The Impact of Podcasting on Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency of EFL Learners' Performance

International Society of communication and Development among universities www.europeansp.org Modern Language Studies, ISSN: 0047-7729 The Impact of Podcasting on Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency of EFL Learners’ Performance

Marjan Taheri 1, Seyed Jalal Abdolmanafi Rokni 2 (Department of English Language Teaching, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran & Department of English Language Teaching, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran) 2(Department of English Language and Literature, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran) *corresponding author

Abstract

Speaking is one of the most important language skills, which is of great significance in EFL language learning, where students are required to prepare their lectures in well-organized spoken works. This study intended to examine the impact of podcast on complexity, accuracy and fluency in EFL language learners. Sixty students were selected to participate in the study. They were divided into two groups. The experimental group received treatment using podcast and traditional way of instruction was conducted in the control group class. Also, one pre-test was used to determine the learner’s level of speaking accuracy, fluency and complexity at the beginning of research period for each level. Interview pre-test was the instrument consisting of listening comprehension and speaking test. After carrying the treatment for eight sessions, the post-test was administered to both groups. The results of the post-test showed that podcasting technique was efficient in students’ speaking complexity, accuracy and fluency. Also, another research instrument used was a researcher-designed survey questionnaire. The obtained results of the questionnaire were positive and responsive. Most of the students showed their willingness to integrate podcasts into their English classroom. The results have some implications for teaching speaking in EFL context.

© 2016 The Authors. Published by European Science publishing Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of European Science publishing Ltd.

Keywords: speaking, fluency, accuracy, complexity.

1. Introduction

Teaching speaking is one of the challengeable tasks in English as Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This is due the nature of speaking which is a productive accuracy requiring the learners to organize their knowledge into spoken form. So, many instructors encounter many problems in teaching productive accuracy such as writing and speaking. Using computer in enhancing speaking accuracy has come into consideration in the recent years (Reinking

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 & Rickman, 1990). Computer technology in EFL settings has found its place as a facilitative device and it has been famous in educational curricula. It has a significance effect on language teaching and learning. Blake (2000), Warschauer and Healey (1998) suggest that integration of technology can facilitate learning processes. To this end, technology offers indispensable learning spaces and venues in the realm of language learning (Lai, Shum, & Tian, 2014). Podcasting, as evolving technology that supports digital recording to be easily posted to the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player, can open broader doors to increase language-teaching process and to practically help student learning. Podcast is one of the mobile technologies, is a combination of two words: ipod (Apple’s MP3 player) and broadcast (Rosell-Aguilar, 2007). Podcasting refers to selecting and obtaining podcasts that recommend users the

© 2016 The Authors. Published by European Science publishing Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of European Science publishing Ltd. 2 Eicker et al. / Modern Language Studies, ISSN: 0047-7729 (2017)101_113

advantage of freely controlling where and when they listen to audio or video content. Since 2005 there have seen rapid advances in podcasting, a new technology for broadcasting audio programs on the Internet (Selingo, 2006). Podcasting was originally for the purpose of conveying information and entertainment. Soon, educators saw the huge potential it has for teaching and learning (Adams, 2006; Warlick, 2005). The Office suggested a number of possible uses of podcasting in education, like news updates, guest lectures, student created podcasts, and language lessons that aid students expand listening and speaking skills. Some writers have implied the advantages that podcasting can offer language education, especially with regard to expanding learners’ listening and speaking skills (Pun, 2006; Stanley, 2006).

Statement of the Problem

In Iran, the great concern of language teachers and researchers is to improve the student’s performance in learning English as a second language especially, speaking. Recent studies have suggested that Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) affects language learning and teaching but there are not any research studies on podcasts. Broadly, speaking for as long as official education and instruction have existed, there has been interest in emancipating learning from the restrictions of place and time. Different tools such as clay tables, scrolls, printed books and, much later in the closing decades of 20th century, different media have been brought into the scene to accomplish this goal. Also, Iranian EFL learners have also many difficulties in speaking complexity, accuracy and fluency. Especially, there are few research studies in the realm of podcast on speaking EFL context. In most EFL context where learners of English have very few chances to use the foreign language outside of the classroom, providing them real and authentic opportunities to practice speaking skills can be valuable undertaking. So, the researcher wants to introduce a powerful tool for initiating and directing learner autonomy. Among the trends in MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning), podcasting has been widely investigated as an important way to improve learners learning capacity in, and out of the language classroom.

