Hidden Challenges that Radio DJs Present to ESL/EFL Listeners

Abstract

Language learners can learn a lot by listening to radio broadcasts in the target language. With the spread of English worldwide through forces of globalisation, it is not uncommon for learners to have access to English language broadcasts from both local radio stations and international broadcasters such as the BBC. Language teachers often make use of radio broadcasts as sources of listening materials for their classroom activities. This paper considers one type of discourse commonly found in radio broadcasts yet rarely used as listening materials in language classrooms: DJ talk. For learners who spend hours listening to the radio, it is often DJ talk that interests them most. Such talk, therefore, merits closer consideration both as a discourse type, and as a suitable source of teaching materials. In particular, DJ talk can help learners develop critical listening skills, an important yet underdeveloped area of ESL/EFL teaching and learning. Using Goffman’s (1981) theoretical framework for analysing radio talk, this paper explores the discourse of DJs and some consequent implications for language teachers.