SHORT BIO
Dr Cristina Ivanovici is an English for Academic Purposes Teaching Fellow within the Birmingham International Academy, the University of Birmingham, where she has been teaching on both Foundation and Presessional pathways since September 2022. With an extended experience of teaching international students undertaking degrees in various subjects both in the UK, China and Europe, her research interests lie in strategies employed in listening skills, and in particular, using TED talks in the EAP classroom.
PRESENTATION TITLE
PRESENTATION TITLE
Teaching TED Talks: A Study of International Students’ Perceptions of the Use of TED Talks in the EAP Classroom in order to Improve Their Academic Vocabulary
ABSTRACT
It has been argued that TED talks could be effectively used in EAP classrooms, following the popularity of the TED platform (Gallo, 2014), as some TED talks have registered over 16 million views (Romanelli et al., 2014), and given translations available in over 110 languages (TED, 2021). Research also highly recommends utilising TED talks in both teaching academic listening skills and academic vocabulary (Coxhead & Walls, 2012; Salem, 2019; Saputra & Fatimah, 2018). My paper explores international students’ perceptions of the use and effectiveness of TED talks in the EAP classroom in order to improve EAP learners’ academic vocabulary and their mastery of AWL vocabulary. By using a survey and also the AWL highlighter (https://www.eapfoundation.com/vocab/academic/highlighter/), I examine EAP learners’ recognition, use and retention of academic/AWL vocabulary in their final writing exams. The paper will argue that using TED talks in the EAP classroom on a weekly basis enhances students’ use of academic vocabulary in writing, listening and speaking. It will also conclude with a series of recommendations on how to effectively use TED talks in the EAP classroom.
ABSTRACT
PRESENTER INTERVIEW