPA, 2022).
An attribute that plays a part in the podcast's vast listenership is its massive data storage capacity. Podtrac (2022) anticipated that their platform would house 1.9 million podcasts in 2021 In regards to the Podcast Movement (2022), the majority of these, approximately 80%, were produced by freelance content creators.
Likewise, the global podcast industry became a lucrative sector, with revenue foretold to peak at
$4 billion in 2024 (Shapiro, 2022) The average podcast user is reported to put in roughly 11.2 hours per week on their audio content (Buzzsprout, 2022) These listeners primarily engage with news, comedy, and business genres and fundamentally use Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Soundcloud and Amazon Music as their podcast platforms (Patel, 2022).
The Vietnamese podcast industry was seen significant activity and expansion, notably around
2020, and has begun to cater to a varied range of subjects, as indicated by the monthly appearance of roughly 50 new podcast channels These range from interviews and monologues to educational- lOMoARcPSD|20493335
15 focused shows, as displayed by channels such as "Have A Sip", "Bit Tat", "Gen Z Truyen", "Tom Lai La", and "The Money Date" (Quan, 2022) Vietcetera, a well-known media platform, promoted podcasting innovation and expression by hosting a competition called "Cast Camp 2021", available to anybody over the age of 18, and serving as an inclusive forum for varied perceptions to be expressed via podcasts (Vietcetera, 2021) In line with these projections, the podcast industry is believed to develop even faster in the future, with an envisioned 100 to 250 new channels being launched each month (Thanh, 2022).
Features that have made podcasts such a successful platform currently include accessibility, portability, variety of content and autonomy, and interactivity Podcasts have become a versatile and engaging learning resource in the digital world over the years thanks to their free accessibility anytime, anywhere with internet access (McClung & Johnson, 2010; McHugh, 2012; Dredge, 2014) Podcasting also demonstrates the ease of use by allowing listeners to download radio broadcasts for offline listening on personal devices or in cars during breaks or commutes (Berry, 2006; Cebeci & Tekdal, 2006).
The appeal of podcasts stems from their ability to provide varied content across a broad spectrum of categories, including arts, entertainment, business, technology, education, games, lifestyle, health, etc This provides multiple options for a diverse range of listeners with varying interests and makes podcasts personalized learning resources (Markman, 2011; Sawyer, 2018) In 2009, only a minority of 11% of the U.S population listened to a podcast within the preceding month (Webster, 2009) The debut of "Serial," a podcast produced by This American Life and WBEZ Chicago, in 2014, however, marked a monumental shift in the podcasting industry "Serial" deviated from the standard episodic solo story style by presenting a serialized narrative that unfolded a criminal mystery throughout numerous episodes (Berry, 2016) This novel storytelling approach captivated listeners, and "Serial" became the fastest podcast to surpass five million downloads and streams on iTunes (Sullivan, 2019) Furthermore, the "subscription" feature inherent in podcasting assures that fans can not miss an episode of the channels they have subscribed to since a notification reminder will always be sent whenever a new episode is released (Markman, 2011).
Podcasting is an economically viable business due to the relatively cheap cost of audio recording, especially when compared to video (Guaglione, 2023) The approach to tracking podcasts is also expanding to fit into broader e-tracking techniques while sharing content is becoming more aligned with film and television industry patterns (Morris, 2023) The reasons for podcasting's broad acceptance might be traced to a variety of factors, including very low production costs, limited financial risk, and the possibility of significant revenue generation Regardless of financial justifications, the potential of individuals to express their distinctive voices to an extensive listener base cannot be overlooked as a motivator for podcast development (Soloski, 2021).
In the educational industry, podcasts have earned acceptance and acclaim for their interactivity feature, which turns podcasts into a forum for commenting and asking questions, therefore enriching learning experiences outside the traditional classroom (Hew, 2009; Ducate & Lomicka,2009; Bolliger, Supanakorn, & Boggs, 2010) Podcasts are believed to be ideal materials for enhancing listening skills and assisting EFL students in broadening their familiarity and understanding with different regional accents, specialized vocabulary, different tones of voice that reflect podcast contents, different genders, and different speaking speeds (O'Bryan &Hegelheimer, 2007).
The use of podcasts in education
2.2.1 Podcast use in various subjects
According to Tohill's study in 2008, business and law, computer and information technology, and engineering and science were the subjects taught most commonly using podcasts Studies on the use of podcasting in arts education were fewer According to Kerstetter (2009), the usage of podcasts in the music classroom enhanced learning through disseminating course information, providing supplemental course materials, recording guest speakers, and providing campus updates Buffington (2008) requested students to produce podcasts about particular pieces of art as part of his research on the use of technology in art education He discovered that students were deeply involved in conversations about the meanings of the artworks as well as learning about the technology of podcasting.
The usage of podcasts can present several opportunities to enhance instructional methods and address issues, including those with students' lack of interest and motivation (Bergqvist, 2013).
In general education and math-based courses, there was mounting evidence that the use of instructional videos and video podcasts improved students' performance when compared to traditional teaching methods (Mnatzaganian et al., 2020).
According to Coon and Vidal (2021), teaching economics in a more active and engaging way is not only better for the entire teaching community but is also becoming more and more crucial as it is better suited to the distinctive qualities of the new generation of students that teachers are sharing their classes with, whether they are doing so in-person or online Podcasts have the ability to improve learning experiences in the subject of economics by giving students access to professional opinions, current examples, and in-depth research.
A large number of studies (Chaikovska, Zbaravska, & Bilyk, 2019) indicated that podcasts are used as a tool for studying a foreign language by language learners Learners’ listening comprehension and speaking were improved after using podcasts to study The language learners were found to improve their grades after a period of time using podcasts to practice language skills.
2.2.2 The impact of podcasts on learner engagement
Salmon and Edirisingha (2008) described several teaching uses for podcasting across a range of academic areas They highlighted podcasting as having a significant impact on learners' motivation, speed, and level of involvement Because of the students' higher motivation and positive attitudes toward learning through podcasts, some other scholars have also suggested that podcasting has a positive impact on learners' learning (Oliver, 2005; Fernandez et al., 2009;Dupagne et al., 2009; Heilesen, 2010; Bolliger et al., 2010; Walls et al., 2010).According toHeilesen’s (2010) research, students usually have highly positive opinions of podcasting as a teaching tool, and "reports of rejection of podcasting are rare" (p 3) Fernandez et al (2009) who studied the comprehension and responses of some individuals who listened to podcasts for a semester concluded that, in the participants' perspective, podcasting did not replace conventional learning techniques; rather, it just improved the participants' drive (Farshi, N., & Mohammadi, Z.,2013). lOMoARcPSD|20493335
When students utilized podcasts as a learning aid, Bolliger et al (2010) conducted study in an online setting to assess the students' degree of motivation Despite some modest variances due to the participants' gender and past experience, it was observed that participants preferred using podcasts in general By surveying students, Walls et al (2010) assessed their access to,familiarity with, experience with, and attitude toward utilizing podcasts They claimed that contrary to what teachers believed, students are not as motivated or willing to use instructional podcasts Rahimi and Asadollahi (2011) conducted research on the accessibility, familiarity, and experience of utilizing the technology of podcasting among 120 Iranian university students The findings showed that many students had portable devices and were well-versed in podcasts, but that only a tiny percentage had never downloaded or listened to a podcast Even though they had few classrooms where podcasts had been utilized successfully, they believed that they were a good instructional medium for university courses (Farshi, N., & Mohammadi, Z., 2013).
The use of podcasts in English learning and teaching
2.3.1 Podcast use in language learning
Learning a new language is fundamentally an auditory process in which the eardrum vibrates in response to the incoming sound, and the brain then receives, converts, processes, and interprets that sound into information (Slevc, 2012) Podcasts, as a distinct audio streaming platform, offer excellent brain-to-head synergy for optimizing this process Research on auditory processing indicates that exposure to complex auditory stimuli, such as speech from podcasts, can inherently excite the auditory cortex, the part of the brain responsible for analyzing sound and language (Zatorre, Belin, & Penhune, 2002).
Listening to podcasts is considered an active cognitive workout rather than a passive process of obtaining sound and information (Soveri & Laine, 2011) When listeners listen and manage to understand the content of a podcast, multiple areas of the brain become activated, depending on the podcast's content and topic (Shtyrov, 2012) For instance, if a podcast demonstrates a dog, the brain's visualization centers are activated as listeners mentally envision the dog's appearance. These behavioral experiments are designed to strengthen cognitive visualization (Davis & Gaskell,
2009), a cognitive function that is crucial for greater proficiency in language learning (Cummins, 2008).
The study of neural plasticity using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides vital documentation to support the premise that listening to podcasts enhances English listening skills. Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity, is simply the alteration and displacement of neural networks as a result of the biological processes of recreation, reorganization, and development (May, 2011) Neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt to whatever it is exposed to more quickly, including language learning.
MRI changes in human brain areas with language acquisition (Li et al, 2014)
In the context of learning English as a foreign language through podcasts, the MRI study highlighted the possibility of significant neuroplastic changes As learners engage with the auditory content of podcasts, it can lead to a strengthening of neural pathways associated with English language processing, potentially enhancing language comprehension and production capabilities over time (Golestani & Pallier, 2007).
Another positive effect of listening to podcasts on the human brain is the capacity to significantly enhance and prolong the listener's working memory (Baddeley, 2003), which is the ultimate key to learning to comprehend and employ new languages in daily life (Chan, Skehan & Gong, 2011) The findings of the preceding study are consistent with the theory that podcasts can be utilized to instruct the brain to chunk and arrange the sub-information expressed in the new language (Miller, 1956), while also facilitating the process of remembering and retrieving information from the human brain's memory, thereby laying a solid foundation for the acquisition of a new language (Robinson, 2001).
According to Nation and Webb (2011), one of the simplest yet most successful methods for accelerating the development and consolidation of a person's long-term memory representations is to listen to podcasts in a new language to learn about a broad spectrum of topics on a daily basis Humans have been endowed with one of nature's greatest miracles, the brain, which has evolved to be superior to other animals and is also one of the convergences of all the functions just stated, assisting humans with interpreting information switched from sounds received by hearing, in this case, enhancing English listening skills.
