1. If we have our own blog, the benefit that we can get is that, we can express ourselves as freely as possible in our writing. We can use informal language without necessary worry about grammatical patterns of the sentences. Here, we can share our own experiences in learning English or things that we had learned in English. It can also motivate us to find some sources that related to English, so we can improve our own knowledge and share it to other people through our blog. Furthermore, we can also take some benefits from other people's blog. There, we can find some information that related with learning English which are useful to improve our English skills. We can also get inspiration from their experiences in learning English, so it can motivate us to do the best thing that we can do just like they do in learning English.
2a. Podcast is an audio file that anyone can create using a computer, microphone, and a software program. Once posted to the web, podcast can be accessed, downloaded and played to a computer or mp3 player. The popularity of podcasts can be linked to their simplicity in creating, editing, publishing, and listening to them.
2b. More specific to language learning, podcasting has several theoretical underpinnings in second language acquisition (SLA) research.Swain and Lapkin (1995) recognize output as essential for second language learning. One strategy they suggest is having students listen to themselves as they edit their output and then go back,listen again, and revise as necessary. They can also receive feedback from other students and their instructor. This type of approach could be quite useful in podcasting as it is easy to record, re- record, and listen to various segments of a podcast. After students podcasts, they can listen multiple times, edit their podcasts and comment on their classmates recordings. Podcasts downloaded to the iPods consisted of audio learning aids with the learning of English (McCarty, 2005). Using podcasting in contextualized language learning (as opposed to simple pronunciation drills) can also be useful in that it allows teachers to contextualize pronunciation and create meaningful tasks, rather than simply have students repeat and practice lists of words or sounds.
