Teaching English with TED Talks

Using TED Talks as an EFL Teaching Tool

In recent years, TED talks have grown into a global internet powerhouse of idea and information sharing. For teaching
English as a foreign language (EFL), TED Talks videos of these conferences provide ample opportunities to develop and
refine students’ English speaking and comprehension abilities in an engaging and informative way. With thousands of
TED talk videos available online, given from speakers such as Al Gore, Bill Gates and Ken Robinson, and covering a wide
range of topics, students and teachers alike will learn something new.
Teaching English TED Talks for EFL Teachers
As an EFL teacher, you should prepare your students before watching TED Talks to help them get the most out of the
speech.
Here are some ways to teach English with TED talks:
 Ask preliminary questions: Before watching, expose basic questions to your students about what they think the
TED talk conference is about, based on the title, as well as presenting additional keywords related to the subject
they are about to explore.
 Discuss after the first viewing: After the first time through, see how close your students’ predictions from the
pre-viewing questions were to the actual ideas in the video. Identify if they heard any of the presented
keywords.
Using TED Talks as a Student
EFL students learn more effectively when they can listen to and engage with a variety of speakers and topics not found in
textbooks. Students can spend time on their own, outside of the classroom, watching enriching videos that encourage
them to hone their language skills.
Here are some of the ways students can use TED talks to improve their English comprehension:
 Listening: Students should “actively” listen to the speakers in the videos. Tell your students to try to listen ahead,
or predict what the speaker will say next given what has been heard already. Have them “micro-listen” to
particularly difficult sentences by rewinding the moment until they can understand fully.
 Pronunciation: Students can use transcripts while viewing to discover discrepancies between written and spoken
English. By cross referencing the two, students will begin to learn pronunciation patterns and speech nuances.
Providing the script can be specifically useful for beginner-level students.
 Vocabulary: Since many TED speakers talk about specialized subjects, there will be more opportunity to expand
vocabulary. When your students come across unfamiliar words, have them look up the word in the transcript and
define it.
Furthering the Discussion
Once your students become more comfortable with TED talks for learning English, there are a number of language
development activities you can try with them, such as:
 Mock interviews with the speaker.
 Class debates on the ideas discussed.
 Writing a review of the video.
TED Talks provide EFL students with an interesting and thought-provoking way to learn English. Discover the ways you
can enrich your EFL classroom with the spread of ideas, taking benefit from trending topics, and most importantly,
teaching English through TED talk videos.

