MIKE SELVON asked:


It is quite clear that more than ever people are enjoying audio books on CD and MP3 audio book downloads. These “books on tape,” as they used to be called, are great tools for helping people to make better use of their time. No matter what format they are looking for during their audio book shopping, some people might do a double take when they see two listing for the book they are interested in and discover they can choose from an abridged version or an unabridged audio book version.

There are many people who don’t realized that they might want to look for the unabridged audio book version when they were buying a new audio book, but had simply bought whatever was featured or listed as the most popular for that particular title. In fact, a very good percentage of all audio books on the shelves of bookstores or available as audio book downloads are actually the abridged version and many people purchase them without even realizing that fact. Still, the question remains, what is the real difference between the two types of audio books on sale?

An unabridged audio book will contain a word for word recording of the whole book, as published by the author. Abridged audio book volumes, however, have been edited. Sometimes these edited, or abridged versions, are done by the author, or with their guidance, while in other instances the publisher who bought the rights to the work will edit it as they please.

What this means is that an abridged work, whether in the form of a printed book, an electronic ebook, or an audio book on CD or MP3, does not contain the complete and original work of the author. An unabridged audio book, on the other hand, will be read by the author or by a voice-over artist and every single word in the volume will be recorded as the audio book. Therefore, the unabridged version will be as close to the original message and intent of the author as one can possibly get without inviting the author over for a personal reading.

This may bring up the question, why would anyone buy anything except an unabridged audio book? There are many reasons for this, but the primary reason is to make the recording shorter. This allows the listener to listen to the audio book in less time and when dealing with very long tomes, this can be a great benefit if time is short and if the listener simply wants to be able to get the gist or the highlights of the book by listening to a shortened audio version.

One reason people seek out the shorter, abridged versions of audio books on CD is so that they can use them as a review of material that they have already read. This can be helpful to students preparing for exams, or to a business man preparing for a presentation based on a certain book, or even just to enjoy a quick refresher of a favorite novel.

But, there are a lot of people who simply feel that they are going to miss an element of the original that is important to understanding the full story, if they get the abridged recording. In that case, the unabridged audio book will be the better choice and will help the listener to relax and simply soak in the recording with the assurance that they are not missing a thing.

Lyrics asked:


music-song-lyrics.net( http://www.music-song-lyrics.net )Dissatisfied with your Audio Converters and looking for a new one? Your search has ended: we have ten of the very best Audio Converters collected right here on our “World’s Most Popular Now!” awards page. You’ll find it more than convenient to compare each of them; each program is rated according to UI skin, speed, ease of use, user rating and popularity. Then, the top ten ranked programs are posted here, for your convenience.

Today’s Audio Converters are all strong programs; they have to be in an area with such intense competition. Each one is easy to use and smooth running. The choice must come down to which is the highest ranked for exactly what you need.

1. MP3 CD Converter

MP3 CD Converter lets you burn custom music cds from your favorite MP3 files. MP3 CD Converter is an easy-to-use cd-burning software, it converts mp3 files directly to conventional audio CDs, you may enjoy the burned cds with your home.

2. Crystal MP3 Converter

A MP3 converter and can convert AVI to MP3,DivX to MP3,Xvid to MP3,MPEG to MP3,WMV to MP3,MOV to MP3, CD to MP3, WAV to MP3, WMA to MP3, OGG to MP3, ACC to MP3, AC3 to MP3, RA to MP3, M4A to MP3, ASF to MP3, MIDI to MP3, FLAC to MP3, APE to MP3, VQF to MP3, AMR to MP3, MP3 to CD, WMA to CD, OGG to CD

3. AVS Audio Tools

This audio software suite includes full-featured digital Audio Mixer and 10 wizard-styled tools – Ringtone Maker, Mobile Uploader, Audio CD Grabber, Audio Converter, Audio Recorder, Audio CD Creator, Music Disc Creator, Clone CD/DVD, iRadio Recorder.

4. GoldLeo Audio Converter

GoldLeo Audio Converter is specifically designed to convert between MP3, WMA, OGG, MP4(AAC) and WAV files. It works automatically to convert batches of audio files rapidly.

5. WinXMedia CD MP3 WAV WMA Converter

An advanced Digital audio CD Ripper and audio format converter with user-friendly interface. Supports most popular audio file formats, such as MP3, WAV, WMA, MP2, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, APE (Monkey’s Audio), VQF and so on.

6. Power CD to MP3 Maker

Power CD to MP3 Maker is a powerful and extremely ease-to-use tool for converting audio CD tracks to audio format MP3, WAV, WMA and OGG. It copies the audio digitally with excellent output quality and high speed

7. Power Video to Audio Converter

Supports AVI, WMV, ASF, MPG and MPEG format. It’s very useful for those people who collect many music VIDEOs and want to save a sound segment from VIDEO for some reasons. Power Video to Audio Converter supports converting a part of video file to audio file.

8. ALO Power Audio Converter

It is an audio conversion tool that allows you to convert various audio formats (WAV, MP3, MP2, MP1, MPEG, MP4, M4A, AAC, OGG, AVI, MPC, MOV, QT, WMA or 3GP) to WAV, MP3, MP2, OGG, AC3, VOX, WMA or AMR format.

9. FairStars Audio Converter

Convert WAV, RealMedia(RM, RA, RMVB, RMJ), AIFF, AU, Creative VOC, PVF, SVX, IFF, APE, FLAC, OGG, VQF, MP1, MP2, MP3, WMA, WMV, ASF to WMA, MP3, VQF, OGG, FLAC, APE ,WAV formats with different settings.

