Reflecting on how I incorporate instructional media into my ESL courses, I realize how important it is for connecting what my students already know to new language topics. As an ESL instructor, I find that the pre-existing knowledge and cognitive frameworks of students from Spanish-speaking countries significantly influence their learning processes and outcomes. For instance, using cognates such as “insert-insertar” and “generosity-generosidad” speeds up vocabulary learning and improves Spanish-to-English language transfer, allowing them to use their existing language skills.
In my experience, I have noticed that real instructional media like podcasts improve language acquisition. As a college instructor, I found that podcast discussions engaged students more than monologues, due to their similarity to conversations. On the other hand, with my beginner language learners’ static images worked better for them. These choices emphasize the need for media variety across learner levels.
A study by Rahmiyati et al. (2021) aligns with my classroom observations, indicating a generally positive student perception of podcast use in learning listening skills. Modern and interactive podcasts make learning entertaining and promote linguistic development outside class. According to the study’s moderate mean perception score, Podcasts may improve language proficiency, mainly listening. Following the study’s suggestion, I will use topic-related podcasts that will allow students learn at their own pace and follow what interests them. However, not all students like podcasts; others struggle with the speed and unfamiliar vocabulary. Because students react to podcasts differently, I must adapt media to students’ ability levels and learning styles. As a result, I will use a good mix of different kinds of media for enthusiastic podcast listeners and those who require structured visual aids for effective content comprehension.
To summarize, strategic use of different instructional media improves ESL learning outcomes. Podcasts and static images fit different ways of learning and levels. As an instructor, I will continue to adjust media choices to maintain accessibility and interest, striving for a balanced approach that promotes language learning for all my students.
Reference:
Rahmiyati, R., Dewi, M. P., & Eliza, E. (2021). Students’ perception on the use of podcast in teaching listening. ELP (Journal of English Language Pedagogy), 6(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.36665/elp.v6i1.362
