Podcasting for teachers: Engaging Your Students Beyond the Classroom

Richard Ingham – British Council

22^nd February 2026

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Overview

• Podcasting for Education
• Reasons to start a podcast
• My podcast
• How to start a podcast
• 1. Recording
• 2. Editing
• 3. Publishing
• 4. Promotion
• Practical Tips for Success
• Useful Links

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Podcasting for Education

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Podcasting for Education

What is a podcast?

• A podcast is a downloadable or streamable radio-style audio show, usually released as a series

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Today’s focus:

• Launching a podcast for educational purposes

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Reasons for Starting a Podcast

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Reasons for starting a Podcast

• Encourage extensive listening vs. intensive listening
• Opportunities to listen on-the-go due to smartphone ownership
• Possible shift to more “fun” listening rather than listening for tests
• Opportunities for multiple listening if desired
• More relevant / targeted listening materials
• Build a sense of community in your organisation
• Professional development opportunity

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My Podcast

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What is the “Collabo Podcast”

• Weekly podcast for the “Collabo” department at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS)
• A mix of formats targeting on student interests
• Monologues – Culture, Language etc.
• Interviews with students (e.g. SA returnees, graduates)
• Student-created content
• Video-supported podcasts
• Interviews with staff
• Typically short (around 5 minutes)

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How to start a Podcast

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How to start a podcast in four (easy) steps

1. Recording
2. Editing
3. Publishing
4. Promotion

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1. Recording

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1. Recording

• No specialised equipment is needed
• A phone, computer or tablet is sufficient
• I usually record on the podcast on my ipad
• Try to record in a quiet place
• Once you have a recording, you can move on to editing…

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2. Editing

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2. Editing

An audio editor is helpful:

• Trim parts of the audio / edit out mistakes
• Remove background noise
• Add music, transitions etc

Examples of audio editors:

• GarageBand (free with iOS)
• Audacity (free to download)

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3. Publishing

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3. Publishing

You need a podcast hosting platform for your podcast

• Stores your podcast files
• Sends the podcast to Apple Podcasts, Spotify etc. (just upload your file to the podcast hosting platform)
• Provides analytics so you can check performance
• e.g. demographics, number of listens, average listening time etc
• Useful for getting feedback on your podcast.

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3. Publishing

I use Spotify for Creators* (previously Anchor)

• Free
• Easy to use
• Beginner-friendly analytical tools
• Can add video
• App or web-based
• Some interactive features e.g. polls and messaging

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*NB: Note that Spotify for Creators is different to the regular Spotify app

Promotion

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4. Promotion

I promote my podcast in the following ways:

• Departmental Instagram Account
• Podcast Instagram Account
• Encourage students to subscribe on Spotify etc.
• Added links to Moodle (LMS)
• New episodes added to class PowerPoints
• Posters with QR Codes on campus

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Practical Tips for Success

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Practical Tips for Success

• Pilot before launch
• Record several episodes before launch
• Focus on student interests
• Get students involved
• Listener training
• How to find the podcast
• How to add transcriptions
• Use of AI for scripting, image creation, additional voices

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Conclusion

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Why not try educational podcasting?

• Simple to get started
• Little or no financial cost using free tools
• Extends listening opportunities beyond the classroom
• Potential to increase student engagement and autonomy
• Why not give it a try?

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Useful Resources

Spotify for Podcasters

Buzzsprout

Podbean

Audacity

Collabo Podcast

Richard’s Website & Contact Details

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Appendix

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Spotify Analytics

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Spotify for Creators Analytics – number of listens

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Spotify for Creators Analytics - demographics

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Spotify for Creators Analytics – episode popularity

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Spotify for Creators Analytics – retention

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