10. WinXMedia DVD MPEG AVI Audio Converter

WinXMedia DVD MPEG/AVI/Audio Converter is a all in one and easy to use DVD video/audio converter. It can produce high quality MPEG1 (VCD), MPEG2 (SVCD), AVI(DivX, XviD, MPEG4, YUV…) video fiels and WAVE,MP3,WMA,ASF audio files.

Source:

http://www.music-song-lyrics.net/article/10-Audio-Converters-As-Well-known-As-X-mas.html

Helen Wall asked:


Getting online audio books is so easy. Unfortunately, if you choose to get your audio books on tape or compact disc, you will have to pay more for them because of the product design, and you will have to wait for them to arrive in the mail. With the mail problems of today, it could get lost, stolen or even sent to the wrong person. Although this does not happen that often, it is something to be concerned about as you do not want to lose it, especially if you have already been waiting for days and weeks. In the world of today, you no longer have to wait for very long if you have internet access. You can pretty much get what you want when you want it.

With online audio books in digital format, you will get the audio books instantly. You do not have to wait for them to arrive in the mail, pay the higher cost, pay for shipping, or only have the ability to listen to them in certain places. You can hear downloaded audio books on computers, PDA, MP3 players, and so on. You have the convenience of listening when you want to and where you want to.

You can also get the latest audio books as soon as you go to your favorite online audio book store. If you were going to buy a cassette tape or compact disc, you would have to wait for the audio book to be produced in these particular formats. With downloadable audio books, you do not have to wait to listen to the audio book of your choice.

There are, of course, some disadvantages to downloading an audio book online. However, these problems can be easily fixed. Audio books are much larger than other things you would download, such as music. Because of their size, they will take longer to download. The time it will take will depend on the website you are downloading from, and the speed of your internet connection. These might seem like some huge disadvantages, but they can be easily remedied.

1. Download in your spare time. Wait until you know you will not need to use the Internet. Set aside some time to download your audio book so you can step away from the computer and complete other tasks that need to be done, watch your favorite television show or movie, or just relax while you wait for your audio book to download.

2. Search for another downloading place. If you have a high-speed connection at work, you can download your audio book there instead of at home. First, make sure it is all right with your boss. Just tell them that you will be performing other work tasks while you are downloading your audio book and then do just that. If your local library has a higher speed internet connection than you do, you might also be able to download it there. Just call your local library and ask them. You could also ask a friend or family member that has a high-speed internet connection to download your downloadable audio books for you.

3. One more thing you can do to shorten the download time is to search and find audio book formats that are specifically created just for you and others who have a slower internet connection. These particular formats will download online audio books faster and easier for you.

Having said that, good downloadable audio book sites allow you to choose three qualities of download: high, medium and low, the latter taking the least amount of time to download because it has less megabytes, which reduces the quality a little, but this is generally fine with spoken word audio books.

Copyright: Helen Wall

Rolf Zimmerli asked:


Yes, audio books demand is growing very rapidly and the industry has a hard time delivering what consumers demand. And the increased demand means for consumers that prices are coming down as quantities increase.

One has to distinguish between the physical product audio book, that is delivered on cassettes and CD’s and the digital audio book that can ‘only’ be downloaded from the Internet. But let’s first look why the demand has increased that much:

The hectic lifestyle most of us are forced to lead leaves little time to sit down and read a book. Commuting, heavy work schedules, the kids, different daily chores use up a lot of time. There is simply not enough time left to pick up a book and sit down to enjoy it….

On the other hand we all have time in the day when we are not really busy mentally, where the brain is in ‘idle’ or has at least a lot of spare capacity. Whilst you are occupied with work that demands that you use your eyes (and hands), the mind would be glad to get decent and stimulating input. Just think traffic jam, weeding or cutting the grass, or any other manual chore and housework that use up hours every day, or jogging, working out – any type of sport that mostly occupies the muscles.

An audio book, read by a professional narrator who is telling you the story, is an ideal way to ‘read’ books that you wanted to read for a long time, but that lack of time did not permit. Story telling has a very long tradition and with the new technology, it is gaining popularity again.

“For many people, listening to an audio book is an opportunity to hear an author firsthand,” says Mary Beth Roche, president of the Audio Publishers Association (APA) and president of Audio Renaissance, a New York-based audio book company. “It’s like having the very best lecture series, not just in your own town, but in your own car or home.” – and at your command, they’ll read when YOU are ready to listen.

Audio books used to be thought of as limited special products for only the blind and sight impaired or for kids and lazy people who either can not or do not want to read themselves. This has dramatically changed over the last few years. A survey of the Audio Publisher’s Association has found that the average listener to audio books is about 45 years of age and has an average yearly income of more than $50′000, at least a college education and often more advanced degrees. And these people are very Internet savvy.

In short: These affluent middle aged internauts are the ideal customers for on line audio book shops. Downloading an audio book is like picking up their email for these customers and they appreciate the ease of purchasing a new novel in form of a down loadable audio book, be it for their iPod, Zune or other MP3 player.

“Middle-class, well educated, and smart, that’s a great demographic to have,” says Eileen Hutton, vice president of editorial for Brilliance Audio, one of the oldest publishers of audio books.

Roche says there is no data on sales for the industry as a whole. “We are just beginning to send out surveys to compile sales information, but individually, members of the Association boast of annual sales increases in the double digits,” Roche adds.

Audio book sales are increasing so fast that the audio book industry is not able to keep up with the demand. Creating an audio version of a book is more costly and time intensive than printing. More often than not, an actor or a professional narrator has to be hired to narrate the book, and there’s the cost of the recording studio, a production crew, post production and packaging ( that applies to conventional audio books on CD – Down loadable audio books don’t have that cost attached.). A large saving can be made by making the audio books available as down-loadable audio file. This is also reflected in the cheaper prices for audio books that are down loadable directly from an on-line audio book store.

