TED Ideas worth spreading

What is this?

• TED(Techonology, Entertainment and Design) is a collection of hundreds of award-winning talks videos, the open translation projects and conversations. It can be widely used in language learning context as authentic learning materials and extend training.
• Why is the content good for language learning?
• Learners can access these videos for free.
• TED provides learners abundant authentic English listening and speaking materials, which allows learners to get in touch with English speakers from all over the world regardless of the time and space limitation.
• The videoes are categorised by themes. Learners can search videoes based on the topic they are interested in.
• Most of the videoes are tagged.
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• The content of the talks might associate with learners' main subject or major, which will motivate them to enchance not only English proficiency, but also facilite specific professional knowledge learning.
• Learners can regulate the time bar of a video based on their understanding, which enables them to keep their own learning process.
• Some newest releases videoes will be posted on the homepage. Learners can asscess the updated materials.
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• The topics of the talks per se are good resources for speaking and writing.
• Through observing the speekers' spoken language, behaviour, anddressing, learners will strengthen their presentation skills.
• Language beginners can choose to add subtitle of their L1. In this way, they may feel comfortable and understand easily when they watch it.

How might you use it in a language teaching context? 

• Teacher firstly select an interesting video that can resonate with students interest and concerned topic.
• Then play the video as a pre-task activity.
• Teacher asks students to discuss about the main meaning of the speech.
• If the students can hardly understand the main meaning of the speech, teacher may add L1 subtitle in the video and play it again to help them to understand.
• Teacher can express his/her own opinion towards the topic of the video, and demonstrate how to talk about a topic in an appropriate way.
• Then divide students into different group and ask them to discuss or write a short passage.

Limitation

• Chinese students may hardly understand western jokes in the talks, therefore, they may feel embarrassed when the audience in the video laugh.
• Some topics of the speeches are too technical and professional.
• Not very suitable for young learners.