2.3.1.2 Language learning strategies supported by podcasts
The process of comprehending, memorizing, and using a new language necessitates more than merely a series of behaviors such as listening to voices and processing information, which involve considerable dedication and cognitive strategies from the learner, in this case, EFL students Overlearning, the Einstellung effect, block practice, and interleaving are all cognitive strategies that have been investigated for their influence on language learning, and the findings of these studies happen to be particularly pertinent in the context of podcast-based language learning (Woltz, Gardner & Gyll, 2000).
Overlearning is a continuous and recurring process of studying and practicing in order to exceed the point of initial mastery With regard to the most recent investigations, over-learning expands the long-term memory of new information and expertise (Driskell, Willis, & Copper, 1992) The portability and accessibility of podcasts allow learners to swiftly replay episodes to listen to them again, encouraging overlearning and subsequent deep and long-term memory of basic grammar and vocabulary (Martín & Beckmann, 2011) According to Bilalić, McLeod and Gobet (2014), to keep up with the podcast's new vocabulary and professional content, learners must change their
21 lOMoARcPSD|20493335 habits and traditional ways of learning while also breaking the confinement of creativity and adaptation in their fixed mindset by understanding that learning a language means learning whenever and wherever that language appears, not necessarily through teachers and schools.
Interleaving and block practice are two distinct learning strategies Interleaving entails alternating between different sorts of problems or skills in a study session, whereas block practice requires frequently mastering the same sort of problem or skill before switching to another (Rohrer,
Dedrick, & Stershic, 2015) Interleaving may be a better option for learning a new language since it allows learners to distinguish between different language structures and integrate their understanding in an adaptable way (Birnbaum, Kornell, Bjork, & Bjork, 2013) Podcasts provide different information that naturally enables interleaving, encouraging learners to more effortlessly propagate their language capacities (Fratangeli, 2009).
Based on Csikszentmihalyi”s (1990) study findings, engaging in activities of interest stimulates human concentration and engagement and creates the perception that time is passing swiftly. Engaging in more prosaic and uninteresting pursuits, such as researching the precepts of certain political ideologies, may appear tedious, making time seem to crawl.
When learners discover new information or acquire new English terminology from a podcast, there is a burst of excitement and drive to continue their learning journey The learner's capacity to use this new information in their daily social interactions, such as impressing an expected romantic interest with their newly acquired knowledge base, is typically the origin of such motivation The expectation of receiving compliments, exchanging contact information, or securing a date might boost a learner's motivation to continue with podcast-based language study. These imagined benefits underpin the motivational framework of podcast-based language learning, whether it is social recognition resulting from an expanded knowledge base, prospective romantic opportunities, or future academic and career advancement (Salamone & Correa, 2012; Berridge & Robinson, 1998) It implies that perceived present and future rewards may significantly improve the learning process, making it more interesting, fulfilling, and ultimately effective.
2.3.2 Pros and cons of podcasts in English learning and teaching
2.3.2.1 Benefits of podcasts in English learning and teaching
Enhancing learning experience and motivation
Podcasting is believed to become more popular among university students for educational purposes Some institutes have utilized pilot projects and implementations to make courses available for students after realizing the efficacy of this learning method (Chabolla & Leh, 2009). The reason for this was that the learning process can benefit from podcasting in a variety of ways This can be attributed to the benefits podcasts bring to the teaching and learning method as well as several ways in which the student's learning experience is improved by podcasting.
Podcasts’ benefits are combined with the flexibility, control of the learner and personalizing the interest contents The ability for spatial and temporal flexibility gives listeners comfort by controlling their space and time to listen to the audio (Gribbins, 2007) For instance, students can listen to a podcast series lasting 1 hour on their way to school or spend 30-45 minutes on podcasts before sleeping Additionally, podcasting allows for greater personalization, as users can subscribe to series that match their interests and avocation This personalization increases the attraction of to a substantial amount of learners to podcasts, which can enhance inclusivity (Brookes, 2010) Podcasting is seen as an ideal methodology for learners, as it allows them to control their own learning process and tailor it to their individual needs Thus, podcasting is a powerful tool that combines the best of both parts, including offer the convenience and accessibility of digital media with the quality and content of traditional radio.
Conceptual framework
The conceptual framework presented in Figure 2.2 aimed to delve into the multifaceted world of podcasting and its application in education, with a specific focus on English language learning.
The above framework indicated that the umbrella scholar background for the study was podcasts and education, in which the relationships between these two aspects were extensive reviewed and narrowed down to the application of podcasts in language learning and teaching The main focus of the study was the use of podcasts in EFL listening learning, which was explored
32 multidimensionally regarding students’ perceptions of podcast use, the pros and cons of the podcasting learning method and suggested solutions and recommendations.
Students’ perceptions were analyzed using TAM model (Davis, 1989), in which both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were identified Mixed methods with the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data sources obtained from the survey and interviews were utilized in this study The findings of the study contributed back to the scholar background of podcasts and education in the literature and filled the gap identified in the research of the use of podcast in EFL learning and teaching.
METHODOLOGY
Hypotheses
The study attempted to explore the use of podcasts to learn EFL listening skills among university Vietnamese students The following hypotheses were tested using the findings analyzed from mixed data sources obtained from the student survey and interviews.
Hypothesis one was if the use of podcasts in English language learning at FPT University positively impacts EFL students' listening learning Based on the underlying concepts of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use influence technology acceptance (Davis, 1989) Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory proposes that a stimulus (a podcast) may regulate a response (listening improvement or satisfaction) via an organism (an internal learning process) (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974) The study tried to find out if podcasts could be considered to be helpful and simple to use to enhance students’ English listening skills and facilitate students’ learning process.
Hypothesis two was if EFL students who used podcasts for English listening practice confronted any advantages and disadvantages This hypothesis was tested using mixed data analysis and was also related to previous research regarding technology-enhanced learning aids.
Research Design
This study implemented a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design in which quantitative and qualitative data were assembled concurrently and given equal weight (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) The aim of this method was to juxtapose the outcomes of both methodologies in order to verify or authenticate the findings and disclose any discrepancies (Greene et al., 1989).
Quantitative data were collected using an online survey The survey was conducted before semi- structured interviews to collect qualitative data.
This study delved into students' perceptions of the usage of podcasts in their English listening practice, as well as their identification of the benefits and challenges of listening to English via podcasts The quantitative data presented an intensive insight into EFL students' mindsets and behaviors about using podcasts to enhance their listening skills.
Concurrently qualitative data was assembled within semi-structured interviews which were conducted using seven questions These interviews involving surveyed participants provided further insights into EFL students' experiences, perspectives, and attitudes when using podcasts for English listening study This method provided a thorough and nuanced investigation into the study matters (Creswell, 2014).
Visual Diagram of the Mixed-Methods Concurrent Triangulation Strategy (Deborah & Ayse, 2013)
Research site and participants
The research was conducted at FPT University, where English is taught and learned extensively across faculties and majors It is the requirement for FPT students to complete English courses to be competent to learn major subjects in English FPT University was selected to be the research site because of the following reasons:
FPT University had open policies to apply new technologies in language teaching and learning to help both students and teachers achieve better teaching and learning goals.
FPT University was the institution where our research team learning and it offered advantageous conditions to get access to research participants.
FPT University was considered to be a prominent representative for other universities in Vietnam and the regions where English was being taught and learned as a foreign language.
For the above reasons, the findings from the study could be generalized and applicable to similar contexts The study, therefore, could reach a larger audience.
There were 178 student participants in the study The students came from different faculties studying different major subjects FPT University students they became the participants of the research as the met the following criteria of selection:
IT competences: FPT students had competent IT literacy to apply new technologies in learning and participate in online survey and interviews.
Accessibility: It was considered to be advantageous to get access to FPT University students as they participated in the same class or social media networks as our team members participated By making use of snowballing techniques, social media networking and emailing, the participant recruitment and data collection time was shortened.
Diverse majors: The participant students coming from a myriad of academic disciplines elicited a rich array of perspectives and insights in the research matters.
Generalization: As FPT students studied diverse majors, came from different locals, had a mixture of English levels, they were a good representation for students in other universities in the country and regions who were learning English as a foreign language.
Research instruments
The survey questionnaire of the research was designed on the Google Forms platform The content was published in English with Vietnamese translation to ensure that the survey questions were comprehended accurately The estimated average time for a participant to complete the survey was from 4 to 6 minutes The survey was piloted ten times by team members before being finally published online for the participants to get access with a link provided After being published, the survey remained opened to gather information from participants for a week. lOMoARcPSD|20493335
There are a total of 22 questions in the survey, including:
➢ 11 questions with 5-point Likert's rating scale
The survey questionnaire was divided into five sections with 22 questions in total Five sections included:
Advantages of podcasts to learn English listening skills
Disadvantages of podcasts to learn English listening skills
Some questions had options for the students to input their own ideas which were different from the multiple-choice selections The participants’ responses were extracted to Excel table and ready for analysis.
The research utilized a semi-structured interview method to collect qualitative data Semi- structured interviews allowed flexible questioning adjustment to collect data instead of a fixed sequence or wording of interview questions Before each interview, the participant was provided with the introduction of the research topic as well as time required for the interview During the interviews, questions were added as well as reduced based on the answers of each interviewee. Interviews were recorded using a smart phone and then transcribed for data analysis.
Data collection procedures
Survey participants were invited via emails which were obtained from FPT English teachers and from face-to-face invitation by visiting each English class and social media networks, such as Facebook Survey participants were provided with information about the research topic, objectives of the research and also informed that their names would be used anonymously in future publications and in the thesis The participation in the survey was completely on the voluntary basis and there was no personal arrangement in the participant recruitment of the research The online survey was open for one week to collect data, then, closed for data extraction and analysis.
To recruit interviewees, an invitation was embedded at the end of the online survey to get survey participants to express their expression of interest in participating in online interviews using Google Meet to further discuss the research matters There were 74 survey participants who were interested in the interviews However, due to tight timeframe of the research, eight interviewees were randomly selected Each interview lasted from 15 – 20 minutes, recorded and transcribed for data analysis.
