The Effect of Type of Podcasts and Learning Styles on Language Proficiency and Confidence

Abstract

This study examined the effect of type of podcasts and learning styles on speaking, listening, and confidence when college used podcasts for learning Chinese. It focused on college students enrolled in a beginning-level Chinese course at a large university in the southeastern United States. Findings indicated that listening to grammar podcasts helped students to improve their speaking skills as well as their confidence. Results also revealed that visual scores had a significant negative relationship with posttest speaking scores. Implications for the use of podcasts in higher education are provided.

Keywords

podcasting language learning learning styles

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