THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING TED TALKS VIDEOS AS LEARNING BY TEACHING APPROACH

ABSTRACT

This article explores the effectiveness of incorporating TED Talk videos as learning by teaching approach in comprehensive school curricula to enhance students' listening abilities. Through a review of the literature and analysis of relevant studies, the article highlights the real-world relevance, varied speaking styles, language proficiency development, critical thinking skills, confidence-building aspects, and easy accessibility of TED Talks as valuable tools for comprehensive schools. The article concludes by emphasizing the significance of integrating TED Talk videos into educational settings for effective listening skill development.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Данный статья исследует эффективную целесообразность внедрения видеолекций TED Talk как методом обучения посредством преподавания в школьные учебные планы для улучшения навыков слушания учащихся. Через обзор литературы и анализ соответствующих исследований статья подчеркивает актуальность TED Talk в реальном мире, разнообразные стили речи, развитие языковой компетенции, навыков критического мышления, формирование уверенности и легкость доступа, рассматривая TED Talk как ценный инструмент для комплексных школ. Статья заключается, подчеркивая важность внедрения видеолекций TED Talk в образовательные среды для эффективного развития навыков слушания.

Keywords: effectiveness, Ted Talks Video, listening skill, education, learning by teaching.

Ключевые слова: эффективность, видеолекции TED Talk, навык слушания, образование, обучение посредством преподавания.

Introduction

TED (an abbreviation for Technology Entertainment Design; Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a private non-profit foundation in the United States, best known for its annual conferences held since 1984 in Monterey (California), USA, (since 2009 it has been held in Long Beach (California), USA). The conference's mission is to spread unique ideas (“ideas worth spreading”), and selected lectures are available on the conference website. Lecture topics are varied: science, art, design, politics, culture, business, global issues, technology and entertainment.

TED Talks have the potential to enhance learners' awareness and critical thinking skills, while also aiding instructors in delivering information and engaging with their audience more efficiently. The educational advantages of TED Talks stem from various factors, such as their accessibility in multiple languages, the high quality of information, and the precision with which it is conveyed. In addition to features like subtitles and transcribed translations in both native and target languages, adjusting the speech rate can further benefit students [2].

As per Chang and Huang [3], TED represents a video featuring compelling presentation on excellent topics or viewpoints by native speakers, enhancing students' language learning.

Utilizing TED Talk videos offers numerous benefits, as highlighted by Park and Cha [4]. Firstly, TED Talk videos are captivating, exploring a diverse range of topics spanning technology, entertainment, design, business, science, and global challenges [5]. Additionally, TED Talks feature an exclusive "interactive transcript" in each talk, creating an enjoyable experience where learners can read and simultaneously listen to/watch video materials. This method enhances learners' interest and comprehension of the listening contents.

These talks originate from presentations at the primary TED conferences or various satellite events globally [6]. According to Rubenstein [7], the TED Talks platform stands out as a prominent video delivery site, offering fresh content in video format. TED Talks are widely recognized as a leading new media platform for globally disseminating innovative concepts. Instructors can employ TED Talks to capture learners' interest and enthusiasm for specific subjects, subsequently delving deeper into those topics within the course curriculum.

As per Schmidt [8], TED presentations and listening diaries not only aided students in enhancing their listening skills but were also perceived as an interesting and valuable method for receiving practical listening training in real-world contexts. Numerous researchers have validated the practical impacts of TED Talk videos. For instance, Takaesu [9] employed TED Talks as comprehensive material, discovering that they improved listening skills among college students.

 In contemporary education, the need for innovative teaching methods is paramount to foster well-rounded individuals. This article delves into the practicality of utilizing TED Talk videos in comprehensive schools, focusing on their potential to develop students' listening abilities. By examining the real-world relevance, language proficiency benefits, critical thinking enhancement, confidence-building attributes, and accessibility of TED Talks, educators can gain valuable insights into their efficacy within the school curriculum.

The relevance of this research comes from the need to teach children a foreign language through learning by teaching from comprehensive school. English video platform as TED TALKS is very useful to help learners to overcome the language barrier as early as possible and to awaken love for a foreign language, to increase the effectiveness of teaching English to the highest level.