The peak sales season for audio publishers are in the spring as Americans prepare for those long driving vacations or basking on the beach, and before the Christmas season, when people are shopping for holiday gifts. Sales start to be a lot more even though, as people routinely pick up audio books to feed their MP3 players.

Audio books are especially good for children who hate to read because of problems in school. That way they are familiarized with the adventure of using their own imagination to paint their mental pictures of what they hear, rather than just staring on the TV screen. Also, if they have the book and the audio, reading along can help to overcome reading problems:

“Librarians and teachers have been using audio books for years in the classroom, but parents aren’t making the logical connection at home,” says Amanda D’Acierno, director of audio publishing at Random House. “It’s been proven that listening and reading go hand and hand. If children can hear the spoken word and follow along with the book that helps them. Listening is much more in tune with the way humans learn than sitting down and reading a book.”

People who for some reason or other don’t have the reading skills they should have, but are intellectually fit can listen to audio books to continue their education and listen to self help audiobooks, language course audios etc.

Tony Jacowski asked:


Audio engineering is a promising career that offers immense opportunity in film, video production, sound broadcasting and advertising. Audio engineers use a number of recording devices such as high-tech microphones that are required to record even the slightest variations of sound.

The general concept of engineering relates to building bridges, buildings, roads and similar kind of work. Most people do not think of audio engineering as a form of traditional engineering. However, it is one of the highest paying jobs and has many successful people working in the field.

There are many areas of audio engineering; some are basic and easy to grasp, while others are time consuming and require vigorous education to learn to operate the equipment. Audio engineering is not a sexy job, but once you start working in this field of career you will get an opportunity to work on many exciting projects.

A lot of commitment and interest is required in order to excel in this field.

Areas of Work

Audio engineers may find jobs in the following fields:

-Movies: In movies, sound engineers may be required for voice overs, sound tracks and scenes.

-Television shows: Many television shows and commercials also require audio engineers in various departments prior to the final airing.

-Music: Audio engineers play a significant role in the field of music; particularly in live concerts, recording studios, and video albums.

-Meetings: Big corporate companies require audio engineers for managing audio equipment in seminars, meetings and lectures.

-Sports: Audio engineers in the sports field handle live telecasts, commentaries and many other functions.

-Schools: Audio engineers may also find jobs in schools while managing audio in sports functions, dances, student gatherings and in lectures also, if the class is big and requires additional audio equipment.

Audio engineers working for television, films and music recordings will find their names among the credits. Audio engineers can also be found in the following places:

-Recording studios: Recording studios require audio engineers mainly to operate microphones, software and mixers. It is one of the most lucrative jobs; besides money, it also brings recognition.

-Auto stores: An audio engineer may also find a job in an auto parts store selling stereo equipment and to assist in installations.

-Home audio stores: Home audio stores also need audio engineers to provide customers with assistance in selecting the right type of speakers and also help in installing them.

Audio Engineering Schools

In order to get the skills required for an audio engineering career, it is important to take formal training from an audio engineering institute. There are number of schools that offer audio engineering lessons, but you need to analyze what type of work you wish to do in this field to select the right kind of course.

MIKE SELVON asked:


No matter if you are facing a long road trip with squirming children, a long and boring commute on a daily basis, or some other situation when you know you will be “stuck” in waiting mode of some kind, then there is no doubt that having access to an interesting and entertaining audio book or two can help make the time go by more pleasantly. In this day of all things internet, it should come as no surprise that there are many websites that provide audio book rental memberships. These membership sites give you access to a huge and always growing collection of all kinds of them on CD or MP3 format versions that you can download.

There are quite a variety of rental services to be found online. Some of these rental services charge a fee each month, while others have an annual fee that you must pay in order to become a member and have access to their audio books on CD or their downloads, depending on your preference.

Audio book rental services have a huge library of titles that you can choose from and generally work in a similar fashion to Netflix, which introduced DVD rentals online. One you purchase a membership to the rental service you will log in and make a list of the titles that you want to listen to and then indicate the order you would like to receive them in.

Next, the rental service will send the titles that are highest on your priority list if they are available at that time. If you choose a new audio book release that is very popular, then you might not receive it right away even if it is in the first position of chosen audio books on your list. For your first shipment, you will receive the audio books that are highest on your list if they are in stock at the time you set up your account.

When you receive your audio book titles from the rental service, you will also have a postage paid return envelop for each of the audio books so that you can send them back individually, as you are finished with each one. As soon as you send one back, another one will be sent out to you from the audio books on your list. In this way, you will always have at least one audio book on hand to listen to while others are being returned, processed, and while new audio book selections are being sent out to you.

Most of these companies have different subscription levels that you can choose from that will allow you to have anywhere from one audio book to four audio books rented at any one time. The fewer audio books you have at a time, the lower your monthly or yearly fee will be.

While the cheapest way to go is to only have one audio book rental at a time, most people prefer to have a subscription that allows them to have at least two audio books available to them. This allows them to have one book rental that they can listen to while the other one is being returned.

For people who travel a great deal, or spend a lot of time commuting, or for families, the plans that allow four, or even more audio book rental titles to be rented at a time can make more sense. Some companies allow you to change your plan from month to month; therefore, if you want some extra books to take on a long vacation you can do that and then switch to a lower plan when you return from vacation.

Vic Carrera asked:


Stephen King, one of the most recognized authors on this planet, has written more than seventy works of written terror, suspense, and a bit of humor just for good measure. His works encompass not only novels, but novellas, epic novels, and screenplays. But of all the traditional printed material, none of them come close to the sheer enjoyment of listening to his stories being shared by professional narrators! Stephen King audio books can take you to an entirely different dimension, where your imagination is assisted along by a professional story teller.

What’s The Big Deal Behind Audio Books?