Purpose of the Study

The aim of this study is to investigate if podcasting affects speaking fluency, accuracy and complexity. Podcasting is increasingly being used by language teachers as tool for delivering educational material and encouraging learning outside of the traditional classroom. Also, the present study aimed at investigating the impact of podcasting on complexity, fluency and accuracy on EFL learner’s performance.

Significant of the study

Growth of technology and the increasing significance of English learning in business, science and so on, make learners learn English through CALL and Internet. The life of people, nowadays, is affected by their powerful personal computer and net connection (Mishan, 2005). According to the Office Information Technology of University of Minnesota in the United State (2006), these days are a shift from e-learning to mobile learning, as podcasting is a time shifting technology. Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 According to Son (2008), podcasts have so realistic and authentic contents. Fang (2008) argues that listening and speaking are complementary and listening to the sound before talking is so beneficial for speaking. For improving fluency and accuracy of speaking, the learner needs the ability to negotiate in social context for appropriate interesting verbal communication and paralinguistic element (Richards & Renandya, 2002). The teacher could help learners by giving them opportunity to be in this kind of position. The podcast programs are online learning programs which are so realistic. The EFL learners would practice in real native situation by listening to these podcasts. In this research we want to examine How the results this study will help teachers, students, materials developers and etc.

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Research questions

This research attempt to achieve the following objective: 1) Does the use of podcast significantly have any effect on Iranian EFL accuracy? 2) Does the use of podcast significantly have any effect on Iranian EFL fluency? 3) Does the use of podcast significantly have any effect on Iranian EFL complexity?

Methodology

Participants The present study was constructed on high school learners of English in a language institute in Gonbad- kavoos, Iran. Their ages ranged between 15-18 years old. The Oxford placement test was used to homogenize the learners. 60 out of 120 Iranian EFL students (60 males and 60 females) took the homogeneity test. These participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group was control (n=30, 15 males and 15 females), and the other group was experimental (n=30, 15 males and 15 females). The majority of students spoke English very well and studied it often. Instrumentation In the present, three instruments were used. 1) To select the subjects, first a 100-point test of homogeneity was given, and 60 subjects (30 girls and 30 boys) whose points were between 40 and 70 were selected from 120 subjects (60 girls and 60 boys). In the second phase, 60 randomly selected subjects were divided into a control group (15 girls and 15 boys) and an experimental group (15 girls and 15 boys). 2) Pre-test of listening to podcast and speaking accuracy, fluency and complexity was used to determine the learners’ level of speaking accuracy, fluency and complexity at the beginning of research period for each level. Interview pre-test was the instrument consisting of listening comprehension and speaking test. This test was designed to determine the participants’ proficiency of their listening comprehension and their speaking proficiency before the treatment period. The topic of the pre-test was general due to being relevant to the participants’ background knowledge. Before listening to this podcast, the interviewer asked some relevant questions based on the test content related to the participants’ real life to familiarize them with the content of the test for more comprehension. The participants were requested one by one to listen to the podcast for 3 or 5 minutes (pre-test) carefully and then they were asked repeat (reconstruct) what they were hearing in 2 minutes. Their voice was recorded during their repetition (reconstruction). Also, post-test was also used to interview the participants to find out the effect of training by podcast on speaking and to determine their accuracy, fluency and complexity of their speech after the period of instruction from both classes. The participants of both classes were taken post-test the same as pre-test. The topic of the post-test was relevant to the pre-test. The participants listened to 3 to 5 minutes of podcast carefully and then were asked to repeat (reconstruct) what they heard (about 2 minutes). Then their voice was recorded during their repetition (reconstruction). These podcasts were downloaded from www.zappenglish.com whose topics were selected through participants’ interest, purposes and level of their speaking proficiency in pre and post-test and treatment material. 3) Another research instrument used was a researcher-designed survey questionnaire. The survey Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 questionnaire investigated the impact of podcast in the experimental group asking learners to state their views of experiences in using podcasts to enhance speaking and to explore their attitudes towards the use of podcasting. The questionnaire is adoptive from Journal of Education and Practice and also some questions was adapted by the researcher. The questionnaire consisted of 20 items. Each item was measured on a 5 point Likert scale. The participants were asked to respond to each item as: (1) strongly agree, (2) disagree, (3) no idea, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree. Questionnaires containing 20 items were distributed to the students after listening podcasts at the end of the research. They were allowed twenty minutes to answer. Included in the questionnaire were items relating to different aspects concerned with podcasts use, such as improved communication or speaking skill and achievement, advantages and disadvantages.

