Employing Podcast Technology in Developing English Pronunciation: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

This study looked at the impact of podcast technology on the development of English listening skills. It used a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative methods). A quasi-experimental technique with a post-course test was adopted. Two teachers were interviewed in a semi-structured format. The sample for the study was 52 fifth-grade students at a private school in Amman, Jordan. They were divided into two classes (26 students for the experimental class and 26 for the control class). The experimental class was taught listening via teacher and podcast, while the control class was taught listening via teacher alone. To collect data, a multiple-choice test, survey, and interview were carried out. To analyze data, SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data, and Braun and Clark's thematic approach was used to analyze qualitative data. The findings of the study were that (i) the effect of employing podcast technology on improving listening skills is obvious and (ii) the superiority of the experimental class over the control class is large. (iii) the possibility of using podcast technology in the development of listening skills, increasing the student's bank of vocabulary, and improving their pronunciation.