Simply put: TIME. It’s something that seems to grow shorter as each year passes. Each spare minute is filled with jobs, chores, and responsibilities that rarely allow us any time to simply sit back and enjoy ourselves anymore. The unfortunate casualty of our day and age is traditional reading. Honestly, ask yourself this: when was the last time you sat down with a good book (maybe by that cozy fireplace, with a cup o’ joe) and just read? Has it been a while? For me, it’s some distant dream. Everything is about multi-tasking these days, and so why shouldn’t we upgrade reading to the next best thing? Enter audio books.

Audio books (in this case of this article, Stephen King audio books) allows us to do two things, to kill two birds with one stone. Do you have to walk your dog? Maybe start your exercise routine? Do you have to commute two hours to work everyday? And finally, have you tried reading an actual book while doing these things? Of course not (or at least you shouldn’t!). But audio books give you the freedom to enjoy the reading that you’ve missed, by providing a way to include the hobby in your multi-tasked, rat-raced world. In other words: walk your dog, listen to Stephen King audio books. Driving to work? Throw in the Dark Tower series on your way to work – and not only enjoy it, but make travel time go by faster!

Who Narrates Stephen King Audio Books and Are They Any Good?

I will say one thing, and anyone who has ever listened to audio books can attest to this: the narrator can make or break a story hands down. Just imagine Ben Stein’s deadpan voice reading Stephen King audio books. Sounds boring doesn’t it? That’s where talents like Frank Muller, George Guidall, and even Stephen King himself come to the rescue. If you’re really lucky, you’ll not only get one narrator, but a fully dramatized cast for your audio book (even better).

Stephen King confessed that when he writes, he sometimes hears a voice. Not that of his own, but of Frank Muller. Frank Muller’s career spanned some 25 years, with many of his works devoted to Stephen King audio books. He was also my personal favorite, especially when listening to the Dark Tower series (the first few installments), before he passed away. Stephen King has spoken of his loss in a deeply impacted way – for they were good friends. But still, George Guidall was chosen to take over the series, and although his style took some getting used to, his introduction to Stephen King audio books worked out well in the end.

So, simply put, Stephen King audio books are taken to an entirely different level when they are read aloud by gifted narrators like the ones mentioned above. Otherwise, there is no purpose, and you might as well try to let your own “imaginative voice” read to you.

Get Stephen King Audio Books While They’re Hot!

Downloading and listening to Stephen King audio books is easier than you might think. In fact, it’s far easier to simply hop online these days, browse the Stephen King audio books that you want, download it to your iPod (for instance), and be on your way. In my case, I can usually download a Stephen King audio book to my iPod within 10 to 15 minutes before heading out the door!

For those of you who haven’t yet had the opportunity to enjoy Stephen King audio books, then you might be missing out on one of the century’s most prolific authors. Do you like long, epic stories? Do you want to get lost into an entirely different (yet somehow eerily similar) world? Then of the Stephen King audio books available, the Dark Tower series should be first on your list! The Dark Tower series encompasses seven separate novels that span thousands of pages, and was written over the course of nearly three-and-a-half decades (yes, DECADES). It is Stephen King’s magnum opus – THE ultimate epic tale woven from past, present, and future, with our hero Roland of Gilead – the last true Gunslinger, and his intrepid entourage. The Dark Tower audio books last over 130 hours. Grasp that for a bit and think about how lost in a world you can get, with that kind of time.

Of the selection of Stephen King audio books available, this one will take you for a ride that you won’t forget. I myself will never do such a thing, as I’ve already listened to the series three times now – with each time getting better, and better – catching things that I somehow missed through the first pass.

Stephen King is Definitely One of a Kind

Stephen King audio books may not necessarily be literary classics, and some even argue that he simply hacks his way to big bucks, but regardless, he is still a huge part of our culture. Many people who happen across their first Stephen King novel become eager fans, and nervously await new installments or novels to come out. Now, instead of the classic paperback culture, he is fascinating an entirely new tech-savvy generation with downloadable Stephen King audio books. Those people who might never have picked up a book are entering his world with the magic of Stephen King audio books, which can be downloaded and listened to on MP3 players such as the infamous iPod, or other personal listening devices.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience the magic that Stephen King audio books can cast, then now is the time to make sure you do so. If anything, it is now just about the easiest, and most convenient way to enjoy a story, rather than running to the bookstore to buy one of the “old fashioned” paperbacks.

And if you’ve fallen out of touch with the magic of stories, believe me when I say you’ll once again learn to love them, especially if they are Stephen King audio books!

Dr. M. Maniruzzaman asked:


Introduction

It is sometimes time-consuming and/or exhausting to make second/foreign language materials (either newly constructed or adapted) suitable and acceptable to the learner because he/she may feel uninterested in and even disappointed with them as he/she finds them unfamiliar, difficult, problematic, mechanical, unattractive and so forth. Besides, the teaching methods and techniques the teacher employs may not be in consonance with the learner’s needs, interests, level and aptitude. Hence, as opposed to the traditional approach to L2 teaching including the chalk and talk method, the communicative language teaching approach encourages the teacher to act as a facilitator by helping the learner become an interested, active and efficient participant in the whole learning process (Richards and Rodgers 2002). To carry out his/her job successfully and ensure the learner’s maximal benefit, the teacher has to use his/her teaching methods, techniques as well as materials in a manner that is consistent with the learner’s needs and interest. And the appropriate use of audio aids can be substantially helpful in this respect (Kamal and Afteb 1993) since such learning aids and teaching machines stimulate, motivate and arrest the learner’s attention during the instructional process.