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Treatment In the two groups (experimental and control), the learners participated in eight 30-minute sessions. In these sessions, the learners only focused on improving their speaking skills. So after 30 minutes, each session was finished and the experimental group was required to listen to the podcast files immediately at home. The learners participated in two sessions every week and the treatment lasted one month. After the learners listened to the podcasts, the teacher asked them to retell or reconstruct podcasts for further and better understanding and prepared some comments for the learners regarding their speaking activities. Material All input materials used were the same for both the control and experimental groups but the mode of delivery was different. For the control group, classes were conducted face-to-face, and the traditional ways of instruction were used, with the instructor giving input via lectures and facilitating the students’ work in the class. On the other hand, face-to-face and online approaches specially, podcasting was used for students in the experimental group. Procedure To conduct the study, 60 learners were divided to two classes. The number of subjects in each class was 30. The main focus was on how to listen to podcasts and also, how to speak fluently and accurately. In each class, after students listened to the podcast, they tried to speak. The whole research project took place in eight sessions within one month. The present study involved a questionnaire method with an experimental pre-test and post-test design. Since the purpose of the study was to examine the impact of podcast (independent variable) on the complexity, accuracy and fluency (dependent variables), the experimental research method was appropriate for the current study. Thirty of the participants were in the experimental group and thirty were in the control group. The aim of this oral (interview) test was to discover the appropriate level of the speaking proficiency of the participants at the beginning of the treatment. Then, the pre-test was given to both experimental and control groups which concluded at the level of participants’ proficiency with general and relevant topic. This pre-test included an oral (interview) test. The participants of both classes were requested to listen to offline selected podcast and to retell what they were hearing one by one. Their voice was recorded by the interviewer. During the treatment, the experimental group listened to the topics of podcast and retold the content. In this way, the instructor asked some questions from students and let participants become familiar with the content before listening them. The instructor asked them to listen twice to each podcast. After listening, participants retold what they about 2 or 3 minutes. Selected podcast programs were downloaded from www.zappenglish.com website which they were corresponded to appropriate participants’ level for the experimental group. Podcasts are programs that could be daily listened to with different realistic topics. The learners were requested to listen to this podcasts everywhere and tried to retell what they heard alone and made efforts to record their words by themselves. Through these podcasts, learners explicitly learned culture, intonation, pitch, stress and other functions of the target language. Also, the participants could improve fluency, accuracy and complexity in their speaking. Then learners unconsciously used all of them in their speech. Finally, a post-test was given to the experimental and control groups. It included two or three minutes’ interview on the selected unseen podcast for both groups. Data was recorded and scored by two raters.

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 Results

Descriptive Statistics Central tendency and dispersion pre-test and post-test participants will be provided later in this section. To select the subjects, first a 100- point test was given, and 60 subjects (30 girls and 30 boys) whose points were between 40 and 70 were selected from 120 subjects (60 girls and 60 boys). In the second phase, 60 randomly selected subjects were divided into a control group (15 girls and 15 boys) and an experimental group (15 girls and 15 boys). Table 1 shows the result of homogenization.

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Table 1: The Result of the Homogenization Test Test Sex N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Male 60 24.0 70.0 44.58 13.28 Homogeneous Female 60 9.0 68.0 44.96 13.63 Total 120 9.0 70.0 44.78 13.32

As it can be seen in Table 1, there were 60 male and 60 female participants with the mean score of 44.58 and 44.96 respectively. Table 2 shows central tendency and dispersion scores in pre-test and post-test on accuracy. Table 2: Central Tendency and Dispersion Scores in Pre-Test and Post-Test on Accuracy Descriptive Statistics : Accuracy Std. Test Group sex N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation Male 15 1.30 2.60 2.09 0.399 Experimental Female 15 1.50 3.10 2.25 0.552 Total 30 1.30 3.10 2.17 0.481

Male 15 1.60 2.50 2.07 0.261 Test

- Control Female 15 1.30 2.70 1.96 0.427

Total 30 1.30 2.70 2.01 0.352 Pre Male 15 2.50 3.50 3.07 0.339 Experimental Female 15 2.50 3.50 3.07 0.309