TED TALKS. HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS TO WRITE AND PRESENT AN IMPACTFUL SPEECH
Public speaking can be a nightmare or the biggest fear for many. Your students might not be an exception. That's why it's
every teacher's mission to help students overcome their fears and succeed as public speakers. TED talk practice is an
excellent way to achieve this. Creating and presenting a TED talk can become a project that takes 4 to 5 60-minute
lessons to complete. Therefore, prepare in advance a block of such lessons with clear steps and instructions.
The 1st Lesson
The 1st Step: Introduction to TED Talks
If your students are not familiar with TED Talks, this is a great opportunity for them to learn.
Objective: To familiarize students with TED Talks and their format.
Activity: Watch TED Talks from the official TED YouTube channel.
This can be a great listening activity. Choose interesting TED Talks to listen to in class, and prepare pre-listening and post-
listening questions to engage students in discussion.
For example, if you choose the 'Are you a dreamer or a doer?' video to watch:
https://youtu.be/x92AnU6MUr0
You may ask each student before listening if they consider themselves dreamers or doers, what the difference is, and
whether they would like to change their roles in the future. Also, inquire if students have listened to TED Talks before, if
they like them, and if they find them encouraging.
These are your pre-listening questions to engage students in a speaking activity.
Post-listening questions should be based on the content of the video. Therefore, watch it before the class and make a list
of questions to check students' understanding of the TED Talk's content.
You can assign this as an individual writing task to complete – answering these questions, or, to encourage more
speaking, make it a whole-class activity. However, ensure that every student participates. If you have a large class, divide
them into groups and instruct each group to discuss the answers. Monitor the classroom during these discussions.
After completing this activity, move on and provide more TED Talk topic ideas, which you can find on the official YouTube
channel.
Or here are 10 engaging and thought-provoking TED Talk topics that students can explore:
1. The Power of Resilience: How overcoming personal challenges shapes our identity and strength.
2. The Future of Education: Innovative ideas for transforming learning in the digital age.
3. Climate Change and Youth Activism: The role of young people in driving environmental change.
4. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Daily Life: Exploring how AI is reshaping the way we live, work, and
interact.
5. Mental Health in the Digital Era: Discussing the effects of technology and social media on mental well-being.
6. Cultural Diversity and Global Understanding: Sharing personal stories to highlight the importance of cultural
exchange and empathy in a globalized world.
7. The Science of Happiness: Investigating what truly makes us happy and how we can apply this understanding in
our daily lives.
8. The Art of Storytelling: How storytelling influences human connection and can be used as a powerful tool for
change.
9. Space Exploration: Dreams and Realities: Discussing the latest developments in space travel and what it means
for the future of humanity.
10. Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes: Challenging traditional gender roles and promoting gender equality in
various aspects of life.
These topics offer a range of ideas that students can tailor to their interests and experiences, encouraging them to
explore and share their unique perspectives.
Then, ask the students for any ideas they might have about possible topics for their TED Talks.
The 2nd Step: Choosing a Topic
Objective: Help students select engaging and personal topics.
Activities:
Brainstorming session: Use mind maps to explore interests like technology, environment, or personal growth.
At this step, it's a great chance to show students how to create mind maps.
After explaining how mind maps are created, show the students an example. Use a mind map for the TED Talk
titled 'The Art of Storytelling' as an illustration.
Here are brief notes for each of the subtopics on the mind map for the TED Talk 'The Art of Storytelling':
1. Historical Perspective
o Explore the evolution of storytelling from ancient oral traditions to written narratives.
o Discuss the role of storytelling in historical record-keeping and cultural preservation.
o Examples of enduring stories from different civilizations (e.g., Greek mythology, African folktales).
2. Psychology of Storytelling
o Analyze how stories influence human emotions and behaviors.
o Discuss the neurological impact of storytelling and how it enhances memory and empathy.
o The role of storytelling in personal and collective identity formation.
3. Storytelling in Different Cultures
o Compare storytelling styles and themes across various cultures.
o Highlight unique storytelling traditions and their cultural significance (e.g., Aboriginal Dreamtime stories,
Japanese Kamishibai).
o Discuss how stories reflect and shape societal values and beliefs.
4. Modern Storytelling Media
o Examine contemporary storytelling platforms like cinema, podcasts, and video games.
o The impact of technology on narrative styles and accessibility.
o Examples of groundbreaking storytelling in modern media (e.g., interactive documentaries, VR
narratives).
5. Techniques of Effective Storytelling
o Discuss elements of a compelling story (character development, plot structure, thematic depth).
o Techniques like suspense creation, imagery, and metaphorical language.
o How to craft an engaging narrative arc.
 6. Impact on Society
o Explore the role of stories in shaping public opinion and societal norms.
o Discuss the power of storytelling in social movements and political discourse.
o How stories can bridge cultural and ideological divides.
7. Personal Narratives
o The importance of personal experiences and authenticity in storytelling.
o How personal stories can foster connection and understanding.
o Techniques for effectively sharing personal narratives.
8. Storytelling in Education
o The use of stories as educational tools to enhance learning and engagement.
o How storytelling can aid in teaching complex subjects and moral lessons.
o Examples of storytelling applications in diverse educational settings.
9. Digital Storytelling
o The evolution and characteristics of storytelling in the digital age.
o Discuss multimedia storytelling (use of text, audio, video, and graphics).
o Examples of digital storytelling projects and their impact.
10. Future Trends
o Predictions for the future of storytelling, including technological advancements (AI, augmented reality).
o Potential shifts in narrative forms and audience interaction.
o The evolving role of storytellers in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
These notes offer a concise overview of each subtopic, providing a foundation for a more detailed exploration in a TED
Talk format.
Group discussions to refine ideas: Divide students into groups so they come up with some topic and subtopic ideas.
The 3rd Step
The 3rd Step could be assigned as a homework task: Research and Content Development.
Before the next lesson, each student should choose a topic for their future TED talk, conduct research, and create a mind
map. Provide students with guidelines on effective online research, citing sources, and avoiding plagiarism.
The 2nd lesson
The 2nd lesson in this project-based series is focused on mastering writing skills. Your goal is to demonstrate techniques,
support them with examples, and encourage students to draft their speeches. This lesson requires thorough preparation,
as many students find writing to be a challenging skill to master.
The 4th Step: Writing the Speech
Objective: To teach students how to craft a compelling and impactful speech using a structured approach, incorporating
personal stories, theme development, supporting facts or anecdotes, and a strong call to action.
1. Introduction to Speech Structure
o Activity: Interactive discussion on the key elements of an effective speech: introduction (with a personal
story), body (theme development and supporting evidence), and conclusion (call to action).
o Example: Analyze a short example of a powerful speech segment, highlighting these elements. Again,
choose any online available TED talk.
2. Developing the Introduction with a Personal Story
