USING ENGLISH-LANGUAGE (TOPICAL) PODCASTS TO DEVELOP COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND CRITICAL THINKING IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

The work highlights the need to strengthen perception and processing of information by ear as a result of development of technology in educational and professional activities. Therefore, research of new educational tools for comprehensive development of future professionals is of high relevance. This paper aims at investigating thematic English-language podcasts produced by native speakers as a tool for parallel development of communicative skills and critical thinking in higher education students in practical English classes. The analysis of 18 collected podcasts (579 episodes) through dialogic narrative analysis, which includes such basic aspects of communication as theme, image, and narrative tone, reveals that the way argumentative information is organized and the construction of images within argumentative communication contributes to forming of the above mentioned skills. The authors conclude that the use of such materials in practical English classes in higher education helps students to develop both critical thinking and communication skills in parallel through the transfer of role models and examples for reproducing concepts related to the topic of discussion.