TED LECTURES FOR ESP: BEST PRACTICES META-ANALYSIS

Abstract

The study aims at investigating incorporation of TED talks (TTs) in ESP classes with a specific focus on abundant opportunities TTs provide for teaching intensive and extensive listening. Although the importance of listening comprehension is widely admitted, a few scholars still claim that it remains the most neglected micro-skill of all, a “Cinderella of communication strategies”. This misbalance can be partly put down to lack of graded listening materials of appealing content for lower proficiency students and TTs might serve as a potential remedy for ESP learners. The nature of TTs (with TED standing for Technology, Entertainment and Design) is of great interest for learners due to engaging topics, motivating speakers, easy access and overall user friendliness. Therefore a few SLA instructors have been attempting to utilize TTs in various ways, which include, but are not limited to vocabulary development and retention, listening comprehension, translation skills, speaking assignments varying from guided discussions to oral presentations, reading comprehension skills, writing and summation, EAP, etc. A few integration models have been suggested and evaluated in past literature. The author attempts to draw on those and suggest a detailed account of advances that refer to teaching extensive and intensive listening comprehension.