Total 30 2.50 3.50 3.07 0.319

Male 15 1.90 2.30 2.07 0.122 Test - Control Female 15 1.90 2.50 2.11 0.188

Total 30 1.90 2.50 2.09 0.157 Post

Regarding the pretest, as Table 2 shows, the mean scores of male and female participants in the experimental group were 2.09 and 2.25 while in the control group were 2.07 and 1.96, respectively. Regarding the posttest, the mean scores of male and female participants in the experimental group were 3.07 and 3.07 while in the control group were 2.07 and 2.11, respectively. Table 3 shows central tendency and dispersion scores in pre-test and post-test on fluency. Table 3: Central Tendency and Dispersion Scores in Pre-Test and Post-Test on Fluency Descriptive Statistics : Fluency Std. Test Group sex N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation Male 15 1.50 2.90 2.38 0.444 Experimental Female 15 1.50 3.0 2.35 0.434 Total 30 1.50 3.0 2.36 0.432

Male 15 2.0 2.90 2.43 0.329 Test Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021

- Control Female 15 1.80 3.30 2.48 0.423

Total 30 1.80 3.30 2.46 0.373 Pre Male 15 2.80 3.90 3.50 0.321 Experimental Female 15 2.70 4.0 3.40 0.391

Total 30 2.70 4.0 3.45 0.355

Male 15 2.20 3.1 2.67 0.226 Test - Control Female 15 2.20 3.1 2.67 0.282

Total 30 2.20 3.10 2.67 0.251 Post

Considering the pretest, as Table 3 shows, the mean scores of male and female participants in the experimental group were 2.38 and 2.35 while in the control group were 2.43 and 2.48, respectively. Regarding the

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posttest, the mean scores of male and female participants in the experimental group were 3.50 and 3.40 while in the control group were 2.67 and 2.67, respectively. Table 4 shows central tendency and dispersion scores in pre-test and post-test on complexity. Table 4: Central Tendency and Dispersion Scores in Pre-Test and Post-Test on Complexity Descriptive Statistics : Complexity Std. Test Group sex N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation Male 15 1.70 2.50 2.08 0.227 Experimental Female 15 1.70 2.30 2.00 0.156 Total 30 1.70 2.50 2.04 0.196

Male 15 2.0 2.40 2.13 0.111 Test

- Control Female 15 1.80 2.30 2.09 0.133

Total 30 1.80 2.40 2.11 0.122 Pre Male 15 2.80 3.70 3.17 0.237 Experimental Female 15 2.70 3.60 3.19 0.288

Total 30 2.70 3.70 3.18 0.259

Male 15 1.80 2.40 2.15 0.164 Test - Control Female 15 2.00 2.40 2.16 0.118

Total 30 1.80 2.40 2.16 0.141 Post

As to the pretest, based on Table 4 shows, the mean scores of male and female participants in the experimental group were 2.08 and 2 while in the control group were 2.13 and 2.09, respectively. Regarding the posttest, the mean scores of male and female participants in the experimental group were 3.17 and 3.19 while in the control group were 2.15 and 2.16, respectively. Inferential Statistics As previously mentioned, analysis of covariance was used to test hypothesis. In general, the analysis of variance is a comprehensive state of analysis of covariance. It is a statistical method that allows the effect of an independent variable on the dependent variable while the effect of another variable is removed. The best situation to use this analysis is when subjects are situated randomly in a level of independent variable and auxiliary random variable is measured before the analysis. To use the method of covariance analysis, these are the presuppositions: 1) The first presupposition includes: 1-1) The dependent variable is formed by distance or relative data. 1-2) The studied population has a normal distribution. 1-3) Population variances are equal (homogeneity of variances). 1-4) If there are independent random samples should be taken from each group of population. 2) Random auxiliary variable should be measured before experimental manipulation. In this study, auxiliary random variable (pre-test) is measured before administering intervention. 3) The result of random auxiliary variable measurement should be reliable. 4) The relationship between the auxiliary random variable and the dependent variable

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 should be linear. 5) There should be regression homogeneity; the relationship between the dependent variable and random auxiliary variable should be the same for all groups. As previously mentioned, to measure the dependent variable (post -test), interval scale is used, so presupposition 1-1 is considered. The quality of distribution of the dependent variable (post-test) is tested by Kolomogorov-Smirnov nonparametric test. Table 5 shows the results of kolmogrov- Smirnov.

