Mobile App Evaluation: LearnEnglish Podcasts by the British Council

LearnEnglish Podcasts is an app created by the British Council that can be downloaded on mobile devices through the Google Play Store and iTunes. Users can listen to conversations about everyday topics spoken by native speakers of British English. The podcast is currently on its fourth series, and new episodes are continuing to be updated every two weeks. The same main characters return throughout the series, so listeners can get to know them and hear the stories progress over time. They also talk with other guests during the episodes. In addition to listening to the podcasts, users can read along with a highlighted audioscript, slow down the listening speed, and answer comprehension questions about the conversations. Each episode is about 30 minutes.

Language Activities/Skills: Listening, culture
Size: 13.94 MB
Updated: May 19, 2015
Version: 3.3.0
Downloads: 1,000,000+
Price: Free

When opening the app, a full page add appears that needs to be closed by pushing the X in the top left corner. The main menu page allows users to select which series they would like to listen to. There is an ad at the bottom of this page, but fortunately, these are the only times ads appear. The main page looks like this:

As you can see, there are already 44 episodes, and as mentioned before, new episodes are being added every two weeks. After selecting which series to open, a list of episodes with brief descriptions of the themes and conversation topics appears:

Users can download the episode they want to listen to. Each episode is about 10 MB. They will be downloaded to the device, so users can listen to them later without an internet connection and they can be deleted after listening. Once it has been downloaded, clicking on the "play" button with open the following window:

It is possible to rewind or fast forward by dragging on the seek bar. I skipped ahead a bit to take the screen shot shown above. The text of the conversation is displayed and highlighted. It is also possible to scroll up or down through the conversation, and tapping on the text will skip the audio to the correct location. It is also possible to slow down the speaking speed by pressing on the .5x button to the right of the seek bar. Users can also choose to ignore the text and only focus on the audio. It will continue to play even if the screen is turned off. By pressing on the image of a target in the top right corner, the following screen will open:

Here it is possible to answer comprehension questions. These can be completed while listening or at the end of the podcast. Users can check their answers on the bottom. If they are incorrect, they can try again, or check for the correct answers. In the top right, tapping the image of the graph will show users their progress. Here I only answered one question. Incorrect answers would show up in red.

Overall, I would rate this app as "Excellent/Highly recommended." The British Council produces a lot of excellent materials for English learners, and this app is another example. Although this app is a bit limited in focus, the purpose of improving listening comprehension and learning more about British culture, specifically related to the lives of young adults, is very clear and effective, and it would be very useful for learners hoping to improve these aspects of their English ability. These topics are also very authentic and the hosts are native British English speakers, so users could feel more connected to the culture through them.

The presentation is clear and well organized. It is easy to navigate the app, the use of color and images is visually appealing, and the audio quality is high. There do not seem to be any bugs, and I did not have any issues with crashes while using the app. The ads were annoying, but that is to be expected on a free app.

There is some flexibility and engagement built into the app because users can change the audio speed, choose to read along with the audioscript or just listen, and answer comprehension during or after the podcast. Throughout the episodes, the hosts encourage listeners to send in their questions via email, and they encourage them to check the website for additional materials. Although there is no collaboration during the podcasts, emailing the hosts later could be interesting for some users. Users can get immediate feedback on the accuracy of their answers to the comprehension questions, but they would not be able to get any other type of feedback. There is some built in support through the "Help" button, but it is a bit limited. More help could be found online.

This app would work best for self-directed learners, but it would be possible to integrate it into a curriculum. Students could listen to the podcasts as homework, and they could have discussions about it in class. The teacher could also show pictures and provide other supplemental materials related to the topics. The teacher could also pull out vocabulary and grammar structures from the audioscript to focus mini-lessons on.

Although I do think this is an excellent app, it might not be appropriate for all learners. Students planning to spend time in the U.S., for example, might not want to listen to British English. The daily life topics might seem too basic for more advanced students. Other might not like having to download 10 MB files each time they want to listen to an episode of the podcast. The only activity is a few comprehension questions, which might not be enough for some students. Perhaps including some vocabulary questions could be beneficial. Including some sort of speaking practice would be helpful as well. Of course one app can't provide all aspects of language learning, so I think the LearnEnglish Podcasts is great for listening and learning about British culture, but it would not be the best choice for students who need to improve other aspects of their English.

Reference:

Son, J.-B. (2015). Language learning app review form. Retrieved from http://www.apacall.org/member/sonjb/projects/apps/language_learning_app_review_form.pdf