o Activity: Students brainstorm and jot down a personal story that connects to their chosen topic.
o Guidance: Provide tips on how to make personal stories relatable and engaging (e.g., focusing on
emotions, descriptive language).
3. Theme Development and Support
o Activity: Students outline the main theme of their speech and identify 2-3 key points they want to make.
o Exercise: Students find facts, statistics, or anecdotes that effectively support their points.
Homework
Draft the introduction and first part of the body of their speech, incorporating their personal story and initial supporting
points.
The 3rd lesson
The 5th Step: Drafting and Peer Review
Drafting and peer review are crucial in speech writing. Drafting allows the writer to flesh out their ideas and structure
their speech coherently. It's a process of refining thoughts and arguments, ensuring clarity and impact. Peer review, on
the other hand, provides valuable feedback. It helps identify areas that need improvement, such as unclear points or
weak arguments. The process encourages collaboration and opens the door to diverse perspectives, enhancing the
overall quality and effectiveness of the speech. Together, drafting and peer review are indispensable for crafting a
compelling and persuasive speech.
1. Drafting the Remaining Parts of the Speech
o Activity: Students complete the draft of their speech, ensuring they have a clear conclusion with a call to
action.
o Example: Show examples of effective conclusions from well-known speeches.
Some examples:
Melissa Butler's Speech: Butler uses a challenge close, urging her audience to take action. Her concluding lines include a
call to "look at yourself in the mirror, see all of your greatness, accept it, and love it." This kind of conclusion is powerful
because it encourages the audience to not only reflect but also act on what they've heard.
Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches": Churchill's conclusion is memorable for its resolute and defiant
tone. He emphasizes the determination of the British people to fight against tyranny, concluding with the famous lines,
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we
shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is renowned for its powerful and inspiring conclusion. In this speech,
King expresses his dream of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred. He famously concludes with
the words:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"
1. Peer Review Session
o Activity: In pairs, students exchange their drafts and provide feedback focused on clarity, emotional
impact, and overall coherence.
o Guidance: Provide a peer review checklist to help students give constructive feedback.
This checklist can be used as a guideline for peer reviewers to provide constructive feedback to the speaker, ensuring
that the speech is effective and impactful.
Homework
Revise the speech based on peer feedback. Students make final revisions to their speeches based on peer feedback and
their own reflections. Tell your students to use tools like Grammarly to edit for grammar, clarity, and style.
The 4th lesson
The 6th Step: Public Speaking Skills
Improving public speaking skills involves a combination of techniques that focus on delivery, content, and engagement
with the audience. Here are some key techniques to enhance public speaking skills:
1. Know Your Audience: Tailor your speech to the interests, level of understanding, and background of the
listeners. This helps in making your speech more relevant and engaging.
2. Organize Your Content: Have a clear structure for your speech – an introduction, body, and conclusion. This
helps in conveying your message more effectively.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearsing your speech multiple times helps to reduce anxiety and improve your
delivery. It also helps in memorizing your content and flowing more naturally.
4. Work on Your Delivery: Pay attention to your tone, pace, and volume. Practice varying these to emphasize
different parts of your speech.
5. Use Body Language Effectively: Non-verbal cues, such as eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions, can
greatly enhance your message and engage the audience.
6. Engage the Audience: Ask questions, provide anecdotes, or use humor to relate to the audience. This interaction
keeps the audience interested and attentive.
7. Use Visual Aids Wisely: Visuals like slides or props can be effective, but they should support your speech, not
detract from it. Ensure they are clear, simple, and relevant.
8. Manage Public Speaking Anxiety: Techniques like deep breathing, visualization, or positive self-talk can help
manage nervousness.
9. Open Strongly and Close Powerfully: The beginning and end of your speech are crucial. Start with something
that grabs attention, and finish with a strong, memorable point or call to action.
10. Seek Feedback and Reflect: After your speech, reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Seek
feedback from others to gain different perspectives.
11. Keep It Simple and Clear: Avoid jargon and overly complex language. Clarity and simplicity make your message
more accessible.
12. Pause for Effect: Pauses can be powerful for emphasis and to give the audience time to absorb information.
13. Continuously Learn and Adapt: Watch skilled speakers and learn from them. Be open to trying new techniques
and continuously refining your skills.
14. Personalize Your Speech: Share personal stories or experiences that relate to the topic. This makes your speech
more engaging and relatable.
Effective public speaking is a skill that can be developed with practice and perseverance. Regularly applying these
techniques can significantly enhance your students’ ability to communicate and engage with an audience effectively.
Objective of the 4th lesson is to improve students' public speaking abilities.
 Activities:
o Impromptu speaking on random topics for 2 minutes.
o Watch and critique famous speeches, focusing on delivery styles.
The 7th Step: Presentation Techniques
 Objective: Enhance students' presentation skills.
 Tips:
o Minimalistic slides with impactful images.
o Techniques for audience engagement like rhetorical questions.
 Activities:
o Workshop on effective use of PowerPoint or Prezi.
o Rehearsals with peer feedback focusing on slide transitions and timing.
The 5th lesson
The 8th Step: Final Presentation
 Objective: Showcase students' TED Talk speeches.
  Activity: Organize a class event. Invite other classes or parents to increase the authenticity of the experience.
Conclusion
Project-based learning and public speaking are crucial components in modern education, significantly enhancing
students' learning experiences. Here are the key points emphasizing their importance:
1. Hands-On Experience: Project-based lessons provide practical, hands-on experience that enhances
understanding. Students apply what they've learned in a real-world context, fostering deeper learning and
retention.
2. Develops Critical Skills: These projects develop essential life skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking,
collaboration, and time management. These skills are crucial for success in both academic and professional
settings.
3. Encourages Engagement and Motivation: Project-based learning often involves topics that interest students,
thereby increasing engagement and motivation. It gives students a sense of ownership over their learning,
leading to more enthusiastic participation.
4. Public Speaking Skills: Incorporating public speaking into project-based lessons helps students develop
confidence and communication skills. The ability to effectively articulate thoughts and ideas is vital in all areas of
life.
5. Opportunities for Public Speaking: Giving students opportunities to speak publicly, whether in class
presentations or community events, prepares them for future academic and career challenges. It helps in
overcoming fear of public speaking and enhances their ability to influence and inform others.
6. Feedback and Reflection: These opportunities allow students to receive feedback, reflect on their performance,
and identify areas for improvement. This iterative process is key to growth and skill development.
7. Preparation for the Future: In a world where communication is key, the ability to speak publicly is invaluable.
Project-based learning combined with public speaking prepares students for future challenges, be it in higher
education or their professional careers.

