Here's an anecdote to introduce and illustrate the usefulness of podcasts and podcasting in teaching business English.

As is my habit, while driving to a study centre on Neuss to teach a lesson to a group of undergraduate business students I was listening to podcasts on my iPod. I had prepared a lesson the night before in which we would be working on three separate themes: finance, business ethics and the law. The lesson I should add would be 3 hours long, hence the many and various topics. I was a little unhappy with the lesson as it stood as I had been unable to find a idea that could link the different subject areas we would be working on and provide a unified structure.

And then, just 20 minutes away from the study centre a podcast documentary from the BBC World Service  started playing called Failure and Fraud. The programme takes a closer look at the role played by financial irregularities in the crisis that is currently enveloping our world economies. It suggests that the behaviour of bankers such as the CEO of the now bankrupt international investment bank Lehmann Brothers, Dick Fuld, goes beyond the realms of irresponsibility into that of illegal practices. Perfect! Not the illgal behaviour, but the podcast. It provided just what was needed to introduce and tie together the different strands of the lesson: finance, business ethics and the law. 

I didn't play the whole recording, but just used the first five minutes to start the lesson off, asking students to listen and make a note of the main ideas expressed, of any useful/difficult language, and of what interrelated aspects of business they thought the programme would be dealing with. I made it very clear that it was not necessary to understand every word of what was said as I had no time to pre-teach any of the vocabulary. In che class discussion  that followed the themes that we would be working on that morning came out as did the relationship between business practices, social responsibility and the law.

This short story I hope illustrates what a wonderfully useful and flexible teaching resource podcasts offer teachers, and is I hope a good way of starting off this page on podcasts and podcasting.

Here is the full version of the podcast:

Here is the link to the BBC World Service podcasts page if you would like to subscribe.

If you have experience or suggestions for using ready-made poscasts or of producing podcasts with your students/clients please add them to this page. I'm sure they will be much appreciated!

Resources

Business English Podcasts

Business Spotlight Podcasts

Business English Study

Talking Business (BBC)

My Own Business

Business English Site

The Six Best Podcasts for Business Users

Financial Times: Audio & Video

The Economist: Audio & Video

English Addicts

If you have more, please feel free to add to the list.