PODCASTS AS A DIGITAL SOLUTION TO L2 LISTENING CHALLENGES: PRACTICAL STRATEGIES AND PEDAGOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Listening comprehension remains one of the most challenging skills for foreign language learners due to barriers such as rapid speech rates, vocabulary gaps, cognitive fatigue, and rigid learning habits. This paper explores the pedagogical potential of podcasts as a learner-centered digital tool designed to mitigate these specific obstacles. By leveraging key technological feature – including adjustable playback speeds, authentic language exposure, and synchronized transcripts – podcasts facilitate both top-down and bottom-up processing strategies. Furthermore, the study presents a structured three-stage pedagogical framework (pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening) to transition passive audio consumption into an active, goal-oriented learning process. The findings indicate that systematic podcast integration reduces listening anxiety, enhances contextual vocabulary retention, and promotes learner autonomy. Practical recommendations are provided for language educators to effectively incorporate podcast-based tasks into their pedagogical practice.