Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Upper-intermediate | Cleft sentences | Hacking & Hacktivism |
Advanced | Technology vocabulary | The Internet |
Technology |
Chris Kluwe: How augmented reality will change sports and build empathy
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Intermediate | Future time clauses | Technology & Ethics |
Upper-intermediate | Technology & business vocab | Sports & business |
Advanced | Equality & empathy |
Patricia Ryan: Don’t insist on English
“If you can’t think a thought, you are stuck. But if another language can think that thought, then, by cooperating, we can achieve and learn so much more.”
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Upper-intermediate | The Second Conditional | The English language |
Advanced | Vocabulary | Globalization & Cultural Loss |
Proficiency | Discussion | Education |
Jennifer Golbeck: The curly fry conundrum – Why social media “likes” say more than you might think
“It’s sometimes said of Facebook that the users aren’t the customer, they’re the product. And so how do you get a company to cede control of their main asset back to the users? It’s possible, but I don’t think it’s something that we’re going to see change quickly.”
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Upper-intermediate | More discourse markers | Data & Privacy |
Advanced | Vocabulary | Monetizing the Internet |
Derek Sivers: Weird or just different? (Teens)
“There’s a flip side to everything,” the saying goes, and in 2 minutes, Derek Sivers shows this is true in a few ways you might not expect.
Through his new project, MuckWork, Derek Sivers wants to lessen the burdens (and boredom) of creative people.
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Pre-intermediate (high) | Modals of speculation | Cultural difference |
Intermediate | Modals of deduction | Innovation and inspiration |
Teens | Discussion | Creativity |
Alisa Miller and Kirk Citron: Does the way we think about news and media need to change?
“My point is this: In the long run, some news stories are more important than others.”
“The real question: is this distorted worldview what we want for Americans in our increasingly interconnected world? I know we can do better. And can we afford not to? Thank you.”
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Intermediate | News & Journalism vocabulary | News and media |
Upper-intermediate | Idioms | Journalism |
Advanced | Discussion & debate |
Peter Saul: Let’s talk about dying
This is a quote from Dame Cicely Saunders, whom I met when I was a medical student. She founded the hospice movement. And she said, “You matter because you are, and you matter to the last moment of your life.” And I firmly believe that that’s the message that we have to carry forward.
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Intermediate | Present Perfect Revision | Death and dying |
Upper-intermediate | Contrasting Clauses | Euthanasia |
Advanced | Ethics |
Andras Forgacs: Leather and meat without killing animals
“We can design new materials, new products, and new facilities. We need to move past just killing animals as a resource to something more civilized and evolved. Perhaps we are ready for something literally and figuratively more cultured.”
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Intermediate | Could revision | Vegetarianism |
Upper-intermediate | Vocab | Food industry |
Margaret Gould Stewart: How YouTube thinks about copyright
“So, if you’re in the audience today, or maybe you’re watching this talk in some other time or place, you are a participant in the digital rights ecosystem. Whether you’re an artist, a technologist, a lawyer or a fan, the handling of copyright directly impacts your life.”
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Intermediate | Reading skills | Copyright |
Upper-intermediate | Critical analysis | Ethics |
Persuasive language | Online business |
Sam Harris: Science can answer moral questions
Level | Goals | Themes |
---|---|---|
Advanced | Mixed conditionals | Morals and ethics |
Proficiency | Modal verbs of obligation | Cultural difference |
Fluent | Academic debate | Religion and philosophy |
NB: Possibly controversial talk depending on the nature of your class.