Audio-aids can be defined as models and devices that can be heard and give an image of something, somebody and some situations. They include recorded materials, radios, cassette players, cassettes and the like which are relatively cheap and available and which the language teacher with a little training can use in the L2 class so as to make the teaching methods, techniques and materials considerably effective and interesting, and to help the learner have maximum benefit (Akanbi 1988). Unlike most other types of aids and means used in the language class, on the one hand, this type of aid enables the teacher to modify the teaching method and technique, and change the classroom situation quickly and immediately as necessary; and on the other, it attracts the learner’s attention, stirs his/her imagination, reduces his/her exhaustion, motivates him/her to be engaged in the learning process, and thus helps him/her to acquire expected proficiency in the language skills especially listening and speaking.

Different teaching aids devised and recommended by language experts are intended to make the learner interested and motivated. The native speaker’s voice and accent through the audio tape make the learner enthusiastic and excited. This greatly facilitates the learner’s understanding of the linguistic as well as the communicative aspects. Audio aids add a life-like effect to the text book and other printed materials used to teach the target language. For example, as soon as a cassette player is played and the material is presented, the learner is immediately drawn to it. He/she feels the presence of another teacher in the classroom. With the help of audio aids, the teacher can, moreover, successfully deal with the weak and indifferent learner. These aids are seen to reduce the teacher talk and the chalk method, and reversely increase the learner’s interaction and active participation. The teacher can also provide as much practice as is necessary by using audio tapes; but it is to be remembered that audio aids should be purpose oriented as well. Pike (1997) identifies some significant reasons for carefully designing and using audio aids: motivating the learner, attracting and maintaining the learner’s attention, reinforcing the main ideas of the lesson, illustrating and supporting the spoken literature, minimizing misunderstanding of the learner, increasing retention, adding a touch of realism, saving both class time and expenses, helping the teacher to communicate more dearly and quickly so that the learner can understand the content clearly and easily, and helping the teacher clarify the thinking and provide a logical path for communication.

Though audio aids are found to be greatly helpful in teaching an L2 and continually expanding their scope with the availability and development of technology, their use in the EFL class especially at the tertiary level in Bangladesh is still limited. Therefore, the present study was designed to address and explore the following questions:

a. Are audio aids used in the class?

b. If yes, how much are they useful?

c. If no, why are they not used?

d. What does the teacher think of using audio aids?

e. What does the student think of using audio aids?

Research design and methodology

Subjects

This study was conducted with 32 university teachers and 120 tertiary level students randomly selected from two public universities ?University of Dhaka and Jahangirnagar University, and eight private universities ? Daffodil International University, Stamford University, State University, Northern University, Darul Ihsan University, Northern University, Eastern University and University of Development Alternative (UODA) in Dhaka. The teachers being Bangla speaking had at least a postgraduate degree in English language and/or literature. And all the students possessed the same mother tongue Bangla, and were learning English as a foreign language.

Instruments

To address and explore the research questions, a quantitative method including two questionnaires, one for the teachers (see Appendix-I) and the other for the students (see Appendix-II), was exploited. The present researchers designed the questionnaires on the basis of their first-hand experience of using audio aids for teaching EFL especially EFL listening and speaking skills at the tertiary level in Bangladesh.

Each of the questionnaires consisted of eight items related to the research problems stated in the introduction. The first items in both the questionnaires were related to the question ‘Are audio aids used in the class?’. The second and the fourth items in both the questionnaires were concerned with ‘If yes, how much are they useful?’. The fifth and the eighth items in both the questionnaires were linked to ‘If no, why are they not used?’. The third, sixth and seventh items in Teacher Questionnaire had relations to the question ‘What does the teacher think of using audio aids?’. And, the third, sixth and seventh items in Student Questionnaire were connected to ‘What does the student think of using audio aids?’. It is worth mentioning that the questionnaires contained almost identical items chosen with a view to comparing and contrasting the opinions of the two groups of respondents.

Data collection and analysis

The data for the study were collected from 32 English teachers as well as from 120 students learning English as a foreign language at the tertiary level. To tap the teachers’ responses to the use of audio aids in the EFL class, the second researcher personally contacted each of the teachers and requested them to respond to the items in the questionnaire. And to collect the students’ responses to the use of audio aids in their EFL class, the researchers received cooperation of the teachers who administered the questionnaire after an explanation of the purposes of the study and some preliminary instructions. The data collected from the teachers and the students were then scored by hand.

Presentation and interpretation of findings

Teacher questionnaire

The teacher questionnaire contained eight items which were concerned with the teachers’ opinions on the different aspects of the use of audio aids in their EFL classes. The responses of the 32 English teachers to the questionnaire are recorded and discussed itemwise as follows:

The first question to the teachers was posed as ‘Do y
ou use audio aids in your English classes?’

Teacher Table: 1

Question Choices Scores Percentage

Do you use audio aids in your English classes? Yes 32 100%

No 0 00%

N=32

Teacher Table: 1 above indicates that all the teachers answered the question in the affirmative. That is, 100% of the subjects used audio aids in their EFL classes.

This finding indicates the acquaintance of the teachers at the tertiary level in Bangladesh with modern language teaching equipment and aids which make EFL teaching and learning relatively more scientific as well as more effective. It also shows that the teachers have expertise in using audio aids for teaching EFL, which the students find attractive and useful. Further, this phenomenon is consistent with the widely prevailing and popular communicative language teaching approach (Richards and Rodgers 2002).

The second question to the teachers was put as ‘Do you think that audio aids are useful for teaching English?’

Teacher Table: 2

Question Choices Scores Percentage

Do you think that audio aids are useful for teaching English? Yes 28 87.5%

No 4 12.5%

N=32

As Teacher Table: 2 shows, 28 out of 32 teachers ticked ‘Yes’ while 4 teachers ticked ‘No’. In other words, 87.5% teachers thought that audio aids were useful for teaching English as a foreign language; but only 12.5% found that it was not useful to use audio aids in their English classes.

