English as a Second Language Podcast

English as a Second Language (ESL) Podcast is a web-based English language-learning podcast. It is the first and longest-running English language learning podcast on the Internet. It was launched in July 2005 by two former university professors, Dr. Jeff McQuillan and Dr. Lucy Tse of the Center for Educational Development in Los Angeles, California. ESL Podcast produces four main services: free audio lessons, supplementary Learning Guides, a blog on American culture and English learning, and specialty courses.

English as a Second Language Podcast
Other namesESLPod, ESL Podcast
GenreEducational, Language course
Running timeLesson Shows – 15 to 30 minutes (average)
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
Starring
  • Jeff McQuillan
  • Lucy Tse
Recording studioLos Angeles
Original releaseJuly 2005 (2005-07) – present
No. of episodes1800+ lesson shows (as of 4 May 2020)
Audio formatMP3
Websitewww.eslpod.com
PodcastFeed

Overview

The purpose of English as a Second Language Podcast is to teach English by using everyday phrases and expressions spoken at a slow rate of speech, followed by explanations of what these expressions mean and how to use them.[1][2] Learners access the lessons for free on the website or via a piece of podcast/RSS feed software such as iTunes. ESL Podcast uses a pedagogical approach based upon research in second language acquisition focusing on providing comprehensible input in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.[3]

ESL Podcast is intended for intermediate and advanced English learners and consists of three weekly episodes: two dialog-based episodes (Mondays and Fridays) and the longer, culturally-focused English Café (Wednesdays). Dialog-based episodes contain a slow reading of an exchange in conversational English, followed by an explanation of the key vocabulary, and then a native-rate reading of the same dialog. The English Café typically covers two major topics of cultural importance to learners of American English, followed by a short question-and-answer segment based on listener input.[4][5]

Since 2005, ESL Podcast has released more than 1000 self-contained episodes. It is not a traditional course, with a beginning and an end, and there are no quizzes or exercises. The episodes are not sequenced but are based on a set of broad themes from which the learner can choose, such as English for business, travel, daily life, health and fitness, shopping, and more.[4][6]

Supplementary materials are available for each lesson in the form of an 8-10 page PDF Learning Guide, available to subscribers of the podcast for a fixed monthly fee. Like other popular language podcasts such as ChinesePod, ESL Podcast uses a "freemium" business model, where the audio files are provided for free but the supplementary materials require a paid membership.[7]

Hosts

Both of the co-founders of ESL Podcast received their Ph.D.s in applied linguistics at the University of Southern California in 1997.[7][8][9] Prior to joining the Center for Educational Development, Dr. Lucy Tse worked as a tenure-track university professor at Arizona State University, California State University, Los Angeles, and Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Jeff McQuillan was a tenure-track professor at Arizona State University and California State University, Fullerton.[2][8] Both have published several dozen articles and books on topics in applied linguistics.[10][11][12] They have each appeared on CNN, and have been cited and published in numerous regional and national publications, included the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.[8]

Popularity

Stories or features about ESL Podcast[8] have appeared in several international media outlets in the United States,[13] Latin America,[6][14] Asia,[15][16] and Europe.[4][17][18] iTunes Japan named ESL Podcast one of the Best 20 podcasts in Japan in 2007.[19] ESL Podcast has consistently been ranked the number one English language learning podcast in iTunes since its launch in 2005,[20][21] and among the Top 20 podcasts for all categories in several European, Asian, and Latin American countries with a dedicated iTunes Store in 2011.[21]

gollark: I just saw and missed a silver in the coast... annoying.
gollark: I love autorefreshing, it's so much more convenient than just *waiting* for eggs to get enough views to hash.
gollark: This is irritating. There are so many prizes and silvers and golds in the AP and I *keep* missing them.
gollark: That is definitely a concern, I guess. Nobody has complained about it so far, but it's hardly widely-used.
gollark: Well, for the first issue, you can copy the file link in the message, I can't really do much about the second one.

References
  1. McQuillan, Jeff (2006). "Tuning into podcasting: Language on the Go" (PDF). International Journal for Foreign Language Teaching. 2 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  2. Walch, Rob (Fall 2006). "Podcast411" (MP3). Item #95: Interview with Jeff McQuillan, ESL Podcast.
  3. McQuillan, Jeff (2006). The iPod in Education: Potential for Language Acquisition (PDF). Cupertino, CA: Apple Computers. p. 12.
  4. Zilm, Kerstin (4 September 2009). "Englisch per Podcast: Sprachenlernen mit Humor" (MP3) (in German and English). Deutschlandfunk (German National Radio). Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  5. Bala, Rostislav. "If you can't understand it, you can't acquire it: Interview with Jeff McQuillan". výuka.jazyků.cz (Language Learning). Archived from the original on 31 March 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  6. Sturm, Constanza (20 December 2007). "Internet desata fiebre por aprender ingles, aleman y hasta chino de manera gratuita" (PDF). Diario Financiero (Chile) (in Spanish). p. 25. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  7. Walker, Kevin (2011). How to Get Your Message Out Fast and Free Using Podcasts. Ocala, FL: Atlantic Publishing. p. 286. ISBN 978-1-60138-120-0.
  8. "English as a Second Language Podcast". Center for Educational Development. 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  9. Walch, Rob; Mur Lafferty (2006). Tricks of the Podcasting Masters. Indianapolis, IN: Que Publishing. pp. 384. ISBN 978-0-7897-3574-4.
  10. McQuillan, Jeff (1998). The Literacy Crisis: False Claims, Real Solutions. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. pp. 115. ISBN 0-325-00063-8.
  11. Tse, Lucy (2001). "Why Don't They Learn English?": Separating Fact from Fallacy in the U.S. Language Debate. New York: Teachers College Press. pp. 109. ISBN 0-8077-4097-7.
  12. Krashen, Stephen; Lucy Tse, Jeff McQuillan (1998). Heritage Language Development. Culver City, CA: Language Education Associates. p. 94. ISBN 0-9652808-4-5.
  13. Bierma, Nathan (24 January 2007). "Plug in, dial up, learn a foreign language". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  14. Vargas, Alejandra (23 February 2009). "Podcasts gratuitas facilitan el aprendizaje de idiomas". La Nacion (Costa Rica). Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  15. "Podcasts for Learning English" (PDF). Nan Fang Daily (China). 28 March 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  16. Templer, Bill (5 June 2008). "Let students master plain, simple English". The China Post (Taiwan). Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  17. Daganzo, José Carlos (October 2005). "Los mejores podcasts de iTunes". MacWorld (Spain) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  18. Manetto, Francesca (2 December 2006). "Todos los idiomas en el bolsillo". El Pais (Spain). Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  19. "ESL Podcast Named One of iTunes 'Best of 2007' in Japan". Center for Educational Development. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  20. Stanley, Graham (2006). "Podcasting: Audio on the Internet Comes of Age". TESL-J. 9 (4). Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  21. "iTunes Rankings for Education Category". Apple, Inc. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
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