There are many different ways in which you can learn and improve your English language skills. One of the more fun and popular ways to learn and improve your English is by listening to TED talks.  

What is a TED talk?

Before we jump into what TED talks you should consider listening to, to help improve your English we must first know what a TED talk is. 

A TED talk is when someone qualified and educated about a certain topic comes to share their knowledge. This is normally done by giving short discussions and presentations. 

The main goal of any TED talk is to educate and inform the audience. The abbreviation TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design.

1) Safwat Saleem “Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent”

It is no secret that to improve your English language conversational skills you NEED to practice speaking the language as often as you can. Usually, when people decide to learn English they will speak with an accent, which makes them stand out from native English speakers. 

Many people stop learning English because they find their accents to be embarrassing. But you shouldn’t beat yourself up about this because this is completely normal! 

Safwat Saleem is a Pakistani-American who has an accent when he speaks in English. In this TED talk, he highlights how your accent doesn’t make you wrong it just makes you different.

2) Mary Norris  “The nit-picking glory of The New Yorker’s Comma Queen”

Mary Norris is known for being The New Yorker’s ‘comma queen’ because she has edited many great writers’ works. In her TED talk, she shares the stylistic, and grammar rules she uses when reworking articles. 

She talks about what type of grammar one must use when writing. She also discusses how commas are often incorrectly used. This TED talk will definitely help English learners improve their language skills!

3) James Geary  "Metaphorically Speaking”

What is a metaphor? Well, according to Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, a metaphor is “a word or phrase used to describe somebody/something else, in a way that is different from its normal use”. Metaphors can change how we view certain things. In this TED talk, 

James Geary discusses this very fact. He teaches us how to properly use metaphors in our everyday lives. 

4) John McWhorter  “4 Reasons to learn a new language”

If your motivation is lacking and you are having trouble staying dedicated to your English goals, then this TED talk is definitely for you. In this TED talk, John McWhorter mainly addresses native English speakers, HOWEVER, any English-level learner can benefit from his advice. 

In his talk he goes into detail why one should consider learning a new language. He talks about how leaning a new language can be very beneficial. It will help broaden your knowledge about the language but also about the culture linked to the language.

5) Sid Efromovich “5 Techniques to speak any language”

The speaker of this TED talk, Sid Efromovich, is quite popular because he can speak MANY different languages, 7 different languages to be exact.

In this TED talk he shares various methods he has learnt over the years that have helped him improve his language learning skills.