Real-world Relevance

TED Talk videos are renowned for addressing current and relevant issues, providing students with insights into real-world problems and solutions. As per Brook [1], videos play a crucial role in language education, as they heighten participants' awareness, provide authentic resources, and foster increased engagement from learners within the courses. Exposure to such topics facilitates students' ability to articulate their thoughts on contemporary affairs, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Language Proficiency Development

 Research suggests that exposure to proficient speakers in TED Talks significantly contributes to language development. By engaging with articulate and well-structured speeches, students improve their vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. The inclusion of subtitles in TED Talks further reinforces the correlation between spoken words and written text, fostering language proficiency.

Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills

TED Talks are recognized for stimulating critical thinking. Integrating these videos into the curriculum encourages students to analyze and evaluate complex ideas, honing their critical thinking skills. This development equips students with the tools necessary to express their opinions coherently and persuasively in academic and real-world contexts.

Boosting Confidence

 Public speaking often intimidates students, but TED Talk videos provide a supportive environment for observation of effective communication. Witnessing successful speakers share their ideas instills inspiration and confidence in students to articulate their thoughts. This boost in confidence is invaluable for personal and academic growth.

Easily Accessible Resources

TED Talk videos are easily accessible online, offering a practical and cost-effective resource for schools. Teachers can seamlessly incorporate relevant talks into their lessons, adapting content to suit the curriculum and students' specific needs. This accessibility makes TED Talks a convenient tool for educators striving to enhance listening abilities within the constraints of comprehensive school settings.

Materials and Research Methods

The research is conducted in the high school with 11th-grade students, employing pre and post-tests to evaluate the impact of incorporating TED talks on listening skills. The independent variable is the use of TED talks in skill instruction, and the dependent variable is students' performance in listening skills. The study utilizes a modified version of the IELTS Listening Section, consisting of 40 questions focused on lectures or talks. Pre-listening activities involve predictions based on visuals and quizzes, followed by note-taking during TED talk viewing. Post-listening tasks include quizzes, summarization, vocabulary exploration, and peer/group discussions. Assessment prioritizes engagement over quality. Students may orally share reports on their journals, and self-evaluation forms track progress throughout the course.

To gauge students' perspectives on the efficacy of using TED talks as a listening teaching strategy in the classroom, a questionnaire was administered with items aligned with the research questions. The questionnaire incorporated both closed and open-ended questions. The examination of how TED talk videos influence students' listening skills, academic vocabulary acquisition, and motivation in learning primarily involved descriptive explanations. Descriptive data were evaluated using a scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)

Results and discussion

Based on the analysis of the questionnaire, students' responses to the use of TED conversations in class are positive, as shown in the table above. First, Variety of TED talks can help students enhance their listening abilities. From the 30 questionnaire above, it can be seen that vast majority of students view that TED talks is more engaging than any other videos instruction for speaking. In terms of listening skills, majority of students (40 % disagree and 60 % strongly agree) students feel that TED talks has improved their listening. Based on the data obtained from statistical analysis, there are several things that may indicate the positive impact of TED video in improving students’ listening comprehension. Moreover, TED talks video also develop students’ motivation in discussion activity as illustrated by the result of questionnaire data. Another important fact that need to be discussed in this study is the function of subtitle. The questionnaire data revealed that vast majority of students need subtitle to help them understanding with the video content.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the main finding of this study is that using TED talk videos really helps students get better at understanding spoken English. The scores of the test taken after using TED talks were much higher than the ones before. The questionnaire, observations, and notes from students all showed that students like using TED talks for learning academic English. The activities in TED talks, like games, debates, discussions, role-playing, and writing, grab students' attention and make learning enjoyable. Since TED talks are presented by fluent English speakers using correct language, students can practice how to say words and phrases correctly. The speakers' gestures and images also help students understand the message. Watching TED lectures provides an opportunity to listen to people speaking in a foreign language with various accents. This strengthens confidence and the understanding that learners don't need to feel shy or afraid to speak imperfectly in this language [10]. Lastly, having subtitles in both English and Indonesian in TED talks is a great help for students to check if they understood correctly. Overall, TED talk videos are beneficial for students in their learning process. According to this theoretical framework, our hypothesis posits that engaging in teaching as a method of learning will enhance students’ understanding of the material to be learned, evident in both immediate and delayed assessments. Studies investigating generative learning strategies, such as self-testing reveal that the advantageous impacts of such strategies, when contrasted with alternative learning methods, are particularly evident during delayed assessments. This suggests that employing a profound approach like learning through teaching should yield enduring effects on retained knowledge compared to less active strategies.

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