Once upon a time, when I began teaching, students just had access to the materials that were handed out by the instructor. Especially when overseas, additional information had to be purchased in the market. Now, getting examples of a
new, target language are as close as a search engine. (I've decided to try to eliminate the habit of using Google as a verb.)Today, I was tossing around mp3 files rather than text. Podcasts have made excellent audio available in a manageable, on-demand format. There really isn't any corollary in analog form. I remember using cassettes but the audio was held captive inside a plastic case. All students needed to listen at the same time and in the same location. Even if I knew a specific radio program would be of interest to my students, most weren't taped simply because it was too much of a hassle.