The result clearly uncovers that a great majority of the teachers find it useful to use audio aids for teaching EFL at the tertiary level in Bangladesh as is seen in other settings, for example, Nigeria (Agun and Okunrotifa 1977).

The third question to the teachers was framed as ‘Are you satisfied with the use of audio aids in your English classes?

Teacher Table: 3

Question Choices Scores Percentage

Are you satisfied with the use of audio aids in your English classes?

Strongly satisfied 8 25%

Slightly satisfied 24 75%

Dissatisfied 0 00%

N=32

As displayed in Teacher Table: 3, Out of 32 teachers, 8 teachers ticked ‘Strongly satisfied’, 24 ticked ‘Slightly satisfied’, and none marked ‘Dissatisfied’. That is, only 25% teachers were found that they were strongly satisfied with the use of audio aids in their English classes whereas 75% appeared to be slightly satisfactory in this respect.

The finding conspicuously reveals that all the EFL teachers at the tertiary level in Bangladesh are more or less satisfied with the use of audio aids for their teaching. Notwithstanding, a great majority of the subjects (75%) have slight satisfaction which is indicative of the lack of teacher training, teacher motivation and administrative support.

The fourth question in the Teacher Questionnaire was ‘Which English classes are more effective and interesting to the student?’

Teacher Table: 4

Question Choices Scores Percentage

Which English classes are more effective and interesting to the student? Classes with audio aids 28 87.5%

Classes without audio aids 4 12.5%

N=32

Teacher Table: 4 demonstrates that 28 out of 32 teachers marked ‘Classes with audio aids’ and the remaining 4 teachers marked ‘Classes without audio aids”. That is, 87.5% teachers supported that English classes with audio aids were more effective and interesting to their students while only 12.5% opined that English classes without audio aids were more effective and interesting.

Lending support to Adeyanju (1988), this finding clearly discloses that language classes with audio aids are more effective and interesting to the learner than those without audio aids.

The fifth question to the teacher was constructed as ‘Are you satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution?’

Teacher Table: 5

Question Choices Scores Percentage

Are you satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution? Strongly satisfied 0 00%

Slightly satisfied 32 100%

Dissatisfied 0 00%

N=32

As Teacher Table: 5 exhibits, all the teachers ticked ‘Slightly satisfied’, and none marked ‘Strongly satisfied’ or ‘Dissatisfied’. That is to say, 100% teachers were slightly satisfied with the audio facilities provided by their institutions.

This result of the study unfolds that all the teachers have a little satisfaction with the audio facilities provided by their respective institutions as the facilities are not sufficient.

The sixth question in the Teacher Questionnaire was ‘How is the performance of the students in the classes without audio aids?’

Teacher Table: 6

Question Choices Scores Percentage

How is the performance of the students in the classes without audio aids? Strongly satisfied 0 00%

Slightly satisfied 20 62.5%

Dissatisfied 12 37.5%

N=32

According to the statistics in Teacher Table: 6, 20 out of 32 teachers marked ‘Slightly satisfied’, 12 teachers marked ‘Dissatisfied’, and none marked ‘Strongly satisfied’. That is, 62.5% teachers were slightly satisfied with the performance of their students in the classes without audio aids while 37.5% were dissatisfied with the performance of their students in the class with same condition.

This finding can be attributed to the fact that the performance of the students fails to reach the teachers’ expectation and the programme target because of the lack of audio facilities.

The seventh question to the teachers was designed as ‘How is the performance of the students in the classes with audio aids?’

Teacher Table: 7

Question Choices Scores Percentage

How is the performance of the students in the classes with audio aids?

Strongly satisfied 12 37.5%

Slightly satisfied 16 50%

Dissatisfied 4 12.5%

N=32

Teacher Table: 7 exhibits that out of 32 teachers 12 ticked ‘Strongly satisfied’, 16 ticked ‘Slightly satisfied’, and 4 ticked ‘Dissatisfied’. In other words, 37.5% teachers were strongly satisfied with the performance of their students in the classes with audio aids, and 50% teachers were slightly satisfied with their students’ performance in the same condition; but 12.5% teachers were dissatisfied with the performance of their students in the classes with audio aids.

This finding obviously reveals that the performance of the students reaches the teachers’ expectation and the programme target because of the use of audio aids for teaching EFL.

The eighth question in the Teacher Questionnaire was ‘What limitations do you face in using audio aids in your English classes?’

Teacher Table: 8

Question Choices Scores Percentage

What limitations do you face in using audio aids in your English classes?

Lack of audio aids 16 50%

Lack of teacher training 12 37.5%

Lack of administrative support 4 12.5%

N=32

As per the results in Teacher Table: 8, 16 teachers ticked ‘Lack of audio aids’, 12 teachers ticked ‘Lack of teacher training’, and 4 teachers ticked ‘Lack of administrative support’. That is, 50% teachers thought that the lack of audio aids was their main limitation; 37.5% thought that the lack of teacher training was their main limitation; and 12.5% considered the lack of administrative support as their main limitation on the use of audio aids in their English classes.

The finding discloses that the lack of audio aids and teacher training tremendously hampers the audio facilities in the EFL class at the tertiary level in Bangladesh. Besides, the lack of administrative support is to some extent responsible for the insufficient use of audio aids in the class.

Student questionnaire

The student questionnaire consisted of eight items tha
t were related to the students’ views on the varied aspects of the use of audio aids in their English classes. The responses of the 120 students to the questionnaire are put forward item wise as follows:

The first question to the students was formulated as ‘Does your English teacher use audio aids in your classes?’

Student Table: 1

Question Options Scores Percentage

Does your English teacher use audio aids in your classes? Yes 81 67.5%

No 39 32.5%

N=120

As displayed in Student Table: 1, 81 out of 120 students answered the question in the affirmative while the remaining 39 students did in the negative. That is to say, 67.5% respondents found their English teacher using audio aids in their classes; but 32.5% did not find their teacher using audio aids.