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Table 5: One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test of Normality Post Accuracy Post Fluency Post Complexity N 60 60 60 Normal Parametersa,b Mean 2.5800 3.0583 2.6683 Std. Deviation .55044 .49891 .55586

Absolute .172 .125 .213 Most Extreme Differences Positive .172 .125 .213 Negative -.128 -.101 -.131 Test Statistic .172 .125 .213 Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) .000c .022c .000c a. Test distribution is Normal. b. Calculated from data. c. Lilliefors Significance Correction.

As can be seen in Table 4, normality assumption of variables of post accuracy, post fluency and post complexity cannot be confirmed (p<0.05). In other words, none of the dependent variables were not normally distributed, so the presupposition 1-2 cannot be verified. As one of the presuppositions do not provide analysis of covariance, so it cannot be used to test the hypotheses, so to compare post test scores of control and experimental groups, parametric t-test with two independent samples t-parametric or nonparametric U Mann-Whitney test can be used. The possibility of checking the hypothesis using t-test (with two independent samples) in any of the dependent variables do not exist, because the distribution of the subjects’ post-test scores is not normal in all variables. Thus, to test all hypotheses, nonparametric test U Mann- Whitney was used. Testing the first hypothesis test Table 6 shows the U Mann-Whitney test results to survey the effect of intervention on subjects’ accuracy. Null hypothesis and the hypothesis against the first hypothesis can be defined as follows: H-0: There is no meaningful difference between means of accuracy of control and experimental groups. (Intervention has no significant effect on improving accuracy). H-1: There is a meaningful difference between means of accuracy of control and experimental groups. (Intervention has significant effect on improving accuracy). Table 6 shows the results of U Mann-Whitney test to survey the effect of intervention on subjects’ accuracy. Table 6: The Results of U Mann- Whitney Test: The Effect of Intervention on Accuracy Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon Asymp. Sig. (2- Variable Control Experimental Z U W tailed) M Median Median M R - Accuracy R* 1.000 466.000 0.000 6.666 2.05 15.53 3.15 45.47

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 As can be seen in Table 6, posttest means of control and experimental groups isn’t verified in the variable of accuracy. (U=1.0; N-1=30; P<0.01). In other words, there is a meaningful difference between posttest means of control and experimental groups in the variable of accuracy with certainty of 99%. Checking the score means shows that posttest mean scores of control group is lower than posttest mean scores of the experimental group. Therefore, it can be stated that the intervention was effective in improving accuracy of the subjects. Testing the second hypothesis test

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Table 7 shows the U Mann-Whitney test results to survey the effect of intervention on subjects’ fluency. Null hypothesis and the hypothesis against the first hypothesis can be defined as follows: H0: There is no meaningful difference between means fluency of control and experimental groups. (Intervention has no significant effect on improving fluency). H1: There is a meaningful difference between means of fluency of control and experimental groups. (Intervention has significant effect on improving fluency). Table 7 shows the results of U Mann- Whitney test to survey the effect of intervention on subject fluency. Table 7: Test Result U Mann Whitney: effect of Intervention on Fluency Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon Asymp. Sig. (2- Variable Control Experimental Z U W tailed) Median M R Median M R - Fluency 39.00 504.00 0.000 2.70 16.80 3.50 44.20 6.098

As can be seen in Table 7, posttest means of control and experimental groups isn’t verified in the variable of fluency. (U=1.0; N-1=30; P<0.01). In other words, there is a meaningful difference between posttest means of control and experimental groups in the variable of fluency with certainty of 99%. Checking mean scores shows that posttest mean scores of the control group is lower than posttest mean scores of the experimental group. Therefore, it can be stated that the intervention was effective in improving fluency of the subjects. Testing the third hypothesis test Table 8 shows the U Mann- Whitney test results to survey the effect of intervention on subjects’ complexity. Null hypothesis and the hypothesis against the first hypothesis can be defined as follows: H0: There is no meaningful difference between means of complexity of control and experimental groups. (Intervention had no significant effect on improving complexity). H1: There is a meaningful difference between means of complexity of control and experimental groups. (Intervention has significant effect on improving complexity). Table 8 shows the results of U Mann- Whitney test to survey the effect of intervention on subjects’ complexity. Table 8: Test Results U Mann Whitney: effect of Intervention on Complexity Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon Asymp. Sig. (2- Variable Control Experimental Z U W tailed) Median M R Median M R - Complexity 0.000 465.00 0.000 2.20 15.50 3.18 45.50 6.681

As can be seen in Table 8, posttest means of control and experimental groups isn’t verified in the variable of complexity. (U=1.0; N-1=30; P<0.01). In other words, there is a meaningful difference between posttest means of control and experimental groups in the variable of complexity with certainty of 99%. Checking mean scores shows that posttest mean scores of control group is lower than posttest mean scores of the experimental group. Therefore, it can be stated that the intervention was effective in improving complexity of the subjects.

