Includes glossary and index.

"21st Century Communication is a four-level series that uses powerful ideas from TED Talks to teach learners to think critically and communicate effectively. Through authentic model of effective communication, students build fluency in the listening and speaking skills needed to achieve academic and personal success. TED Talks are used to develop essential 21st century skills, including critical thinking, collaboration, and visual literacy. Speaking, pronunciation, and presentation skills, inspired by TED speakers, prepare learners to speak confidently in any situation. Extended listening based on real-world situations and TED Talks provide listening and note-taking practice. Fully-blended Online Workbooks include the entire audio and video program, and automatically graded language practice activities" (Book Cover).

CONTENTS:

Unit 1: SECRET WISHES (SOCIOLOGY)

LISTENING: Message on a Wall – A class discussion

LISTENING SKILL: Recognize examples

SPEAKING SKILL: Agree and disagree

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Predict; Interpret; Apply; Infer; Reflect; Synthesize; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Stress content words

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Use an outline

TED TALKS: Half a million secrets / Frank Warren

PRESENTATION SKILL: Start strong

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Give a group presentation about how people in your community can share their hopes, thoughts, and ideas

Unit 2: CHANGING CLIMATE, CHANGING MINDS (ENVIRONMENTALISM)

LISTENING: Land Underwater! – A student presentation (with slide show)

LISTENING SKILL: Listen for details

SPEAKING SKILL: Talk about causes and effects

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Analyze; Interpret; Reflect; Evaluate; Synthesize.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Reduced vowels

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Use short phrases

TED TALKS: How I swam the North Pole / Lewis Pugh

PRESENTATION SKILL: Make an emotional connection

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Give an individual presentation about an environmental or social topic that is important to you.

Unit 3: UNEXPECTED DISCOVERIES (TECHNOLOGIES)

LISTENING: Lucky Invention? – A podcast

LISTENING SKILL: Infer meaning

SPEAKING SKILL: Check your understanding

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Apply; Reflect; Infer; Synthesize; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Can and can’t

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Make a time line

TED TALKS: Happy maps / Daniele Quercia

PRESENTATION SKILL: Pause

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Give an individual presentation on your own happy map.

Unit 4: THE BUSINESS OF STYLE (DESIGN & INNOVATION)

LISTENING: Sneakerheads – A conversation with slide show

LISTENING SKILL: Make predictions

SPEAKING SKILL: Make suggestions

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Infer; Interpret; Reflect; Synthesize; Analyze; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Numbers.

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Review your notes.

TED TALKS: Forget shopping. Soon you’ll download your new clothes / Danit Peleg

PRESENTATION SKILL: Prepare for an interview

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Work with a partner to interview a classmate about his or her opinions on recent fashion trends.

Unit 5: ENGINEERED BY NATURE (ENGINEERING & ROBOTICS)

LISTENING: The Science of Surfaces – A documentary (with slide show)

LISTENING SKILL: Recognize references to key terms

SPEAKING SKILL: Use signal words to mark transitions

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Predict; Reflect; Apply; Interpret; Infer; Synthesize; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Linking sounds

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Take notes using key terms

TED TALKS: Why I make robots the size of a grain of rice / Sarah Bergbreiter

PRESENTATION SKILL: Have a strong ending

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Give a group presentation about other applications for biomimicry projects

Unit 6: LENDING A HAND (BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY)

LISTENING: Microloans: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty – A lecture (with slide show)

LISTENING SKILL: Recognize facts and opinions

SPEAKING SKILL: Express an opinion

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Predict; Analyze; Interpret; Reflect; Infer; Synthesize; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Speak in thought groups

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Use symbols

TED TALKS: Should you donate differently? / Joy Sun

PRESENTATION SKILL: Be personable

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Participate in a role play about how to donate money to people in need

Unit 7: LESS IS MORE (PSYCHOLOGY)

LISTENING: More Choice, More Happiness? – A lecture (with slide show)

LISTENING SKILL: Listen for rhetorical questions

SPEAKING SKILL: Use signposts to organize ideas

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Analyze; Apply; Interpret; Reflect; Infer; Synthesize; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Intonation in yes/no and choice questions

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Record information in a list

TED TALKS: Less stuff, more happiness / Graham Hill

PRESENTATION SKILL: Connect the ending to the beginning

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Give a group presentation about the topic, “less is more”

Unit 8: JUSTICE IN THE JUNGLE (WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & INNOVATION)

LISTENING: Fighting the Traffickers – An interview (with slide show)

LISTENING SKILL: Listen for phrases that signal what to expect

SPEAKING SKILL: Ask follow-up questions

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: Predict; Infer; Interpret; Reflect; Infer; Synthesize; Evaluate.

PRONUNCIATION SKILL: Intonation in –wh questions

NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Use mind maps

TED TALKS: A drone’s-eye view of conservation / Lian Pin Koh

PRESENTATION SKILL: Use visuals effectively

UNIT ASSIGNMENT: Give a group presentation about an animal that is under threat.

Intended for English language learners at the CERF: B1 and B2 levels.