Podcast Review

I really enjoyed some of my first podcasts. After downloading iTunes (I know... I am such a looser for not having an iPod), I explored the podcast options. Although there are several different categories, I found myself wanting to figure out what the "education" category had to offer. Although the range of possibilities were not as great as they were in other categories, I was very impressed by the amount of free information that was being offered in these podcasts. I found most of the information to be about useful topics. The podcasts that I explored were related to language and law.

The first podcast that I listened to was "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty tips for Better Writing." The particular podcast that I listened to was related to hyphens. The episode was full of useful knowledge on a topic about which I find myself debating with colleagues when I write formal documents. The episode gave clear directions about when to use hyphens. The directions were then followed by several clear examples. I think that this free grammar help would really help many people who struggle to write in a grammatically correct manner in their daily and work lives.

Continuing in the language vein, I also listened to a "English as a Second Language" podcast produced by the Center for Educational Development. I listened to episose #364 about filing taxes. I was very impressed by the number of episodes by the Center for Educational Development. What an amazing free resource! The episode began with a dialog between two people regarding the filing of taxes. Following the dialog, the speaker explained the reasons for and the process of filing taxes. The speaker also explained the vocabulary and idiomatic expressions presented in the dialog. The simple and practical presentation of language and information was a wonderful resource for families working in the United States but less confident about the English language. After the explanatory section of the episode, the speakers presented the dialogue at a rapid but realistic rate.

After listening to the ESL episode, I listened to "Just Vocabulary: The Useful Vocabulary Show!" I chose to tune in to episode #18 about the words "abstemious" and "rancor." The episode began with a definition of "abstemious." Following the definition, the episode repeated the pronounciation several times. The speaker gave examples of settings in which usage of this word would be appropriate. He also gave synonyms and antonyms for the word and used the word in several sentences. I think that this podcast was a wonderful resource for anyone who would like to expand his or her vocabulary. My only complaint is that I found the voice that repeats the pronunciation annoying.

My last language-related podcast (please note the proper usage of the hyphens thanks to Grammar Girl) was called "One Minute Irish" by the Radio Lingua. I listened to lesson #10 entitled "Learn Some Useful Phrases in Irish." I couldn't help but listen to this due to my semester abroad. I enjoyed the lesson and found the phrases useful. However, I thought the lesson was too brief given the difficulty of the Irish language.

The final podcast that I reviewed by "The Legal Lad's Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Lawful Life." I listened to an episode called "The Ex Post Facto Clause of the Constitution." Of course the episode began with the requisite disclaimer. Following this, the presenter explained the term "ex post facto" and explained how treating a witness as hostile can affect a trial by "limiting the scope" of the trial, allowing the impeachment of a witness, and allowing attorneys to "focus the testimony" of the "hostile" witness. This was interesting information that, while not useful for most of us in daily life, makes us more intelligent people.

Overall, all of the podcasts presented useful information in a user-friendly format format. What a fantastic opportunity to access information for free!