The power of podcasting: creating opportunities for medical students to speak with creativity and confifidence

Abstract

The world is becoming increasingly globalized, and the medical field is no different. This trend has substantial implications for medical professionals in Japan who communicate and collaborate with their counterparts from other countries. Not to mention the recent trend of increased foreign immigration and tourism, which requires Japanese doctors to communicate with patients in English. English education is compulsory from the 5th grade of elementary school through the 3rd year of high school. However, the classes primarily focus on textbook learning and less on a communicative approach; students thus graduate high school but lack the ability and confidence to speak English. The Clinical English Department at Nara Medical University has created a curriculum that focuses more on creating opportunities for medical students to build up their English speaking skills and to provide multiple ways for the students to regularly communicate in English inside and outside the traditional classroom-setting to foster self-efficacy. One example is the Podcasts and Podcasting course that records and publishes student-created podcast episodes focusing on student storytelling, crafted monologues, and impromptu conversations on topics related to their studies, extracurriculars, and Japanese culture. The unique course was imagined and birthed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has continued since. This paper discusses the set-up and purpose of the podcast class, shares one studentʼs views on this unique course, and describes some of the unexpected benefits and incredible potential of podcasting.