Though majority students admit that their teachers use audio aids in their EFL classes, it is in contradiction with the teachers’ views since one hundred percent teachers claim to use audio aids in their classes. However, it is here clear that audio aids are used in most of the EFL classes at the tertiary level in Bangladesh, which is in harmony with the communicative language teaching approach (Richards and Rodgers 2002).

The next question in the student questionnaire was framed as ‘Do you think that audio aids are useful for learning English?’

Student Table: 2

Question Options Scores Percentage

Do you think that audio aids are useful for learning English? Yes 117 97.5%

No 03 2.5%

N=120

Student Table: 2 shows that 117 out of 120 students responded to the question positively whereas the rest did negatively. That is, 97.5% students thought that audio aids were useful for learning English; but only 2.5% students did not consider audio aids to be useful.

The finding is in a very close correlation with that which is related to the teachers since a great majority of the students (97.5%) and the teachers (87.5%) feel that audio aids are useful for teaching and learning EFL.

The third question to the students was posed as ‘Are you satisfied with the use of audio aids in the English classes?’

Student Table: 3

Question Options Scores Percentage

Are you satisfied with the use of audio aids in the English classes? Strongly satisfied 06 5%

Slightly satisfied 63 52.5%

Dissatisfied 51 42.5%

N=120

According to the statistics in Student Table: 3, out of 120 students, only 6 students ticked ‘Strongly satisfied’, and 63 ticked ‘Slightly satisfied’; but 51 students ticked ‘Dissatisfied’. In other words, only 5% were strongly satisfied and 52.5% slightly satisfied with the use of audio aids in their English classes whereas 42.5% students were found to be dissatisfied.

As this finding discloses, unlike all the teachers being satisfied, a good number of students (42.5%) are dissatisfied with the use of audio aids although majority students are more or less satisfied with the use of audio aids in their English classes. The finding can be attributed to the lack of teacher training, inadequacy of audio facilities and limitation of administrative support.

The fourth question to the students was put as ‘Which English classes are more effective and interesting to you?’

Student Table: 4

Question Options Scores Percentage

Which English classes are more effective and interesting to you? Classes with audio aids 105 87.5%

Classes without audio aids 15 12.5%

N=120

Student Table: 4 demonstrates that 105 out of 120 students ticked ‘Classes with audio aids’ and the remaining 15 students ticked ‘Classes without audio aids”. That is, 87.5% students supported that English classes with audio aids were more effective and interesting to them while only 12.5% opined that English classes without audio aids were more effective and interesting.

This result lends complete support to the teachers’ views, and demands sufficient use if audio aids in the EFL class at the tertiary level in Bangladesh.

The fifth question in the student questionnaire was designed as ‘Are you satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution?’

Student Table: 5

Question Options Scores Percentage

Are you satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution? Strongly satisfied 06 5%

Slightly satisfied 48 40%

Dissatisfied 66 55%

N=120

As per the statistics in Student Table: 4, out of 120 students, only 6 students marked ‘Strongly satisfied’, and 48 students marked ‘Slightly satisfied’; but 66 ticked ‘Dissatisfied’. That is, only 5% were strongly satisfied and 40% slightly satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution whereas majority students (55%) were found to be dissatisfied.

Here, majority students (55%) are dissatisfied and a good number of them (40%) slightly satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution though all the teachers are slightly satisfied. But, it is clear that the present audio facilities are inadequate, most probably, due to the lack of teacher training and administrative support.

The sixth question in the student questionnaire was designed as ‘How is your performance in the English classes without audio aids?’

Student Table: 6

Question Options Scores Percentage

How is your performance in the English classes without audio aids? Strongly satisfied 24 20%

Slightly satisfied 42 35%

Dissatisfied 54 45%

N=120

As exhibited in Student Table: 6, 24 out of 120 students marked ‘Strongly satisfied’, 42 students marked ‘Slightly satisfied’, and 54 marked ‘Dissatisfied’. That is, 20% students were strongly satisfied and 35% were slightly satisfied with their performance in the classes without audio aids while 45% were dissatisfied with their performance in the class with same condition.

Though majority students (55%) are more or less satisfied with their performance in the English classes without audio aids, a considerable number of students (45%) being in a very close association with the teachers (37.5%) are dissatisfied.

The seventh question in the student questionnaire was set as ‘How is your performance in the English classes with audio aids?’

Student Table: 7

Question Options Scores Percentage

How is your performance in the English classes with audio aids? Strongly satisfied 36 30%

Slightly satisfied 57 47.5%

Dissatisfied 27 22.5%

N=120

Student Table: 7 demonstrates that out of 120 students 36 ticked ‘Strongly satisfied’, 57 ticked ‘Slightly satisfied’, and 27 ticked ‘Dissatisfied’. That is to say, 30% students were strongly satisfied with their performance in the classes with audio aids, and 47.5% students were slightly satisfied with their performance in the same condition; but 22.5% students were dissatisfied with their performance in the classes with audio aids.

Like the teachers (87.5%), a large number of students (77%) feel the need of audio facilities for improving their performance in the EFL class.

The eighth question to the students was posed as ‘What limitations do you find in the use of audio aids in your English classes?’

Student Table: 8

Question Options Scores Percentage

What limitations do you find in the use of audio aids in your English classes?

Lack of audio aids 75 62.5%

Lack of teacher training 12 10%

Lack of administrative support 33 27.5%

N=120

According to the statistics in Student Table: 8, 75 students ticked ‘Lack of audio aids’, 12 students ticked ‘Lack of teacher training’, and 33 students ticked ‘Lack of administrative support’. In other words, 62.5% students thought that the lack of audio aids was their main limitation; 10% though
t that the lack of teacher training was their main limitation; and 27.5% considered the lack of administrative support as their main limitation on the use of audio aids.

