Typing or Talking? Voices from the Street

Welcome again my dear reader,

Today’s subject is a podcast that I created for my ICT class with my friend, Beyza Tosun.

For this task, we created a vox-pop podcast, which focuses on collecting short opinions from different people. We randomly interviewed 15 participants (I would like to thank all the participants.), and asked them the question: “Do you prefer texting or talking in real life?” 

The aim was to explore communication preferences in everyday life. The responses showed that most people preferred talking in real life because it enhances mutual understanding and communication, especially while talking in daily life. Only 3 people said that texting makes them feel more comfortable and less nervous. I personally prefer face-to-face communication as well, because it feels more sincere and you can convey meaning easily. I think, we revealed that Gen Z still values face-to-face communication for its sincerity and emotional connection, contrary to popular belief, through these interviews. Before creating this podcast, I also thought that more people would prefer texting over talking in real life because my generation communicates much more online than in real life.

Interestingly, one person said that his preferences depends on the context. For example, in a regular conversation, talking in real life; in a discussion, texting. That was the most unusual response.

The process of completing this task was both enjoyable and challenging. Recording was challenging because of background noise and technical issues. Finding audio editing applications or tools was another difficulty. However, we handled it somehow. We searched and tried a lot of apps and we even paid for some of them. The experience was enjoyable and valuable for me because I love to create something or experience something new. Actually, making a podcast in the future is my dream. So, maybe this will be the first step toward my dreams. 

In the future, I would definitely give a similar task to my learners. These kind of activities encourage students to learn actively, improve creativity, and increase learners’ confidence. I think they also provide learners with the opportunity to use language in real-life contexts and develop their speaking and interaction skills. Nevertheless, such tasks may be challenging for shy or less confident students. Some learners might also feel nervous while speaking in front of others. But, in my view, students who lack confidence will improve themselves thanks to these tasks. I believe that stepping out of their comfort zones through such activities will help learners grow both academically and personally.

Now, please listen our podcast and leave a comment → Podcast

You can visit my friend’s blog here: My EduVentures

Thank you for reading

Until our paths cross again - stay inspired. ✮

Mehlika Tekkanat