Data Analysis
The quantitative data gathered from the Google Forms survey were examined using descriptive statistical analysis using graphs generated using Excel Moreover, cross-tabulation analysis was used to identify outstanding patterns and themes Cross-tabulation analysis was also applicable for analyzing mixed data to avoid confusion and enhance accuracy in pattern identification.
Interview data were analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify common ideas that were repeated in the transcriptions Thematic content analysis was carried out in six steps: familiarization, coding, generating themes, evaluating themes, defining and identifying themes, and writing up The thematic analysis provided much more freedom in data interpretation and allows handling large data sets To maintain the anonymity of the interviewees, their names were coded from Participant 1 to Participant 8 Interviewees’ responses were also directly quoted to support the data explanation and analysis.
Findings identified from the two data sources were summarized, interpreted, and compared to facilitate the emergence of the answers to the research questions and further recommendation for future studies Findings of the study were also discussed and evaluated in the reflection with the literature reviews.
Cronbach's Alpha was used to assess the reliability of the survey questionnaires According to Tavakol and Dennick (2011), the Cronbach’s Alpha measures agreement on a defined scale ranging from 0 to 1 A greater value represents a better consistency between items in the questionnaires Low scores indicate that items in the questionnaires are not dependable and consistent.
FINDINGS
Survey results
The survey participants varied in their university years from K14 to K18 and studied different major subjects, including languages, economics, software engineering, graphics, etc All of the participants who completed this survey must have experienced using podcasts either for their study or other purposes.
There were 178 students who participated in the survey, of which K17 students made up the majority (41.6%) while the rest were K14 (6.7%), K15 (19.1%), K16 (15.2%), and K18 (17.4%). The distribution of the survey students across their university years was presented in Figure 4.1. Figure 4.1
The students participating in the survey came from many different disciplines The percentage for these were Software Engineering (33.7%), Artificial Intelligence (1.7%), Information Systems,
Information Security, Digital Art and Design (21.3%), Digital Marketing (13.5%), International Business (11.8%), Hotel Management (0.6%), Tourism and Hospitality Management, Multimedia Communication (7.9%), Finance (2.8%), and Linguistics (6.8%).
There were 20.8% of the students who had been studying English for one to five years, 39.3% for five to ten years, and 39.9% for ten to fifteen years Regarding the students’ English levels, the student participants were classified into five English levels in which beginners accounted for 11.8%, low intermediate (23.6%), intermediate (48.9%), high intermediate (10.7%), and advanced (5.1%) The students’ English levels were demonstrated in Figure 4.2.
The survey questionnaire contained 11 questions designed using 5-Likert scale Cronbach’s Alpha calculated using Excel provided the result α = 0.850328 This result demonstrated a good level of internal consistency among the questions of the survey As presented in the table below (Table 4.1), a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.70 or above is regarded as acceptable for research internal consistency.
Interpretation of Cronbach’s Alpha Values (George, 2011)
The Cronbach's Alpha of the survey questionnaire (α = 0.850328) indicated that the survey was reliable and hence, the survey results achieved high levels of reliability This also meant that the questionnaire measured the same underlying concept of students’ perception about learning by podcast consistently and reliably.
4.1.3 Students' Perceptions of Podcasts in EFL Listening Learning
Students’ responses to the survey questionnaire were collected to investigate EFL students' perceptions of the usefulness of using podcasts to improve their English listening skills The data were analyzed and categorized based on the concepts of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, and Technology Acceptance.
Table 4.2 provides insights into the Perceived Ease of Use of podcasts among EFL students at FPT University.
Insights into Perceived Ease of Use of Podcasts
Ease of Use Constructs Students’ responses
Able to listen to Podcasts at one’s own pace 57.3%
Able to listen anytime and anywhere 78.7%
Able to listen with comprehension 14%
Able to listen while doing other tasks 47.2%
Able to choose preferred topics 47.8%
Majority of the students (78.7%) agreed that it was convenient to use podcast as they could use it anytime and anywhere Over half of the students (57.3%) revealed that they could listen to podcasts at their own pace, such as replaying parts or pausing, which helped them grasp difficult concepts Moreover, the students (47.2%) indicated that they could listen to English podcasts while they were doing other tasks Podcasts offered them a hand-free operation and opportunities to practice listening anytime.
Nearly half of the students (47.8%) said that podcasts had a wide variety and diversity of topics which allowed students to manage their practice journey and control their English learning process This meant that students who used podcasts for their learning could have more autonomy in managing their learning process Around 14% of the students thought that it was easy to listen with comprehension to English podcasts The survey data showed that most of the students perceived that podcasts were convenient to use although listening comprehension to English podcasts was still challenging to the majority of the surveyed students.
There were 12 constructs of perceived usefulness identified from the survey results These constructs were presented in Table 4.3.
Perceived Usefulness Constructs Students’ responses
Enhance motivation to develop listening skills 55.1%
Have a variety of topics suitable for learners’ needs and preferences 65.2%
Supplement in-class learning activities 38.8%
Enhance students’ ability to grasp contents 43.8%
Increase students’ knowledge and English vocabulary 47.8%
Familiarize students with various English accents 38.8%
Enhance students’ imagination regarding contexts, images, etc 39.3%
Improve students’ focus and attention to details 40.4%
Provide more updated content than traditional textbooks 34.8%
Prepare students for real-life conversations 47.8%
The majority of the students (65.2%) found podcasts useful as they provided a variety of topics that suited their needs and preferences Over 55% felt motivated to develop their English listening using podcasts Over 40% thought that podcast enhanced their ability to grasp contents, improved their English listening comprehension, widened their knowledge and vocabulary, improved their ability to focus and pay attention to details, and also provided them with authentic scenarios for real-life communication.
Over a third of the surveyed students believed that podcasts contributed to their in-class activities, introduced them different English accents, enhanced their imagination by linking audio with context and images, improved their critical thinking, and finally updated them with current contents.
As mentioned before, there were 206 students participated in the survey However, only 178 students who had experience with using podcasts were eligible to complete the survey The podcast users accounted for 86% of the total number of the students who were invited to participate in the research This number suggested that podcasts were becoming popular among university students The survey data indicated that nearly 20% often and always listened to podcasts to practice their English listening skills
Over 56% of the students accepted that podcast was a necessary tool for them to learn English. The reason for this acceptance was that 52.3% of the students admitted that their English listening skills were improved after practicing by listening to podcasts.
4.1.4 Benefits of Podcast in English Learning
The majority of the respondents agreed with the flexibility of podcasts in improving English listening skills (Table 4.4) Up to 78.7% of the total students (140 individuals) thought that they could learn to listen to podcasts at anytime and anywhere In addition, the flexibility of podcasts was also reflected in the ability to control the learning speed of individuals by replaying parts, pausing, fast forward, and slow forward, this number accounted for 57.3% corresponding to 102 students in total.
There were two factors that also contributed to the flexibility of the podcast method Firstly, podcasts provided the freedom to choose the listening topics Almost half of the respondents (85 individuals or 47.8%) answered that the freedom to choose a topic helped them control the English listening process Secondly, podcasts offered opportunities for multitasking, 84 students (47.2%) thought that listening to podcasts while doing other jobs such as housework helped them consciously and unconsciously take in the target language and develop their language skills.
Flexibility of Podcasts in English Listening Learning Process
Statements Percentage No of responses
I can study at anytime and anywhere 78.7% 140
I can listen to Podcasts at my own pace, such as replaying parts, pausing, or rewinding, which helps me grasp difficult concepts 57.3% 102
By freely choosing preferred topics, I can manage my listening practice journey and control my English learning process 47.8% 85
Listening to Podcasts while doing other tasks (such as housework) improves my English listening reflexes 47.2% 84
Over half of the respondents (55.1%) reported that utilizing podcasts impacted their motivation in enhancing English listening skills significantly (Table 4.5) Additionally, nearly half of the respondents also agreed with the high applicability of podcasts in developing language skills of EFL students Over 46% of the students admitted that the frequent exposures to words made students' listening skills improved more easily Enhancing the ability to grasp the contents and advancing the listening to conversations were also mentioned as the benefit of using podcasts by
78 individuals or 43.8% Over 40% responded that they could enhance focus and attention if they listened to podcasts regularly.
Interview results
As mentioned in the previous chapter, the student survey involved 178 participants who utilized podcasts in enhancing English listening skills There were 76 students who expressed their willingness to take part in the interviews with the research team Due to the tight timeframe of the research, only 8 students were randomly chosen to be interviewees Online interviews were conducted, with each interview involving one student and one member of the research team The outcomes of these interviews were comprehensively presented in this section of the chapter For the purpose of anonymity, the interviewees were referred to as Participant 01 to Participant 08 in the research.
4.2.1 Students’ Perceptions of Podcast Use for English Learning
The interview findings showed that the majority of the participants agreed that podcasts were an effective tool for learning English In the interviews, some of the interviewees said that applied the freestyle method in practicing listening skills by listening to English songs, talk shows, watching movies, or watching videos with English contents on social networking platforms. They believed that podcasting method really suited to their English learning style Participant 02 said that:
“In my own learning experience, I often watch English videos on Youtube and watch some influencers or speakers who have nice accents and are easy to understand. Additionally, I have access to a number of listening sources on Facebook I also listen to podcasts on Spotify, it is one of the most effective tools and really fits my English learning style”.
“I often spend a lot of time listening to English recordings, but I never learn through the ones in the classroom; instead, I only learn by podcasts, YouTube channels, or similar audio sources I like studying using the programs I enjoy rather than traditional learning materials In addition, I believe that podcasts are better suited to the way I study English than others”.
While most of the students used the freestyle learning method, there was an individual(Participant 04) who shared her own learning method She stated that: lOMoARcPSD|20493335
“I use the indirect learning method: I listen and adapt to English through exposure to a variety of content by watching movies, listening to music, and podcasts I don't like to be restrained, so I like to learn to listen like that, it helps me naturally like how children learn their mother tongue For an indirect listener like me, podcasts will be a great resource, as I can expose myself to a lot of real and natural content in English”.