Resembling the finding concerned with the teachers, this finding discovers that the lack of audio aids, teacher training and administrative support all reduces the audio facilities in the EFL class at the tertiary level in Bangladesh.

Inferences

The presentation and interpretation of the findings of the study above lead to the following inferences:

As to the first research question ‘Are audio aids used in the class?’, it could be concluded that audio aids are more or less used in most of the EFL classes at the tertiary level in Bangladesh, which is in consonance with the contemporary communicative language teaching mode (Richards and Rodgers 2002).

Regarding the second research problem ‘If yes, how much are they useful?’, it could be considered that audio aids in the EFL class at the tertiary level in Bangladesh are substantially useful since the use of such aids makes teaching attractive and effective, and reinforces learning by stimulating and motivating the learner and arresting his/her attention during the instructional process.

To answer the third question ‘If no, why are they not used?’, it might be thought that the lack of teacher training, audio aids and administrative support is responsible for the insufficient use of audio aids though the use of audio aids considerably adds to EFL learning at the tertiary level in Bangladesh.

To respond to the fourth question ‘What does the teacher think of using audio aids?’, it is evident that the teachers do not have sufficient training and motivation as well as adequate audio equipment and administrative support required for using audio aids in the EFL class.

And, to address the fifth question ‘What does the student think of using audio aids?’, it is noticeable that the students find audio aids much useful for leaning EFL but suffer from the lack of trained teachers, insufficient audio facilities and limited administrative support as well.

Hence, it could briefly be concluded that the use of audio aids in the EFL class at the tertiary level in Bangladesh is a plus, not a minus, but it is seriously hampered due to the lack of teacher training, the insufficiency of audio equipment and material, and the indifference of the administration.

Suggestions

Based on the aforementioned findings and inferences, a number of suggestions can be put forward.

Firstly, it is already found that audio aids are used in the EFL class at the tertiary level in Bangladesh to some extent. But, it should be ensured that every teacher would maximally use audio aids including audio equipment and material in each and every class to develop the learner’s oral communication skills encompassing speaking and listening. In this connection, King and Womack (1983) maintain that listening provides the aural input that serves as the basis for language acquisition and enables the learner to interact in spoken communication; and audio aids could be the most useful and exciting means of teaching the learner this communicative English.

Secondly, though the use of audio aids proves to be substantially useful for both teaching and learning EFL, the limitations of this means, such as the lack of teacher training, the inadequacy of audio aids and the indifference of the administration should be reduced considerably. That is, the arrangement of adequate and proper teacher training, availability of appropriate audio equipment and material, and necessary administrative support and monitoring can ensure the optimal use of audio aids in the EFL class, and thus guarantee the learner’s maximum benefit.

Thirdly, the teacher should have expertise as well as interest to use audio aids in his/her EFL class so as to make his/her teaching effective and facilitate learning to a considerable extent.

Las but not least, there should a well equipped language lab having sufficient and suitable audio facilities which the learner can use any time to practise EFL skills and improve his/her linguistic as well as communicative ability.

References

Adeyanju, J. L. (1988). The application of educational technology in pre-primary education. Journal of Educational Media and Technology (JEMT), 2(1), 73-79.

Agun, I. and Okunrotifa, P. O. A. (1977). Educational technology in Nigeria teacher education. Education for Development: International Perspective on Expanding Role of Teachers’ Education (ICET), 75.

Akanbi, K. (1988). Selection, utilization and evaluation of instruction. In I. Agun & I. Imogie (eds.), Fundamental of Educational Technology. Ibadan: Y-Books, 91-92.

Kamal, K. and Afteb, M. (1993). English Teaching. Secondary Education Development Project, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Dhaka.

King, D. R. and Womack, S.T. (1983). Strategies for teaching listening skills. Clearing House, 56(7), 310-311.

Pike, Bob (1997). Creative Training Techniques. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richards, Jack C. and Rodgers, T. S. (2002). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: a Description and analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Appendix-I

[Teacher Questionnaire on the Use of Audio Aids in the EFL Class]

The questionnaire is designed to find out your opinions on the use of audio aids in your English classes. Your responses will be used for research purposes only. Thank you for your cooperation!

1. Do you use audio aids in your English classes?

Yes No

2. Do you think that audio aids are useful for teaching English?

Yes No

3. Are you satisfied with the use of audio aids in your English classes?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

4. Which English classes are more effective and interesting to the student?

Classes with audio aids Classes without audio aids

5. Are you satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

6. How is the performance of the students in the classes without audio aids?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

7. How is the performance of the students in the classes with audio aids?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

8. What limitations do you face in using audio aids in your English classes?

Lack of audio aids Lack of teacher training Lack of administrative support



Appendix-II

[Student Questionnaire on the Use of Audio Aids in the EFL Class]

The questionnaire is designed to find out your reaction to the use of audio aids in your English classes. Your responses will be used for research purposes only. Thank you for your nice cooperation!

1. Does your English teacher use audio aids in your classes?

Yes No

2. Do you think that audio aids are useful for learning English?

Yes No

3. Are you satisfied with the use of audio aids in the English classes?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

4. Which English classes are more effective and interesting to you?

Classes with audio aids Classes without audio aids

5. Are you satisfied with the audio facilities provided by the institution?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

6. How is your performance in the English classes without audio aids?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

7. How is your performance in the English classes with audio aids?

Strongly satisfied Slightly satisfied Dissatisfied

8. What limitations do you find in the use of audio aids in your English classes?

Lack of audio aids Lack of teacher training Lack of administrative support



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