How to Teach, Teaching Resources

Teaching English Using TED Talks
By Mark Mallinder
We EFL teachers today are indeed a very fortunate group of people. Due in large part to the Internet, there are a
plethora of easily accessible English language learning materials for us to choose from for use in our classes. Yet, in many
ways the internet is a double-edged sword, precisely for the same reason. With so much material readily accessible, we
can find ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of items that are available. Even worse, after we have found
something online which seems promising, we may struggle to come up with a way to have our students use it so that it
will be beneficial to them as they endeavor to learn English. It for this reason that I was thrilled when I found TED Talks
online.

What Are TED Talks?

For those who are unfamiliar with TED Talks, they are a series of public speeches made by both notable and not so
famous people. Although many of the “talks” have been freely available online since 2006, I personally did not listen to
my first TED Talk until 2013. However, once I did, I knew that this was going to be an invaluable teaching tool. In this
article, I explain the two primary reasons why I like using TED Talks in my classes. Then, I reveal some possible problems
EFL teachers need to be aware prior to introducing any of the talks to their students. Finally, I show how I have been
using TED Talks in my listening and speaking classes.

TED Talks Topics Are (almost) Endless

One of the most impressive things about TED Talks is that there are simply so many of them. At the time this article is
being written, a quick check of the TED site reveals that there are “2200+ talks to stir your curiosity.” Based on feedback
received from my students, they found listening to people speaking about various subjects each week to be both
interesting and educational. One such talk that many of them liked is titled “Special Olympics let me be myself-a
champion.” The speaker, Matthew Williams, is a young man with an intellectual disability who has won metals by
competing in sports competitions. Several students thought that his speech was inspiring, and many of them expressed a
desire to learn more about the “Special Olympics” after listening to him. Another talk which was received positively was
given by the British chef and TV personality, Jamie Oliver, who in his speech, “Teach every child about food,” discussed
the problem of obesity among American people. Some students said they liked Oliver’s speech because they were
familiar with him from television shows, while others felt that obesity was an important issue because it was starting to
become a problem in Taiwan. Finally, “Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali” is a speech given by two teenage sisters,
who talk about the problems that trash and plastic bags are creating on their beautiful island of Bali. This speech was
very well-received by students because it was comparatively easier for them to follow, both in content and in the
vocabulary the girls used, than some of the other TED Talks. They also admired the hard-work these girls put forth to
help their country.