All of the interviewed students admitted that using podcasts effectively improved their English listening skills Participant 01 said that:
"Listening skills were improved; I rarely missed the content; there was no need to look up a word or turn on the sub when listening to many episodes."
Participant 02 used her active listening method while listening to podcasts to achieve better listening comprehension She said:
"Listening before going to bed and applying active listening methods both provide real- life knowledge as well as maintain the flow of language in the brain When doing English exercises or watching English videos, I can easily understand the content."
Participant 04 rated podcasts 8 out of 10 for its effectiveness in improving her English listening skills She said:
"As a person who has applied the Podcast method to improving English listening skills, to evaluate on a scale of 10, I give an 8 Previously, when I first learned to listen to podcasts, I often mishear words that have the same pronunciation Now I have improved."
Participant 05, 06, 07 and 08 also confirmed that their English listening comprehension and skills were significantly improved and their confidence in listening to English podcast and real-life English conversations was enhanced Participant 03 said that he needed to be more consistent in his practicing his English listening and he believed that his English listening would be improved faster.
In general, the interview data indicated that most of the interviewees agreed that podcasts were effective and suitable for their English learning purposes They also agreed that podcasts could be an effective learning tool that fitted their learning styles and be a rich additional learning resource. lOMoARcPSD|20493335
Seven interviewees expressed their acceptance of podcasts as an additional resource for Vietnamese EFL students to learn their English listening skills They believed that podcasts offered them with convenience, flexibility and cost-effectiveness with a diversity in choices of topics and levels which suited their English levels.
With regard to the benefits of the podcasting method in enhancing English listening skills, the interviewees had different responses Two of the interviewees expressed the perspectives that in addition to improving English listening skills, podcasts was a useful source of learning knowledge for them, as indicated by Participant 02:
“Listening to English podcasts provides an amount of practical knowledge, and is different from other methods When listening to podcasts, real topics are included so EFL students are attracted more than many other boring content such as radio, CDs, etc. Additionally, podcasts follow the real world and show the daily language of native speakers, learners can access the actual language, and listen to foreigners to communicate with each other.”
Participant 05 also shared that podcast had a variety of topics which covered all fields of life and contributed to learners’ knowledge and understanding He said:
“Podcasts, in my perspective, will typically focus on a single topic For instance, podcasts will provide me with more helpful knowledge when I learn about subjects like love, politics, or movies because the people who record them are experts in that sector. Because podcasts give me a deeper understanding, I find them more valuable than conventional documentaries.”
If the provision of useful knowledge helped EFL students a lot in the process of learning English listening, two other students also claimed that the convenience and flexibility of podcasts also played an important role Participant 04 stated that she found it more convenient when compared to other traditional listening learning methods.
“I would say the convenience and flexibility Listeners can choose suitable content, and the time is flexible, they can listen whenever they want and also can download to listen
58 offline Compared with CDs, CDs are a bit inconvenient because they need to use specialized tools.”
Participant 08 also agreed with the convenience and flexibility that podcast offered to English learners She said:
“Well, Podcasts provide me with a ton of advantages First off, they are very flexible and convenient Nowadays, people are living in the prevalent technology and each of us owns a smart device like a smartphone, laptop, or tablet With these, English learners can easily get a connection with podcasts In addition, you can listen to Podcasts anytime, anywhere you want.”
4.2.3 Challenges of Podcast Uses in English Listening Learning
Summary
Both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of podcast use in English listening learning were identified in both survey and interview data sources The students accepted podcasts as an additional tool and an additional rich source for English listening practice.
Both the survey and interview data revealed consistent insights on the benefits and challenges associated with podcasts in EFL listening learning A majority of the participants confirmed the benefits of podcast use to enhance their English listening skills Before using podcasts to learn English listening, a large number of the population rated their English listening abilities as
"poor" or "very poor." After a period of using podcasts, most of the research participants confirmed that their English listening levels were enhanced to "good" or "very good."
The data analysis indicated that the benefits of podcasts were identified as authentic conversations, real-world dialogues, a variety of topics, various accents, and updated contents. Listening to podcasts was believed to motivate students, enrich their vocabulary, and familiarize them with varied accents and delivery speeds The students also agreed that their critical thinking was enhanced and their English listening comprehension was better after practicing their listening using podcasts.
However, the research participants admitted that podcasts had some challenges, such as unfamiliar terminologies and accents dialects, fast speaking speed, and a lack of images The students also found it hard to understand podcasts due to their limited vocabulary and lack of frequency of practice.
According to the data analysis, the students suggested some techniques to overcome the challenges in listening to English podcasts and to enhance their English listening comprehension. Firstly, they
63 would listen to one podcast repeatedly until they fully understood it Next, it was necessary to choose relevant topics, engage in collaborative learning, and proactively improve vocabulary.
Last but not least, the triangulated data from the survey and interviews confirmed the students’ acceptance of podcasts as an effective tool used for English listening learning Suggested techniques drawn from the students’ own learning experience might offset the challenges, and foster more benefits for English learners.
DISCUSSION
Students’ perceptions toward the use of podcasts for English listening practice
The majority of our study's participants stated that they considered podcasts to be user-friendly and valuable to their listening and learning This view was especially clear when 78.7% of students thought that using podcasts was handy since they could access them at any time and from any location Furthermore, more than half of the students (57.3%) valued the flexibility to listen to podcasts at their pace, such as through repetition or pausing, which benefited their comprehension of difficult topics This finding lined up with Shiri's (2015) research Shiri (2015) discovered that podcasts, due to their inherent flexibility, functioned as a key motivator for EFL learners The option to tailor the learning experience, such as choosing when to listen or replaying difficult areas, was very positive for students who might struggle with traditional learning approaches.
Similarly, Mehrak Rahimi and Maral Katal's (2012) study brought up the importance of metacognitive listening methods and podcast-use preparedness in EFL learning While students found podcasts to be convenient, understanding the information remained a difficulty for many, highlighting the relevance of metacognitive methods in the learning process (Rahimi & Katal, 2012).
Furthermore, 47.8% of students acknowledged the wide range of information presented on podcasts, which contributed to their ease of use Bella and Roghibatul (2021) backed up this autonomy in topic choice Their study on Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) demonstrated that EFL students experienced a high level of ease of use and considered such tools effective in encouraging learning autonomy (Bhestari & Luthfiyyah, 2021).
Podcasts were valuable to the majority of students (65.2%) because they delivered a variety of topics that met their needs and preferences This attitude was shared by Rahimi and Katal (2012), who found that metacognitive listening methods and podcast-use readiness played an important
65 role in EFL learning Their study marked a favorable link between podcasting hours and English learning, implying that persistent podcast involvement might lead to improved language acquisition.
Over 55% of students were motivated to improve their English listening skills by listening to podcasts This corresponded to the findings of Golonka et al (2012), who demonstrated the efficacy of numerous technologies, including podcasts, in helping foreign language acquisition. Their extensive analysis demonstrated the benefits of chat in language acquisition, as technology interventions vastly increased students' productivity and complexity.
Likewise, more than 40% of the students said podcasts increased their ability to understand information, improved their English listening comprehension, and broadened their knowledge and vocabulary This was similar to the findings of Chung, Chen, and Kuo (2015), who investigated EFL college students' acceptance of mobile learning According to their findings, students' intent to use mobile devices for English learning was highly correlated with the devices' compatibility, self-efficacy, and perceived ease of use.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, 56% of EFL students acknowledged podcasts as an essential tool for their English learning, and 52.3% credited their increased English listening skills to frequent podcast usage This was compatible with the findings of Badr (2019), whose research participants were Saudi EFL students Badr (2019) indicated that Saudi EFL students regarded podcasts as an effective tool for improving their English pronunciation Podcasts were also well received by the students in Al-Harbi's (2019) study, who emphasized their efficacy in both learning new pronunciation and practicing the language they already knew.
In the context of the current study, where podcasts were used by 86% of the total number of students who were interested in the study, it was clear that podcasts were gaining acceptance among university students This tendency was not restricted to the context of the current study; it was also mirrored in larger investigations, as concluded by the Al-Harbi (2019) The increasing acceptance of podcasts among EFL students demonstrated their potential as an effective platform for language learning.
Advantages and disadvantages of podcasts for English listening practice
5.2.1 Advantages of podcasts for English listening practice
The research results indicated that the majority of survey participants considered flexibility to be one of the advantages of podcasts to enhance English listening skills The similar results were also confirmed by Gribbins (2007) that the advantages of podcasts were merged with the learner's flexibility and the customization of contents based on personal interests The capacity for flexible time and space offered listeners a sense of convenience as they had control over when and where they engaged with the audio An example of flexibility was demonstrated in accordance with the findings of Van Kooten & De Bie (2019), learners could listen to episodes anywhere and anytime
- even on the move while doing other things, flexibility was also evident in terms of the control granted to the learner, such as the ability to pause and replay segments.
While videos also offered this capability, audio-only content possessed the benefit of not requiring visual engagement, thereby affording greater control: whether it's solely listening, listening while taking notes, or listening alongside reading the transcript Related to this example, more than half of surveyed respondents agreed that the flexibility of podcasts was also demonstrated through the option to regulate an individual's learning pace by replaying sections, pausing, fast-forwarding, and slow-forwarding Additionally, learning anytime and anywhere was also a factor given by the majority of the participants in the survey, and nearly half of the respondents implied that engaging in multitasking, like chores or personal grooming, while tuning into podcasts, enhanced their English listening reflexes This was also restated in this research when the interviewed students mentioned that podcasts had the flexibility that makes them feel more comfortable and convenient utilizing this method Due to these factors, flexibility has consistently been regarded as the most advantageous aspect that podcast offered to EFL students.
The research also found that podcasts were helpful in enhancing EFL students’ motivation to develop their English listening skills This finding was similar to the conclusion of O’Bryan and Hegelheimer (2007) in the literature review that podcasts had a positive impact on the motivation of EFL students during the English learning journey and both students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can be notably improved by engaging with podcasting methodology Furthermore, in lOMoARcPSD|20493335 the English listening practice journey, the surveyed respondents reported that their motivation was impacted positively.
