TED as an Authentic Material

Listening

TED as an Authentic Material 

I think that websites like TED are mainly not helpful for language learners. TED is designed to share knowledge or ideas about many different topics. These topics are usually shared through scholars, scientists…etc. Such people are well educated and usually use language that is very advanced and difficult to relate to daily spoken English. In other words, a learner of English will be more interested in learning the basic vocabulary that helps him to use the language probably.

 So, if I am the teacher I will not use this website for my beginners or intermediate students. While for advanced students I might use it but I would be very careful of the material I am going to choose. The material should not be very difficult and I might introduce some pre activities to prepare the students to understand the gist of the video I am going to give them.

However, the only exception that might conflict my argument is if I am teaching English for specific proposes. That is if I am teaching a class of students who are for example going to attend law college. In this case I will use many materials form Ted to the intermediate and advanced students. Since such students need a lot of exposure to the language that suits their target language content. 

Authentic materials – Listening

Authentic materials – Listening

            In my opinion, I believe that a teacher Must play authentic listening materials to their students. Materials such as songs, podcasts, radio…etc. these materials can improve the student’s understanding of the language in different ways. From my own experience, I mainly learned the language from listening to songs and watching movies and T.V shows rather than high school or the university books. From listening to the songs I understood and learned many idioms and expressions. Also, I learned an important thing which is infer attitude where the singer says one thing out from his voice understand that he means the opposite.

            From watching the T.V. in terms of listening a learner will learn things that ordinary books will never teach. You will learn the current use of language. In other words, you will learn the vocabulary that native speakers use in their daily life. However, in books they teach you chunks that you might never use in regular basis. Also, a single vocabulary can have different meanings. For example any learner knows the word paper as the piece of sheet that you write on. However, only songs or movies will introduce another meaning to it, which paper means “money” (dollar). Also, the word green learners know it means a type of money but from listening to an authentic material that deals with the American culture you will know the other meaning which is also “money”.

            In conclusion, I believe that listening to authentic materials gives the learner an access to more than simple language. It gives him the chance to understand the language and its culture which allows him to use it better than a learner who only listens to ordinarily audio tapes that comes with the books.