Podcasts can be a powerful tool in the foreign language classroom. As a Bass Digital Education Fellow at Duke University, I had the opportunity to design lesson plans that expose students in German Language classes to original podcasts from Germany. The objectives of the project are twofold. First, it introduces students to a contemporary media format; secondly, students will listen to voices from communities that are often underrepresented in German mainstream media.

Both the general context and the specific content of the podcasts featured in these lesson plans and assignments evolve around the topic of representation in German media. Although many media companies now produce their own audio programs to market their print and online products, some of the most exciting podcasts are produced by independent journalists. The relative simplicity of the production and dissemination of podcasts specifically allows independent producers to present voices and perspectives that often remained unheard in mainstream media.

The lesson plans shared here familiarize students with this contemporary media format from three perspectives: Students listen to podcasts, record their own mini-podcasts, and discuss the place of podcasts in the German media landscape. Readings of newspaper articles serve as scaffolding for the students’ first listening assignments. The podcasts themselves make further inroads to the general topic while also providing students with role models for their own podcast design. During the last sessions of the module, students have time to work on their projects and discuss individual questions with their instructor.