As indicated in the current research, the participants agreed that they improved many skills from their experience of using podcasts This finding once more confirmed what had been found by Azmi (2017), that the utilization of ICT-enabled English teaching support has predominantly led to enhancements in students’ skills, boosted their interest in learning, and elevated their achievements in language acquisition This was also restated in this research when the surveyed students shared the opinion that their skills like grasping content ability, focus and attention, and critical thinking skills were improved The current finding of EFL students’ development was also validated by the findings of Besser, et al., (2021) in the literature that podcasts elevated critical thinking and creativity through captivating materials, diverse perspectives, and thought- provoking contents Additionally, Besser, et al., (2021) stated that podcasts stimulated introspection and problem-solving, integrated multidisciplinary learning, and offer educators independent flexibility.
A majority of the participants in the survey stated that podcasts benefitted EFL students as a rich source of learning This finding was in line with the findings of Chaikovska (2018) Chaikovska (2018) concluded that EFL students possessed the capacity to immerse themselves in authentic dialogues, interviews, and narratives conducted by native speakers This exposure enabled students to encounter a wide range of vocabulary, accents, and conversational expressions, all of which played a pivotal role in enhancing their English listening abilities The participants in this research also showed a high level of agreement that podcasts provided various English accents, vocabulary, updated contents, and general knowledge.
5.2.2 Disadvantages of podcasts for English listening practice
The present research found that lack of interaction was one of the disadvantages of the podcasting methodology This finding was similar to ones reported by Khechine and Pascot (2013) who indicated that in terms of personal interactions, podcasting provided one-way communication, with minimal or even nonexistent interactions between instructors and EFL students An example of interaction lacking showed in the survey that EFL students had a problem with self-evaluating their listening skills when using podcasts If the lack of teacher- student interaction made self- assessment difficult for EFL students, the assessment of teachers on their students’ performance lOMoARcPSD|20493335 was also seen as an obstacle when applying the podcast method A finding indicated by Morrison (2018) showed that the absence of built-in evaluation elements within podcasts created a demanding situation for lecturers aiming to precisely evaluated students' language proficiency, comprehension, and the English learning process Without tests, quizzes, or interactive evaluations, instructors might encounter difficulty in monitoring individual progress and providing personalized feedback.
There were a number of students who implied that the cost issue made it difficult for them to use podcasts This finding was quite important and aligned with findings provided by Bartoš (2009) that using podcasts for learning might cost students because they needed their own smart devices There were also good podcasts made by experts, but these could ask for payment.
Additionally, as found in the study, the surveyed students illustrated that they got a challenge in learning through podcasts due to the lack of illustrative images This finding was similar to the difficulty that teachers faced in the process of English teaching mentioned in the findings of Smith (2019) that utilizing podcasts lacked the incorporation of non-verbal communication, as it omitted body language, facial expressions, and gestures The absence of visual signals might present a challenge for teachers to evaluate students' comprehension or address any problems related to lesson comprehension An example related to this drawback was mentioned by the interviewees that they felt really hard to understand the content of the speaker, in comparison with other methods like reading textbooks or watching videos, they could see the illustrating images which helped them easier in comprehension.
As pointed out by the data analysis, a majority of EFL students illustrated that the lack of vocabulary was a barrier for them to grasp the contents This finding was similar to the finding of Alfa (2020) who specified that because of the constrained vocabulary, novice students required additional time to grasp the speaker's information This was also restated in this research when the interviewees agreed that when EFL students listened to some podcast channels, there were lessons containing numerous new words or jargon requiring the learners to have a good base of English including both vocabulary and grammar In the survey, up to half of the participants shared the same opinion that they had difficulty understanding the specialized terminologies when listening to podcasts.
Furthermore, there were a number of the students shared the opinion that they expended a significant amount of time in the act of listening to podcasts This finding was in line with the findings of Alfa (2020) who demonstrated that while podcasts were considered an alternative media for enhancing students' speaking skills, they also consumed a substantial amount of time. The audio content's length often exceeded 10 minutes, indicating that spending time listening to the audio could encompass half of the classroom learning duration This perspective was also agreed by a number of the surveyed participants who implied that with at least 10 minutes for each episode, it would be time-consuming.
According to Shiri (2015), occasionally, there were difficulties in choosing appropriate podcasts for listening The absence of interesting topics, monotonous presentation, insufficient thought- provoking content, or rapid speech by the speaker could lead to students facing challenges in keeping up and discouraging them While it was acknowledged that not every podcast could be exciting, it was disheartening when the time spent listening did not provide meaningful insights or cultivate curiosity to explore the topic further If one of the advantages of podcasts was the variety of topics, choosing the right one for students played a crucial role The current study identified the same issue as the one found by Shiri (2015) stated above A number of the surveyed students agreed that they were easily bored with content that was not really interesting to them.Another perspective of interviewee shared the same opinion, they thought that choosing suitable content which was suitable for their English level was really important, and this would help them gradually improve their English listening skills In addition, the inability to keep up with the speed of the speaker indicated by Shiri (2015) was similar to the opinion of nearly half of the survey participants This is really necessary for grasping the content ability of EFL students that required them to practice more or some solutions given by interviewees like beginning with slow speed and increasing gradually or choosing an appropriate level.
Recommendations for the use of podcasts for FPT students to achieve better English
to achieve better English listening skills
Most of the respondents, according to the findings, believed that they should summarize and take notes on what they heard from the podcast to improve their comprehension of listening. Additionally, a large number of the respondents stated that in order to acquire listening skills in a
70 lOMoARcPSD|20493335 positive manner, they should select podcasts with speaking speeds that suited their English levels Moreover, there were also over a half of the students who thought that they should look for podcasts with transcripts to practice listening skills These findings were similar to the results reported by Suvarnaphaet, K and Suvarnaphaet, P (2023).
The study results reported that interviewed students suggested that by listening the podcasts again and again and reading the transcripts until they could comprehend the content accurately. Additionally, the majority of the interviewees pointed out how important it was to choose a suitable topic to boost their motivation and engagement They also believed that students could not be able to understand podcast content if they chose themes and information that were outside their scope of knowledge.
The students of the current research suggested that podcasts should be used as an additional resource for their English language learning This finding was in line with what was recommended by Suvarnaphaet (2023) who stated that the audio-based learning process involved students working in collaboration to answer questions in English, aiming to improve their involvement and critical thinking Podcasts could also be used outside the classroom as authentic materials, allowing students to create a presentation based on the podcast theme and choose from various podcasts supported by transcripts Students were advised to repeatedly listen to the audio until they attained accuracy and fluency, and reading the transcript while listening could also improve their public speaking abilities.
Moreover, nearly half of the survey respondents said that students needed to find a certain time of the day to get the best results when using podcasts to practice listening skills The perspectives of Kohar and Salam (2014) were very similar to this one According to Kohar and Salam's (2014) research, since the human mind was not always active, a student must pick a moment for contemplation when the mind was either active or may be engaged for it to be successful In addition to what was reported by Kohar and Salam (2014), almost half of the survey respondents suggested that students should intentionally looked for a quiet area to listen to podcasts.
According to the survey findings, over half of the students agreed that teachers should set up debates and peer reviews for students in order to get them to listen to podcasts more frequently and offer them the chance to discuss the content of the podcasts they heard in-depth This outcome
71 was in line with the viewpoint presented in the study by Abdulrahman, Basalama, and Widodo (2018) Abdulrahman, et al (2018) concluded that podcasts were believed to provide students the chance to interact with professors in an enthusiastic way, which helped their learning progress quickly Some tasks and exercises that involved podcasts encouraged students to utilize their imaginations while improving their listening abilities This motivation could be seen directly in the students’ enthusiasm during treatment periods using podcast media in the classroom.
Regard to the findings in both survey and interviews, the majority of FPT University students said they expected that all Vietnamese universities would adopt the method of using podcasts to improve students' listening comprehension This outcome was consistent with the viewpoint presented by Al Qasim and Al Fadda (2013) who indicated that EFL students had a positive opinion regarding the use of podcasts in EFL classes in terms of improving listening comprehension.
CONCLUSION
Implications
The study findings suggested that podcasts were perceived as a beneficial program for supporting EFL listening, given the numerous reported positive effects Therefore, universities should introduce this in teaching methods for EFL teachers as well as to provide a new extra learning source for EFL students In addition, the university should synthesize podcast sources into a library system for students to refer to, from which EFL students can apply this method to enhance their listening skills.
Furthermore, EFL teachers should also delve deeper into this method to facilitate their listening teaching process by creating more learning activities in the classroom as well as creating an environment for EFL students to discuss and give feedback to each other EFL students should also apply the podcasting learning method in the process of English listening to improve their self- study and add this learning method to increase motivation.
Limitations
Due to limited timeframe and scope of the study, the current study was conducted at one university
- FPT University Since research participants was from one institute, it might limit the generalization of the findings.
In future research endeavors, it was suggested to broaden the scope of the research to include a diverse range of participants such as high school students, working people, or individuals preparing for English certification tests like IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, and SAT.
Recommendations
As discussed in the previous chapters, the use of podcasts resulted in a significant improvement in the English listening skills of EFL students, particularly those at FPT University This study’s findings had favorable implications, notably in terms of podcast acceptance and perceived usefulness Future studies should explore more of the complex effects of podcasts on these specific components of English listening acquisition.
Furthermore, given the variety of student experiences and feedback gathered in this study, further research should be done in a variety of educational contexts This would provide a more comprehensive knowledge of the general applicability and possible limitations of using podcasts in EFL learning Involving participants from various backgrounds, competence levels, and learning situations would also give a more thorough understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of podcast-based EFL learning and teaching.
According to the current study's findings, podcasts promised a bright future in EFL education. Continuous study and discovery in this arena, however, was encouraged to fully realize their potential and overcome any constraints.
1 Alzamil, J (2021) Listening skills: Important but difficult to learn Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume, 12.