TED Talks=Authentic Material

As a long-time EFL teacher on the small, yet interesting island of Taiwan, I try to expose my students to as much
authentic material as possible. One reason why TED Talks can absolutely be considered to be “authentic,” is due to the
fact that the speakers are not simply reading a script which has been written by someone else, as is often the case with a
lot of language learning material. Instead, TED speakers always share their own personal stories, passions, ideas and
desires with the audience. Also, TED Talks are sometimes given by people whose native language is not English, which is
exactly what EFL students are likely to encounter in real-life situations. Thus, anyone who listens to a TED Talk may hear
people speaking English with a number of different accents, such as German, French, or Korean, and they do not always
have perfect pronunciation when they speak. This is useful for English language learners because it may help them to
realize that they do not have to be afraid or feel embarrassed about making mistakes when they are speaking English.

Possible Downsides to Individual TED Talk Speeches

While TED Talks do make a valuable contribution to the field of English Language Learning (ELL), there are some potential
downsides which EFL teachers must take into consideration prior to asking students to listen to any particular speech.
After I have found a possibly good speech for my students, I find it extremely useful to ask myself the following
questions:

 Does a non-native English speaker use comprehensible English?

 Do I need to give the class any background information about the speaker or the topic?
 Is there any speaker who uses profanity, or language which may be considered to be inappropriate?
 Does the speaker actually speak too fast?
 Is the vocabulary used in the speech too difficult for many of the students to understand?

How EFL Teachers Can Use TED Talks

Each TED Talk has a transcript of a particular speech. Since each speech ranges in length from under 5 minutes to a
maximum of 18 minutes (although some go beyond that time frame), teachers should make a decision as to whether a
particular speech is too brief or long for the class they are teaching. A very helpful feature TED Talks offers on their
website is listing the speeches into different categories based on “Topics” and “Duration” (0-6, 6-12,12-18, 18+),
“Languages” (these speeches have the transcripts written in more languages than simply English), “Events,” and one can
even find a category for specific “Speakers.” The following information explains how I often incorporate TED Talks into my
speaking and listening classes.

Step 1: Out-of-class Listening and Speaking Practice

Every week, I give my students the name of a speech and the speaker, along with the specific webpage where the speech
can be located. Students begin by reading the entire transcript, and finding out the definitions and meanings of any
words or phrases which they may not understand. Then they listen to the speech while reading the transcript. During this
first listening, it is especially important for students to pay close attention to a speaker’s pronunciation since many of the
TED Talks speakers use vocabulary words which may be unfamiliar to them. For the 2nd listening, students are
encouraged to try to listen to a speaker without reading the transcript. They are told to focus more attention on the ways
in which a speaker uses intonation and how stress is put on certain words. Finally, students must make their own
recording of the same speech, and send the audio clip assignment to me.

Step 2: In-class Oral Practice

After students have had the chance to listen and record one of the speeches at home, that speech is shown to everyone
during class by using an overhead projector. At that time, different students will be chosen to read a sentence from the
speech. If any errors have been made in pronunciation, I will then tell everyone how to say the word/s correctly. Then
the whole class is asked to read that same sentence. Also at this time, students are chosen to verbally give their own
definition of certain words in the speech, and they are told how they should use intonation and word stress when
speaking. This activity is usually concluded after the whole class has read between two to four paragraphs.

Step 3: In-class Discussions

After in-class oral practices, I try to engage students in discussions about meaningful subjects. For instance, in the speech
previously mentioned in this article, “Special Olympics let me be myself- a champion,” my students were asked to
respond to various questions, such as “Do you think a medal won by someone competing in the Special Olympics is as
impressive as someone who had won a medal in ‘The Olympics’ for non-disable people? Explain to your partner why you
feel the way you do.” For the speech “Teach every child about food,” students worked in pairs discussing questions like
“What foods should a person eat on a regular basis in order to maintain good health?” Then, after a period of time
talking with each other, I asked them to report back their thoughts or findings.
What I like best about incorporating TED Talks into my language classes is that I know I am having students do
meaningful and interesting work, which is very important to their growth as English language learners. If you are an EFL
teacher, do you think you would like to try to use TED Talks in any of your classes? If you are an EFL student, have you
have tried to use TED Talks to help you learn English?