Improving English listening skills for students through TED Talk videos at Thuongmai University

Abstract

The research aims to investigate the necessary factors when choosing Ted Talk to improve the extended listening skills of students at Thuongmai University. In addition, the study also investigated the benefits of watching Ted Talks on students' listening learning. The research was conducted using a case study method with data collected from survey questionnaires, student listening diaries and interview questions. The research subjects include 28 second-year students at Institute of International Cooperation, Thuongmai University. Research results show that a number of factors influence students' choice of Ted Talk to practice listening, including topic, voice quality, speaker, speed, complexity of vocabulary and length of speech. The majority of students think that TED Talk videos can help them improve their vocabulary, develop study skills, and acquire new knowledge.