2 Al Qasim, N., & Al Fadda, H (2013) From Call to Mall: The Effectiveness of Podcast on EFL Higher Education Students' Listening Comprehension English Language Teaching,
3 Naidionova, A V., & Ponomarenko, O G (2018) Use of podcasting technology to develop students’ listening skills Information technology and training, 63,(1), 177-185.
4 Sullivan, J L (2019) The platforms of podcasting: Past and present Social media+ society, 5(4)
5 Goldman, T (2018) The impact of podcasts in education. https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article29&context=engl_176
6 Harris, H., & Park, S (2008) Educational usages of podcasting British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(3), 548.
7 Yoestara, M., & Putri, Z (2019) PODCAST: An alternative way to improve EFL students’ listening and speaking performance English: Journal of Language, Education, and Humanities, 6(1), 15-26
8 Chinnery, G M (2006) Emerging technologies: Going to the MALL: Mobile assisted language learning Language Learning & Technology, 10(1), 9-16.
9 Dudeney, G., Hockly, N., & Pegrum, M (2013) Digital literacies: Research and resources in language teaching Pearson Education.
10 Godwin-Jones, R (2017) Smartphones and language learning Language Learning &
11 Hubbard, P (2009) A general introduction to computer assisted language learning In P. Hubbard (Ed.), Computer assisted language learning: Critical concepts in linguistics
12 Kukulska-Hulme, A (2009) Will mobile learning change language learning? ReCALL,
13 Lai, C., & Gu, M (2011) Self-regulated out-of-class language learning with technology.
14 McKnight, K (2016) The teacher's big book of graphic organizers: 100 reproducible organizers that help kids with reading, writing, and the content areas John Wiley &
15 O’Bryan, A., & Hegelheimer, V (2007) Integrating CALL into the classroom: The role of podcasting in an ESL listening strategies course ReCALL, 19(2), 162-180.
16 Evans, C (2008) The effectiveness of m-learning in the form of podcast revision lectures in higher education Computers & education, 50(2), 491-498.
17 Rosell-Aguilar, F (2007) Top of the Pods—In search of a podcasting “pedagogy” for language learning Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(5), 471-492.
18 Berry, R (2006) Will the iPod kill the radio star? Profiling podcasting as radio.
19.Apple WWDC 2005 (2012, January 1) Www.youtube.com; AppleVideoArchive.
20 McCracken, H (2005) The iPod and its ancestors PC World, 23(11), 109.
21 Hammersley, B (2004) Audible revolution The Guardian, 12(2), 2004.
22 Winer, D (2003) scriptingnews1mail@ gmail com>: RSS 2.0 Specification URL:< http://cyber law harvard edu/rss/rss html >
23.Patriots Unfiltered (2003) Www.patriots.com; New England Patriots. https://www.patriots.com/audio/
24 Kaye, D (2003) IT Conversations Archive.org; Doug Kaye.
25 Lim, K Y (2006) Now hear this–exploring podcasting as a tool in geography education.
In Geographic Education Symposium of the International Geographic Union Commission, Brisbane, Australia.
26 Skiba, D J (2006) The 2005 word of the year: podcast Nursing Education Perspectives,
27 Dennis (2019, July 2) 8 Podcast Formats To Consider For Your Show Castos; Dennis.
28 Schnackenberg, H L (2009) Podcasting and vodcasting in education and training In
Handbook of Research on Technoethics (pp 668-679) IGI Global.
29 Research, E (2022, March 23) The Infinite Dial 2022 Edison Research.
30 Ruby, D (2022, November 21) 39+ Podcast Statistics 2022 (Latest Trends & Numbers). Demandsage.
31.Podcasting and Audio Publishers Association [PAPA] (2022) Global podcast listenership forecast.
32.Podtrac publisher data (2022) Podtrac https://analytics.podtrac.com/
33.Podcast Community & News | Podcast Movement | podcastmovement.com (2022)
Podcast Movement - Podcasting News, Resources, Conferences and Events!; Podcast Movement.
34 Shapiro, A (2022, May 10) Podcasting will be a $4 billion industry by 2024 The Verge.
35 Buzzsprout (2022) Podcast Statistics: Growth and Demographic Data for 2019 www.buzzsprout.com.
36 Patel, N (2022, November) Why Amazon VP Steve Boom just made the entire music catalog free with Prime Theverge.com; The Verge.
37.Quân, B (2022, April 21) Podcast là gì? Xu hướng nghe podcast đã tiến hoá như thế nào? Vietcetera; Bích Quân.
38.Cast Camp 2021 By Vietcetera (2021) Vietcetera https://vietcetera.com/vn/bo-suu- tap/castcamp
39 Thanh Thanh (2022, December 7) Press Podcast: “Nghe báo” trên nền tảng Digital năm 2022 Marketing AI; Thanh Thanh.
40 McClung, S., & Johnson, K (2010) Examining the motives of podcast users Journal of radio & audio media, 17(1), 82-95.
41 McHugh, S (2012) How podcasting is changing the audio storytelling genre Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 10(1), 35-51.
42 Dredge, S (2014, November 18) Serial podcast is an iTunes record breaker as it passes
43 McHugh, S (2016) Oral history and the radio documentary/feature: Introducing the 'COHRD' model Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 14(1), 83-104.
44 Cebeci, Z., & Tekdal, M (2006) Using podcasts as audio learning objects.
Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 2(1), 47-57.
45 Spotify (n.d.) The Podcast Charts - Spotify The Podcast Charts - Spotify. https://podcastcharts.byspotify.com/
46 Markman, K M (2011) Doing radio: The value of participant observation for research on production and reception in radio broadcasting Communication, Culture & Critique, 4(3), 332–348.
47 Sawyer, S (2018) Podcasting as public history: The Memory Palace and the possibilities of the new aural culture The Public Historian, 40(1), 30-39.
48 Webster, T (2009, May 22) The Podcast Consumer 2009 Edison Research.
49 Berry, R (2016) Serial and the podcast explosion Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 14(1), 23-30.
50 Sullivan, J L (2019) The Platforms of Podcasting: Past and Present Social Media +
51 Guaglione, S (2023, March 14) Podcasters weigh the cost-benefit of producing video podcasts Digiday.
52 Morris, J (2023, May 25) How contextual targeting for podcast ads works.
Www.podpod.com; James Morris.
53 Soloski, A (2021, February 25) When Podcast Hosts Speak, What Do We Hear? The New York Times.
54 Hew, K F (2009) Use of audio podcast in K-12 and higher education: A review of research topics and methodologies Educational Technology Research and Development,
55 Ducate, L C., & Lomicka, L L (2009) Podcasting: An effective tool for honing language students' pronunciation? Language Learning & Technology, 13(3), 66-86.
56 Bolliger, D U., Supanakorn, S., & Boggs, C (2010) Impact of podcasting on student motivation in the online learning environment Computers & Education, 55(2), 714-722.
57 Bolliger, D U., Supanakorn, S., & Boggs, C (2010) Impact of podcasting on student motivation in the online learning environment Computers & Education, 55(2), 714-722.
58 Bergqvist, T (2013) Podcasting mathematics The International Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education, 20(4), 147.
59 Mnatzaganian, C L., Singh, R F., Best, B M., & Morello, C M (2020) Effectiveness of providing video podcasts to pharmacy students in a self-study pharmaceutical calculations module American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(12).
60 Coon, M., & Vidal, D D (2021) Using Podcasts to Teach the New Generations About Supply and Demand Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice, 21(2).
61 Chaikovska, O., Zbaravska, L., & Bilyk, T (2019) Podcasts in teaching EFL for students majoring in engineering In Proceedings of 18th International Scientific Conference
“Engineering for Rural Development (Vol 18, pp 1915-1920).
62 Salmon, G., & Edirisingha, P (2008) Podcasting for learning in universities McGraw-
63 Heilesen, S B (2010) What is the academic efficacy of podcasting? Computers & Education, 55(3), 1063-1068.
64 Farshi, N., & Mohammadi, Z (2013) Use of podcasts in effective teaching of vocabulary: learners' attitudes, motivations and limitations Theory and practice in language studies, 3(8), 1381.
65 Bolliger, D U., Supanakorn, S., & Boggs, C (2010) Impact of podcasting on student motivation in the online learning environment Computers & Education, 55(2), 714-722.
66 Rahimi, M., & Asadollahi, F (2011) Iranian students’ readiness for using podcasting in higher education: Access, familiarity, and experience Procedia Computer Science, 3,
67 Walls, S M., Kucsera, J V., Walker, J D., Acee, T W., McVaugh, N K., & Robinson, D.
H (2010) Podcasting in education: Are students as ready and eager as we think they are?. Computers & education, 54(2), 371-378
68 Slevc, L R (2012) Language and music: sound, structure, and meaning Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 3(4), 483-492.
69 Zatorre, R J., Belin, P., & Penhune, V B (2002) Structure and function of auditory cortex: music and speech Trends in cognitive sciences, 6(1), 37-46.
70 Soveri, A., Rodriguez-Fornells, A., & Laine, M (2011) Is there a relationship between language switching and executive functions in bilingualism? Introducing a within group analysis approach Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 183.
71 Shtyrov, Y (2012) Neural bases of rapid word learning The Neuroscientist, 18(4), 312- 319.
72 Davis, M H., & Gaskell, M G (2009) A complementary systems account of word learning: neural and behavioural evidence Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1536), 3773-3800.
73 May, A (2011) Experience-dependent structural plasticity in the adult human brain.
74 Li, P., Legault, J., & Litcofsky, K A (2014) Neuroplasticity as a function of second language learning: Anatomical changes in the human brain Cortex, 58, 301-324.
75 Golestani, N., & Pallier, C (2007) Anatomical correlates of foreign speech sound production Cerebral Cortex, 17(4), 929-934.
76 Baddeley, A (2003) Working memory and language: An overview Journal of communication disorders, 36(3), 189-208.
77 Chan, E., Skehan, P., & Gong, G (2011) Working memory, phonemic coding ability and foreign language aptitude: Potential for construction of specific language aptitude tests– the case of Cantonese Ilha do Desterro: A Journal of English Language, Literatures in
78 Miller, G A (1956) The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information Psychological review, 63(2), 81.
