"Podcasts"? I haven't heard of those before…
Simply put, a "podcast" is a series of audio recordings distributed over the internet for playback on portable media players and computers. (There are also live audio and video broadcasts on the Internet but the fact that they're live sets them apart from a podcast which generally refers to a pre-recorded series of programmes. (The word "podcast" is derived from "iPod" and "broadcast".)) You can listen to podcasts online, download them to your computer or mp3 player, or subscribe to a podcast with software such as Apple's iTunes and receive a notification whenever a new podcast episode is released.
"Subscribe to a podcast..."? How does that work?...
"Subscribing" to our French language podcast simply means clicking a "Subscribe" button (in Apple's iTunes program, for example). Then, your software will notify you each time we release a new lesson. Our audio podcasts are free but the PDF Guides which accompany our lessons cost 1 Download Credit each. (Credits cost $1.00 each, or as little as $0.60 if you buy a larger Credit bundle). Find out about purchasing credits to download and start working with our Guides right now.
Use iTunes to keep track of your podcasts. This program allows automated retrieval of podcasts from the internet.
This is the number of Lessons we have created since we began in June 2006!...
"Podcast software"? What's that?...
There are several "podcatcher" programs (known technically as "aggregators") which allow easy retrieval of podcasts from the internet. Apple's "iTunes" is a well-known example (and is possibly already on your computer). "Juice" is another program for managing podcasts. Each of these is a standalone program and, what's more, both are free. (Some websites also have "podcatching" functions built-in, like Yahoo, Podnova and Odeo. (You may need to register with these sites if you are not already registered.))
What does podcast software do?
If you subscribe to any magazine, you'll be aware that it drops through your letterbox regularly. "Podcast software" - or "podcatchers" - keep track of "subscriptions" you make to podcasts that interest you. Suppose you like a particular American radio show that's broadcast twice a week. Then there's a technology show that's broadcast once a week. And there are our language lessons… again, broadcast periodically. Your podcasting program automatically detects new podcast episodes as they are released and notifies you accordingly. You can set iTunes up so that it automatically retrieves new podcasts.
Any mp3 player can be used to listen to podcasts. (You don't need an iPod specifically.) Alternatively, you can simply play back through your computer.
Do I need an iPod to listen to podcasts? …
No. Though the term "podcast" is becoming more and more common to describe audio (and sometimes video) content on the Internet, you do not need an iPod to listen to the individual podcast episodes. These episodes (mp3 files) can be played back on:
- your computer
- mp3 players - of any kind. (If you wish to listen to podcast episodes on your mp3 player – rather than on your computer – you can transfer the mp3 files from your podcast software to your mp3 player like you would regular songs (mp3s) or videos.)
- many mobile phones
- PDAs and...
- any other device capable of playing back mp3 files.
Ok. I'm ready. Where do I start?...
If your computer has speakers or headphones you can go to our Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced pages and click the "Listen" buttons to start learning right away. If you're serious about learning French, take a further step and purchase credits which will allow you to access and download the detailed and comprehensive PDF Guides that accompany each lesson. The Guides provide a great deal of additional information. See samples here before you buy.
