Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

B2-C1

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

TED

15.7M views 10 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What makes a conversation “better” in your opinion?
In what situations do conversations become difficult (for example, politics or family topics)?
What is one conversation habit you want to improve?

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Start With: Word Definition

Order: Alphabetical Random

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Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

Why conversations feel harder now (00:00 – 03:03)

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1. According to the speaker, many conversations today can easily turn into what?

A formal debate with rules
A joke
An argument
A private confession

2. What did the Pew Research study suggest about people right now?

They are more polarized and less likely to compromise
They avoid politics completely
They are more united than ever
They talk more face to face than before

3. The speaker quotes a teacher who says students rarely get a chance to do what?

Practice sports after school
Learn new languages online
Write long essays
Hone interpersonal communication skills

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

Rules 1–4: Presence, humility, questions, and flow (03:03 – 07:26)

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1. Rule #1 is mainly about what?

Taking notes during every conversation
Using humor to relax people
Talking more to show confidence
Not multitasking and being present

2. What does the speaker suggest if you want to state your opinion with no response or pushback?

Write a blog
Speak louder
Change the topic quickly
Join a debate club

3. What kind of questions does the speaker recommend to get better answers?

Open-ended questions starting with who/what/where/when/why/how
Questions with many details
Yes/no questions
Questions that suggest the answer

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

Rules 5–10: Honesty, empathy, listening, and being brief (07:26 – 11:45)

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1. Rule #6 warns against doing what during someone else’s story?

Equating your experience with theirs
Asking for more details
Taking a short break
Staying silent for too long

2. Why does the speaker say it can be hard to listen carefully?

People speak too quietly to understand
Listening is impossible without notes
We can listen faster than people talk, so our minds get distracted
Good listening requires agreeing with the speaker

3. What is the final rule (#10)?

Be loud
Be brief
Be formal
Be funny

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

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1. What is the speaker’s main goal in the talk?

To prove that texting is always harmful
To explain how social media companies work
To teach people how to win arguments
To teach practical ways to talk and listen better

2. Which idea best matches the speaker’s approach to conversation?

Focus on giving advice as quickly as possible
Enter conversations assuming you have something to learn
Plan your best stories in advance so you never run out of things to say
Avoid speaking to people you disagree with

3. According to the speaker, what is the most important skill for good conversation?

Remembering names and dates
Listening
Speaking quickly
Correcting people’s mistakes

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

Which of the 10 rules do you find easiest, and which is the hardest? Why?
Do you agree that technology has made conversations worse? Give examples from your life.
Think of a time a conversation “devolved into an argument.” What could have changed the outcome?
How can you show you are listening without using fake signals (for example, forced nodding)?