79.Robinson, P (Ed.) (2001) Cognition and second language instruction Cambridge University Press.
80 Nation, I S., & Webb, S A (2011) Researching and analyzing vocabulary Boston,
81 Woltz, D J., Gardner, M K., & Gyll, S P (2000) The role of attention processes in near transfer of cognitive skills Learning and Individual Differences, 12(3), 209-251.
82 Driskell, J E., Willis, R P., & Copper, C (1992) Effect of overlearning on retention.
83 Martín, M D., & Beckmann, E A (2011) Simulating immersion: Podcasting in Spanish teaching In Academic podcasting and mobile assisted language learning: Applications and outcomes (pp 111- 131) IGI Global.
84 Bilalić, M., & McLeod, P (2014) Why good thoughts block better ones Scientific American, 310(3), 74-79.
85 Rohrer, D., Dedrick, R F., & Stershic, S (2015) Interleaved practice improves mathematics learning Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(3), 900.
86 Birnbaum, M S., Kornell, N., Bjork, E L., & Bjork, R A (2013) Why interleaving enhances inductive learning: The roles of discrimination and retrieval Memory & cognition, 41, 392-402.
87 Fratangeli, J J (2009) The impact of podcasting on learner knowledge retention
88 Csikszentmihalyi, M (1990) Flow The psychology of optimal experience, 1-22.
89 Salamone, J D., & Correa, M (2012) The mysterious motivational functions of mesolimbic dopamine Neuron, 76(3), 470-485.
90 Chabolla, E., & Leh, A S (2009) Podcasting in higher education: Major factors that contribute to its effective use International Journal of Case Method Research & Application, 21(2), 117â.
91 Gribbins, M (2007) The perceived usefulness of podcasting in higher education: A survey of student's attitudes and intention to use MWAIS 2007 Proceedings, 6.
92 Brookes, M (2010) An evaluation of the impact of formative feedback podcasts on the student learning experience Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sports and Tourism Education (Pre-2012), 9(1), 53.
93 Chaikovska, O (2018) Podcasts in teaching ESL Scientific Bulletin of the Institute of
Vocational and Technical Education of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Professional pedagogy, (16), 142-146.
94 Azmi, N (2017) The benefits of using ICT in the EFL classroom: From perceived utility to potential challenges Journal of Educational and Social Research, 7(1), 111.
95 Thorne, S L., & Payne, J S (2005) Evolutionary trajectories, Internetmediated expression, and language education CALICO journal, 371-397.
96 Gỹler, S., & ệzkan, Y (2018) Podcast Applications in Pre-service Language Teacher Education from a Constructivist Perspective World Journal on Educational Technology:
97 Jain, S., & Hashmi, F (2013) Advantages of podcasts in English language classroom.
98 Bartoš, P (2009) Podcasting-new technology in education (Doctoral dissertation, Masarykova univerzita, Pedagogická fakulta).
99 Alfa, R R (2020) Using podcast as authentic materials to develop students’ speaking skill JELLT (Journal of English Language and Language Teaching), 4(1), 65-
100 Shiri, S (2015) The application of podcasting as a motivational strategy to Iranian EFL learners of English: A view toward listening comprehension Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(3), 155-165.
101 Fatika, N F., & Rahayu, E M (2021) Using podcast media on teaching listening in new normal era Academic Journal Perspective: Education, Language, and Literature, 9(1),
102 Szeto, E., & Cheng, A Y (2016) Towards a framework of interactions in a blended synchronous learning environment: what effects are there on students' social presence experience? Interactive Learning Environments, 24(3), 487-503.
103 Smith, J (2019) The Role of Nonverbal Communication in Teaching and Learning.
Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(8), 18-26.
104 Kramsch, C (2014) Teaching Foreign Languages in an Era of Globalization:
Introduction The Modern Language Journal, 98(1), 296-311
105 Morrison, M (2018) Assessing Digital Fluency in Higher Education: A Comprehensive
106 Rosen, L D., Lim, A F., Felt, J., Carrier, L M., Cheever, N A., Lara-Ruiz, J M., & Rokkum, J (2014) Media and technology use predicts ill-being among children, preteens and teenagers independent of the negative health impacts of exercise and eating habits.
107 Judd, T (2018) The rise and fall (?) of the digital natives Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 34(5).
108 Davidson, J., Liebald, B., Liu, J., Nandy, P., Van Vleet, T., Gargi, U., & Sampath, D. (2010, September) The YouTube video recommendation system In Proceedings of the fourth ACM conference on Recommender systems (pp 293-296).
109 Zheng, R J., & Zhang, Y S (2012, May) Design and implementation of news collecting and filtering system based on RSS In 2012 9th International Conference on Fuzzy Systems and Knowledge Discovery (pp 2295-2298) IEEE.
110 Chen, C., Wu, Z., Ran, C., Tang, Q., Chen, S., & Zhang, X (2009) A dynamic RSS information push service mechanism based on ontology of user information needs The
111 Cirillo, F (2018) The Pomodoro technique: The acclaimed time-management system that has transformed how we work Currency.
112 Bertoncelli, T., Mayer, O., & Lynass, M (2016) Creativity, learning techniques and TRIZ.
113 Vandergrift, L., Goh, C C., Mareschal, C J., & Tafaghodtari, M H (2006) The metacognitive awareness listening questionnaire: Development and validation Language learning, 56(3), 431-462.
114 Goh, C C (2000) A cognitive perspective on language learners' listening comprehension problems System, 28(1), 55-75.
115 Vandergrift, L (2007) Recent developments in second and foreign language listening comprehension research Language teaching, 40(3), 191-210.
116 McClung, S., & Johnson, K (2010) Examining the motives of podcast users Journal of radio & audio media, 17(1), 82-95.
117 Herrington, A., Herrington, J., & Mantei, J (2009) Design principles for mobile learning.
118 Poushter, J., Bishop, C., & Chwe, H (2018) Social media use continues to rise in developing countries but plateaus across developed ones Pew research center, 22, 2-19.
119 Guilloteaux, M J., & Dửrnyei, Z (2008) Motivating language learners: A classroom‐ oriented investigation of the effects of motivational strategies on student motivation.
120 Schmitt, N (2008) Instructed second language vocabulary learning Language teaching research, 12(3), 329-363.
121 Buzan, T (2005) Mind map: The ultimate thinking tool London: Thorsons.
122 Desoete, A (2008) Multi-method assessment of metacognitive skills in elementary school children: How you test is what you get Metacognition and Learning, 3, 189-206.
123 McCarthy, M., O'Keeffe, A., & Walsh, S (2010) Vocabulary matrix: Understanding, learning, teaching Andover: Heinle, Cengage Learning.
124 Roach, P (2009) English phonetics and phonology paperback with audio CDs (2): A practical course Cambridge university press.
125 Duckworth, A L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M D., & Kelly, D R (2007) Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals Journal of personality and social psychology, 92(6), 1087.
126 Chastain, K (1971) The Development of Modern-Language Skills: Theory to Practice. Language and the Teacher: A Series in Applied Linguistics, Volume 14.
127 Morley, H J., & Lawrence, M S (1972) The use of films in teaching English as a second language Language Learning, 22(1), 99-99.
128 Bowen, J D., Madsen, H S., & Hilferty, A (1985) TESOL techniques and procedures.
129 Gilakjani, A P., & Sabouri, N B (2016) Learners' Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review English language teaching, 9(6), 123- 133.
130 Rosell-Aguilar, F (2007) Top of the pods—In search of a podcasting “podagogy” for language learning Computer Assisted language learning, 20(5), 471-492.
131 Huriyah, S., & Contessa, E (2020) Podcast with peer assisted learning to develop EFL learners listening comprehension and motivation Jurnal Basis, 7(2), 363-374.
132 Abdous, M H., Camarena, M M., & Facer, B R (2009) MALL technology: Use of academic podcasting in the foreign language classroom ReCALL, 21(1), 76-95.
133 Chan, W M., Chi, S W., Chin, K N., & Lin, C Y (2011) Students’ perceptions of and attitudes towards podcast-based learning: A comparison of two language podcast projects.
Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 8(1), 312-335.
134 Panday, P P (2009) Simplifying Podcasting International Journal of Teaching and
135 Caratozzolo, P., Lara-Prieto, V., Hosseini, S., & Membrillo-Hernández, J (2022) The use of video essays and podcasts to enhance creativity and critical thinking in engineering.
International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM), 16(3), 1231- 1251.
136 Besser, E D., Blackwell, L E., & Saenz, M (2021) Engaging students through educational podcasting: Three stories of implementation Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 1-16.
137 Lazzari, M (2009) Creative use of podcasting in higher education and its effect on competitive agency Computers & Education, 52(1), 27-34. lOMoARcPSD|20493335
138 Ocobock, C (2020) Infographics, Podcasts, and Videos: Promoting Creativity and Building Transferable Skills among Undergraduate Students Teaching and Learning Anthropology, 3(2).
139 Thuy, N Q., & Trang, N T D (2021) Using podcast technology to improve Vietnamese listening and speaking skills of international students International Journal of the
140 Cunningham, U (2010) Mobile podcasting as a tool for learning English pronunciation in Vietnam In IADIS Mobile Learning 2010 International Conference.
141 Murphy, A., Midgley, W., & Farley, H (2014) Mobile learning trends among students in Vietnam In Mobile as a Mainstream–Towards Future Challenges in Mobile Learning:
13th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning, mLearn 2014, Istanbul, Turkey, November 3-5, 2014, Proceedings 13 (pp 197-204) Springer International Publishing.
142 Luu, T (2015) The effects of computer-assisted listening instruction on Vietnamese teachers and students of English (Doctoral dissertation, ResearchSpace@ Auckland).
143 Van Le, T., & Sa, P K (2020) The effects of extensive listening on Vietnamese students’ listening skills Indonesian TESOL Journal, 2(1), 1-14.
144 Davis, F D (1989) Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology MIS quarterly, 319-340.
145 Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J A (1974) An approach to environmental psychology the
146 Creswell, J W., & Clark, V L P (2017) Designing and conducting mixed methods research Sage publications.
147 Greene, J C., Caracelli, V J., & Graham, W F (1989) Toward a conceptual framework for mixed-method evaluation designs Educational evaluation and policy analysis, 11(3), 255-274.
