10 Ted Talks Every English Student Should Watch

Why sitting is bad for you - Murat Dalkilinç Stop! Before Digging Deeper, go take a quick walk, get moving a bit and then come back! I promise you will feel better and perhaps even learn more! Welcome back! Active Listening: Using Times Videos, Podcasts and Articles to Practice a Key Skill Listening is a skill that we’re in danger of losing in a world of digital distraction and information overload, writes Seth S. Horowitz in “The Science and Art of Listening.” He continues: And yet we dare not lose it. Because listening tunes our brain to the patterns of our environment faster than any other sense, and paying attention to the nonvisual parts of our world feeds into everything from our intellectual sharpness to our dance skills.… “You never listen” is not just the complaint of a problematic relationship, it has also become an epidemic in a world that is exchanging convenience for content, speed for meaning. The richness of life doesn’t lie in the loudness and the beat, but in the timbres and the variations that you can discern if you simply pay attention.

TED Talk Lesson Plans Image credit: ted.com Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio This is a lesson plan for C1+ students on the topic of bad habits based around a TED talk by Judson Brewer and an article from Yahoo Health. You can find the TED talk, students’ handout, reading text and teacher’s notes below: 13 Must-Watch TED Talks to Spark Student Discussions - WeAreTeachers TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing important ideas on a variety of topics. TED brings together the world’s most innovative people to deliver short, powerful talks on issues that matter. At 18 minutes or less, these TED Talks can be a phenomenal classroom resource.

What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley At the beginning of the video you had the opportunity to experience what it feels like to struggle through a written text. Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia is a kit with five simulations that can be implemented by anyone. Here is the writing simulation in full. Click here for complete information about Dyslexia for a Day. The sounds of English and the International Phonetic Alphabet © Tomasz P. Szynalski, Antimoon.com This chart contains all the sounds (phonemes) used in the English language. TEDxESL There are not enough good resources on the internet for ESL teachers. It might seem crazy to say such a thing given that there is so much already available. Worksheets, flashcards, activities – we have an enormous volume of material to choose from, and yet sometimes it is difficult. Many websites have awful menus, no curation of content, are generally difficult to navigate, and are just plain ugly and poorly organised. TEDxESL hopes to change that. Instead of many scattered and disorganised resources, TEDxESL focuses on a single type with a set format for complete lesson plans based on each video.

Recipes for the EFL Classroom Not sure what to do with a listening text coming up soon in the unit? Don’t like the comprehension questions in the book? Want some ideas to liven it up? The Best Poems for Kids As a father of five children who loves to read to them at night, I’ve learned a thing or two about which poems play best for kids. In fact, I’d say there are three key types that appeal to kids the most: Short PoemsFunny PoemsRhyming Poems This post links to several kids poems of each type (in fact, the best!) and includes some commentary for why I think each poem type succeeds with children. [Note: While I tried to provide a link for each poem mentioned below, I could not find one for four of the poems.

The 7-step Listening Challenge How can your students develop their listening while away from your English classes ? A learner training moment of reflection on how to take responsibility for their language acquisition. Quiz me *Do you need to train your ears for the different accents and pronunciation out there? *Is it important to listen to a recording on a particular topic to check your general understanding?