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 Surveying the experimental group responses to questionnaire concerning feature of a podcast Central and dispersion parameter of experimental group responses to the questionnaire concerning the features of podcast as well as surveying the reliability of the questionnaire is included in this section. Table 9 shows central and dispersion parameters of responses to the questionnaire concerning the features of podcast.

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Table 9: Central Tendency and Dispersion of Experimental Group Responses To The Questionnaire Concerning The Features Of Podcast Descriptive Statistics : Podcast Specific Questions Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Status Q1 2.0 5.0 3.67 0.802 Positive Q2 2.0 5.0 3.73 0.828 Positive Q3 2.0 5.0 3.67 0.884 Positive Q4 1.0 3.0 2.30 0.702 Negative Q5 1.0 4.0 2.23 0.817 Negative Q6 3.0 5.0 3.87 0.819 Positive Q7 3.0 5.0 3.50 0.682 Positive Q8 2.0 5.0 3.90 0.712 Positive Q9 3.0 5.0 3.67 0.712 Positive Q10 1.0 4.0 2.03 0.809 Negative Q11 3.0 5.0 3.90 0.759 Positive Q12 3.0 5.0 3.80 0.714 Positive Q13 3.0 5.0 3.97 0.614 Positive Q14 3.0 5.0 4.0 0.695 Positive Q15 3.0 5.0 3.93 0.691 Positive Q16 3.0 5.0 3.90 0.607 Positive Q17 3.0 5.0 4.10 0.607 Positive Q18 3.0 5.0 3.77 0.679 Positive Q19 2.0 5.0 3.77 0.817 Positive Q20 1.0 3.0 2.23 0.728 Negative

The questionnaire results notably indicated that the participants thought that using podcasts was a good experience for them, which got the highest mean score (M=4.10). They also thought that podcasts can improve complexity and performance EFL learners, with the second highest mean score for this item (M=4.0). Participating learners expressed the use of animation in podcasts can increase their interest in learning (M=3.97). The fourth highest mean score (M=3.93) indicated that participants recommend their friends to use podcast. The results revealed that learners thought that podcast can improve accuracy and fluency (M=3.90). Also, participants thought that podcasts are useful for learning new English vocabulary (M=3.90). In addition, learners thought that podcasts series should provide diversities of everyday life issues and their needs (M=3.90). The participants concurred that using podcasts is feasible everywhere and every time (M=3.80). For exam preparation, learners agreed that they could use podcasts as a preparation tool (M=3.77). Participating learners state that they would continue to use podcasts after the end of their speaking class (M=3.77). Participants agree that podcasts can improve their language (M=3.73). They also thought that podcast lectures are an effective tool for language teaching purposes (M=3.67). The results showed that podcast instruction is an effective way in improving the speaking skills (M=3.67). Participating learners state they recommend using podcast in other English language Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 classes (M=3.67). Participants agreed with podcasts should not too be long. (M=3.50). Learners generally disagreed that podcasting is not effective for language teaching. (M=2.30). They also disapproved that podcast topics do not suit their language learning needs. (M=2.23). Also, learners disagreed that listening to the podcast is too boring (M=2.23). The obtained results were quiet positive and responsive. Most of the students enthusiastically answered all the questions and showed their willingness to integrate podcasts into their classroom learning practice, and as Kenneth Beare (2006) says podcasting is especially interesting for English learners as it provides a means for students to get access to ‘authentic’ listening sources about any subject that may interest them. Validity and reliability of questionnaire Validity means that the measuring instrument measures what it is intended to measure. Without awareness of validity of measuring instrument, one cannot be sure of the data obtained (Sarmad et al., 2006). There are several