148 Creswell, J W., & Creswell, J D (2014) Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches Sage publications.
149 Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R (2011) Making sense of Cronbach's alpha.
International journal of medical education, 2, 53–55 lOMoARcPSD|20493335
150 Shiri, S (2015) The application of podcasting as a motivational strategy to Iranian EFL learners of English: A view toward listening comprehension Advances in Language and
151 Rahimi, M., & Katal, M (2012) The role of metacognitive listening strategies awareness and podcast-use readiness in using podcasting for learning English as a foreign language.
152 Bhestari, B M., & Luthfiyyah, R (2021) EFL students' perceptions towards the use of MALL to promote students' learning autonomy Academic Journal Perspective: Education,
153 Golonka, E M., Bowles, A R., Frank, V M., Richardson, D L., & Freynik, S (2014). Technologies for foreign language learning: A review of technology types and their effectiveness Computer assisted language learning, 27(1), 70-105.
154 Chung, H H., Chen, S C., & Kuo, M H (2015) A study of EFL college students’ acceptance of mobile learning Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 176, 333-339.
155 Al-Harbi, B G (2019) Podcasting for Saudi EFL learners: Evaluating new strategies for pronunciation enhancement International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 8(5), 27-38.
156 Jamal, M., Anas, A., & Ahmad Koka, N (2020) Perception of Saudi EFL learners and teachers towards the use of listening transcript in the listening lessons Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume, 11.
157 Lin, Z., Abdullah, A N., & Samad, A A (2022) Exploring Chinese EFL Teachers’ Acceptance of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 12(11).
Bonjour! As part of our senior capstone project at FPT University, we are seeking to delve into the use of podcasts as a tool to enhance English language proficiency among our peers Our investigation primarily focuses on understanding students' perspectives, their user experiences, as well as the challenges they face when leveraging podcasts for improving their English listening skills.
We extend an invitation to you to be part of this enlightening exploration by participating in our survey Please be assured that this is completely optional Should you choose to join us on this quest, please know that we're incredibly grateful We also promise to protect your anonymity and confidentiality with utmost seriousness in our thesis and in our future publications.
Our survey is crafted into five distinct parts, comprising a total of 23 questions, each targeting a specific aspect of our investigation:
Part 3: Advantages of Using Podcasts to Learn English
Part 4: Disadvantages of Using Podcasts to Learn
English Part 5: Solutions and Suggestions
- - - - PART I: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (THÔNG TIN CƠ BẢN)
1 What year are you currently in as a student? (Bạn là sinh viên khóa bao nhiêu?)
2 What is your major? (Chuyên ngành của bạn là gì?)
☐Software Engineering (Kỹ thuật phần mềm)
☐Artificial Intelligence (Trí tuệ nhân tạo)
☐Information System (Hệ thống thông tin)
☐Information Security (An toàn thông tin)
☐Digital Art & Design (Thiết kế mỹ thuật số)
☐International Business (Kinh doanh quốc tế)
☐Hotel Management (Quản trị khách sạn)
☐Tourism and Hospitality Management (Quản trị dịch vụ du lịch & lữ hành)
☐Multimedia Communication (Quản trị truyền thông đa phương tiện)
☐English Linguistics (Ngôn ngữ Anh)
☐Japanese Linguistics (Ngôn ngữ Nhật)
☐Korean Linguistics (Ngôn ngữ Hàn Quốc)
3 How long have you been studying English? (Bạn đã học tiếng Anh được bao lâu rồi?)
4 How would you self-assess your current level of English proficiency? (Bạn tự đánh giá trình độ tiếng Anh của bản thân đang ở mức nào?
☐Low Intermediate (Tiền trung cấp)
☐High Intermediate (Trung cấp cao)
5 What methods do you typically use to practice English listening skills? You can choose more than one (Bạn thường sử dụng phương pháp nào để luyện nghe tiếng Anh? Bạn có thể chọn nhiều hơn 1 câu trả lời )
☐Learning by textbook (Học qua giáo trình)
☐Listening to English music (Nghe nhạc tiếng Anh)
☐Watching English movies (Xem phim tiếng Anh)
☐Playing English games (Chơi các trò chơi tiếng Anh)
☐Using learning applications (Sử dụng các ứng dụng học tập)
6 Do you regularly listen to English podcasts? (Bạn có thường xuyên nghe Podcasts bằng tiếng Anh không?)
7 Which topics are you interested in when listening to English podcasts? You can choose more than one (Những chủ đề nào mà bạn quan tâm khi luyện nghe Podcast bằng tiếng
Anh? Bạn có thể chọn nhiều hơn 1 câu trả lời )
PART II: STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS (QUAN ĐIỂM SINH VIÊN)
8 How important do you think listening skills are in learning English?
(Theo bạn, tầm quan trọng của kỹ năng nghe trong việc học tiếng Anh là như thế nào?)
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult
9 How would you rate the difficulty of listening skills in learning English?
(Độ khó của kỹ năng nghe trong việc học tiếng
10 Do you find it challenging to listen to
(Bạn có cảm thấy khó khi nghe các Podcasts bằng tiếng Anh không?)
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult
11 Is the speaker's pace or speed of information delivery important to the comprehension levels of EFL students?
(Tốc độ nói/truyền đạt thông tin của người nói có quan trọng đối với mức độ nghe hiểu nội dung của sinh viên EFL không?)
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult
12 Practicing listening through Podcasts is a necessary method for students learning English.
(Việc luyện nghe bằng Podcasts là một phương pháp cần thiết cho sinh viên học tiếng Anh.)
13 My listening skills are improved when using
(Kỹ năng nghe của tôi được cải thiện khi sử dụng
Podcasts để học tiếng Anh.)
14 I feel more confident in understanding the content of native speakers after listening to
Podcasts (Tự tin hơn trong việc hiểu những nội dung của người bản ngữ nói sau khi nghe Podcasts.)
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult
15 Assess your listening skills before using podcasts.
(Đánh giá kĩ năng nghe của mình trước khi sử dụng podcasts)
16 Assess your listening skills after using podcasts.
(Đánh giá kĩ năng nghe của mình sau khi sử dụng podcasts)
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult
17 My self-learning ability is improved when using Podcasts.
(Tính tự học của tôi được cải thiện khi sử dụng
18 I feel less pressured when learning English by listening to Podcasts.
(Cảm thấy đỡ áp lực hơn khi học nghe tiếng Anh bằng Podcasts.)
PART III: ADVANTAGES OF USING PODCASTS TO LEARN ENGLISH (THUẬN LỢI KHI SỬ DỤNG PODCASTS ĐỂ HỌC TIẾNG ANH)
Question: What are advantages of using Podcast to enhance English listening skills? You can choose more than one (Sử dụng Podcast để nâng cao kỹ năng nghe tiếng Anh mang lại những lợi ích gì? Bạn có thể chọn nhiều hơn 1 câu trả lời )
☐ I can study at any time and anywhere (Tôi có thể học bất cứ thời gian nào và bất cứ ở đâu)
☐ Podcasts positively impact my motivation to develop listening skills (Podcasts tác động tích cực đến động lực học của tôi đối với kỹ năng nghe)
☐ The topics of Podcasts are very diverse and varied, suitable for my needs and preferences.
(Chủ đề của Podcasts rất phong phú và đa dạng phù hợp với từng nhu cầu và sở thích của tôi)
☐ I can listen to Podcasts at my own pace, such as replaying parts or pausing, which helps me grasp difficult concepts (Tôi có thể nghe Podcasts theo tốc độ riêng của mình như phát lại các phần hay tạm dừng, giúp tôi nắm bắt được các khái niệm khó)
☐ Learning through Podcasts can supplement my in-class learning activities (Việc học qua
Podcasts có thể bổ sung thêm cho các hoạt động học tập ở trên lớp học)
☐ Podcasts use everyday language, which makes my listening comprehension easier.
(Podcasts sử dụng ngôn ngữ rất đời thường được sử dụng hằng ngày khiến cho việc nghe hiểu của tôi cũng trở nên dễ dàng hơn)
☐ Listening to a Podcast conversation enhances my ability to grasp content (Nghe một bài hội thoại Podcasts làm tăng khả năng nắm bắt nội dung của tôi)
☐ Listening to Podcasts daily increases my knowledge and English vocabulary (Việc nghe
Podcasts hằng ngày làm tăng vốn kiến thức và vốn từ vựng tiếng Anh của tôi)
☐ Listening to Podcasts has familiarized me with various English accents (Nghe Podcasts đã giúp tôi làm quen với nhiều giọng địa phương tiếng Anh khác nhau)
☐ Learning through Podcasts enhances my imagination about contexts, images, and environmental conditions mentioned in the lesson content (Học bằng Podcasts làm tăng trí tưởng tượng của tôi về các ngữ cảnh, hình ảnh và điều kiện môi trường xung quanh được đề cập trong bài học)
☐ Listening to Podcasts while doing other tasks (such as housework, personal hygiene, etc.) improves my English listening reflexes (Vừa nghe Podcasts trong khi vừa làm việc khác (ví dụ: làm việc nhà, vệ sinh cá nhân, ) sẽ làm tăng khả năng phản xạ nghe tiếng Anh của tôi)
☐ Podcasts present different viewpoints and arguments, which helps me develop critical thinking skills, analyze information, and form my own opinions (Podcast trình bày các quan điểm và lập luận khác nhau khiến tôi phát triển khả năng tư duy phản biện, phân tích thông tin và đưa ra ý kiến của riêng mình)
☐By freely choosing preferred topics, I can manage my listening practice journey and control my English learning process (Bằng việc tự do lựa chọn các chủ đề ưa thích nên tôi có thể tự quản lý được lộ trình luyện nghe cũng như tự chủ quá trình học tiếng Anh của mình)
☐ Podcasts can provide more updated content than traditional textbooks (Podcast có thể cung cấp nội dung cập nhật hơn so với sách giáo khoa truyền thống)