Thing 7: Podcasts

Podcasts have been part of my work life for the last five years. I have a one hour train ride each way to and from my job and I listen to audio books and radio programmes almost every day.

My purpose of listening to podcasts is mainly entertainment but also to prevent me from falling asleep - though I sometimes manage to do that anyway even with a person talking right into me ears!

I like to listen to novels or programmes about history and culture, mainly literature, and it's a great way to get to know about authors or unknown periods or events in history.

I listen to things that interest me personally and I don't use it in my work. I haven't thought of podcasts as a way to learn work related subjects or gain new skills.
I think that the things you could learn just by listening would be "softer" and more interpersonal skills like conflict management, assertion training, languages etc. Not "harder" stuff like information management, new software and things like that where you would need to look at a screen at the same time.

For the same reason, it is not part of my job to create podcasts myself - when occasionally I teach, the subjects are not suited for this media.

I am grateful that I have learned English well enough to listen to podcasts in this language - it increases my chances of finding interesting stuff endlessly! I didn't know Soundcloud but I have already got the app and look forward to exploring what's on the shelves when my life as a pendler starts again in a few days.