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methods to validate the instrument. In this study, content validity, construct validity is used to assess the validity of the questions. Essentially, content validity is a commonly used measurement to evaluate components of measuring instrument. If questions related to measure instrument shows some features and special skills, the researcher intends to measure, the test has content reliability. Therefore, to assess the content validity of questionnaire, it was delivered to experts including advisor and reader of this study as well as some teachers in language institutes so that they could make comments on the questionnaires being suitable for the researcher purpose. The required edition was considered so that the questionnaire would have enough content validity. Reliability is a technical characteristic of measurement tool (Sarmad et al., 2006). It shows to what extent the measurement tool gives the same result in the same conditions. So, reliability deals with stability, accuracy and predictability of the results of measurement tool. There are many ways to measure reliability such as Alpha Cronbach which is used in this study to assess the reliability of the measurement tool. Alpha coefficient is a number between zero and one. Alpha coefficient less than six-tenths shows poor reliability, more than seven-tenths shows a relatively good reliability and more than eight-tenths indicates high reliability (Sekaran, 2001). Table 10: The Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Index Alpha Cronbach coefficient Number of item Variable

.78 20 Podcast

According to the Table 10 above, the questionnaire had a reliability index of .78 which shows a relatively high reliability index. Discussion Podcasts have proved to be useful materials in English language teaching for almost every skill. Numerous studies have supported this fact that podcasts significantly improved the performance of English language learners in EFL/ESL contexts including listening (Al-Qasim & Al-Fadda, 2013), language learning strategies (Ashton-Hay & Brookes, 2011), pronunciation (Ducate & Lomicka, 2009), as well as writing (Bamanger & Alhassan, 2015). The results of the present study showed that the students in the experimental group who received podcast speaking and traditional lectures scored significantly higher than the control group that was taught using traditional in class speaking instruction only. There was an obvious decline in the number of errors regarding fluency, accuracy and complexity in the speaking of the experimental group. These results are in agreement with Shahramiri, and Gorjian’s (2013) study, which found significant differences in student performance when students were exposed to podcasts. In the current study, learners expressed their belief that podcast instruction is effective in language teaching specifically English speaking. This could be justified as podcasts can be employed to expose EFL learners to samples of real and authentic English language materials. In a more recent study, findings of Assadinejad and Gorjian (2015) also support the result of the present study mentioning that the use of podcasts can be beneficial in improving the speaking proficiency of EFL learners. Moreover, agreeing that podcasts are beneficial and easy to use, learners stated that they would continue to use podcasts, and advise their friends to use them. Learners argued that the podcasts could be implemented as a motivating teaching tool that could be used everywhere and every time, and for exam preparation as well. Similarly,

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 in Evans’ (2008) study, participants stated that podcasts were a good tool for reviewing their subject matter. Via the implementation of podcasts as a supplementary tool, language teachers could keep learners motivated to study even outside the classroom (O’Bryan & Hegelheimer, 2007). The participating learners refused that podcast is waste of their times nor suitable for their learning needs. In contrast, learners stated that their speaking improved and they had good experience learning via podcasts. Also, participants had a positive attitude toward podcasting and believed that podcasting helped them to grow an interest in speaking. Data analysis showed that podcasts had an impact on improving learners’ speaking. Podcasts are as multimedia-based language learning tools create learning motivation to speak. Findings showed that podcast can be used in the educational setting in general and language teaching in particular to motivate student. Podcasts could be used in language classes, also, to enhance learners’ motivation in learning, especially speaking.

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Pedagogical Implications

This study has some implications for teaching and curriculum development in the Iranian EFL context. First, podcasts are a new technology admitted in the worldwide should be given their due attention in teaching of language and visual skills specifically speaking. EFL teachers are recommended to introduce and implement podcasts in their classes. This could affect student learning experience in a positive way. Learners might be more responsible for and autonomous in improving their speaking ability. Podcasts can be used by EFL teachers both directly in the classroom and out of the classroom as a complementary instrument. It can be exercised out of the classroom while doing some related tasks in the classroom controlled by teacher in order to save time. In expanding curricula and writing syllabi, it is better to pay special attention to students' likeliness to take advantage of new technology. With the growing interest in employing internet among young learners, teachers and material developers should try to bring technology to the classrooms. This not only will give the teachers a valuable asset in following their teaching aims but also will be a motivating factor for students to continue their learning more meaningfully. However, it should be mentioned that the implementation of podcasts in EFL classes requires careful planning and adequate training of teachers so that it can become an effective teaching and learning instrument. 2. Another implication of this study might be the need for more appropriate designs of podcasting in language teaching syllabi. Just providing learners with podcasts without incorporating them in a pre-planned and systematic method would not be a beneficial enterprise. Learners need to assume podcasts not only as effective learning materials but also as efficient teaching tools. Also, those syllabus designers who are interested in the employment of communicative language teaching methods in language learning classes could upgrade their design by finding effective ways to work podcasts into their syllabus. The other implication is that the podcasts can be considered as authentic language learning materials provided that the instruments for their creation and production, recording and broadcasting are available to learners and teachers (Fox, 2008). Services like podomatic.com can be considered easy and useful for making podcasts a regular teaching and learning material as they do not need a lot of technical expertise. Moreover, as an EFL context implies a shortage of access to foreign language outside of the classroom, podcasting and its use anywhere, anytime can be considered a valuable and useful tool for foreign language learners. Another is to conduct studies with a variety of language learners including university students and students from different educational backgrounds and across both genders. There are some methodological matters which require to be searched in order to improve the process described here. However, what is significant is improving classroom learning through the integration of new technological advances and to achieve this goal we may require more research to normalize the employment of technology in language classrooms. Most young people are interested in internet-based and mobile applications. So, teachers can make use of such tools to change or improve negative beliefs in using podcasts. Teachers should be aware of the diversity and complexity of podcasts and learners bring into the classroom and try to improve or change negative ones by giving them what they really like rather than insisting on conventional materials and techniques that learners usually find boring. Listening to enjoyable authentic input with mobile appliances such as iPods, mobile phones or mp3 players wherever and whenever they like provides students with flexibility in time and location and thus gives them a sense

Downloaded from mls.europeansp.org at 1:50 +0330 on Sunday September 26th 2021 of freedom. This motivates them and increases performance, which in turn improves their perceptions in using podcasts.

Conclusion

Podcasting as a new technology has huge potentiality in increasing second language learners’ speaking skills (Stanley, 2005). The ease of downloading podcasts to MP3 players and iPods means that learners can engage in plenty of listening practice while traveling. With the ease of creating MP3 files, and the accessibility of free recording and editing software like Audacity, podcasts can be created easily. Their ability to reach large audiences in various parts of the world is a big motivator for students to produce, listen and use the podcasts.

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Furthermore, the production of podcasts provides students with plenty of meaningful language use, which is very favorable for second language acquisition (Nunan, 1995). This activity is also suitable for less confident learners, in order to decrease the anxiety brought about by real-time interaction (Gardner, Day, & MacIntyre, 1992). With visualization and creativity, second language teachers will be able to make the best employment of this new technology for expanding their students’ speaking skills. The present study began with the assumption that applying the podcasts instruction could impact the complexity, fluency and accuracy EFL learners’ performance. The participants of experimental group were taught through offline podcasts and other group as control that were taught through traditional instruction. The researcher explored to see if the application of enormous listening of offline podcasts and what they were hearing have any effect on the EFL learners’ performance and to investigate the effect of them, separately, on the complexity, fluency and accuracy. Having administered the pretest and posttests, and analyzing the data through specific statistical analysis of descriptive statistics, the results showed that the instruction of using podcasts had positive effects on the learners’ speaking complexity, fluency and accuracy. The obtained results were quiet positive and responsive. Most of the students enthusiastically answered all questions and showed their willingness podcasts have positive effect on their speaking. Also, based on the results of the present study, the following conclusions may be made: 1. The enormous offline podcasts instruction has more significant impact on the learners’ speaking proficiency (accuracy, fluency and complexity) than conventional instruction. 2. During the offline podcasts instruction, the learners listen and reconstruct what they were hearing independently and freely. So, they can produce and process their utterance better. 3. During the podcasts instruction, the familiar questions by teacher and replied by learners can influence learners’ listening comprehension ability to reconstruct it better. 4. Online and offline vast podcasts listening out of the classroom or in class can improve prior knowledge of paralinguistic elements (implicitly master on stress, rhythm and intonation patterns). 5. Online or offline vast podcasts listening out of the classroom or at class can improve the ability of accuracy, fluency and complexity. 6. In general, the findings suggested that podcasts helped the students who took part in this study in achieving personalized learning. They understood podcasting as a platform that provided supplementary learning materials to support face-to-face teaching. 7. Participants strongly offered that instead of duplicating course content that has been taught in lessons in podcasts, teachers should integrate podcasts with lesson learning in the figure of discussions, completion of assessment-related tasks or extension of lesson learning activities. The study has provided educators with an initial categorizations of podcasts according to their functions, purposes and their relative effectiveness in teaching music and arts courses. Future podcast producers may work on this taxonomy and create classifications addressing the different kind of podcasts and their effectiveness.

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