Hello everyone,
For anyone using TED Talks to practice their listening and speaking skills, here are a couple of cool things you can do on the website:
1. Watch with subtitles
Just click the speech icon on the bottom-right corner of the video. You'll find English subtitles, and for some talks (like this one by Dan Pink), there are Japanese subtitles too.
You will probably have a better chance of getting Japanese subtitles if the TED Talk is popular and not too new.
You can use subtitles to check your understanding of the video, and then try listening again with just English subtitles or no subtitles at all.
2. Get the transcript
If you look underneath the video, you will see some tabs. Click the "Transcript" button (the second one from the left).
As you can see, there is more than one language for certain talks. For this particular one on the happy secret to better work, you can get the transcript in English:
or Japanese:
You can use transcripts to check your understanding, read along, and find vocabulary or phrases you can use in your communication style. If you are really up for a challenge, you can practice shadowing with your transcript. Once you get really good at it, mute the video, put the English subtitles on, and try reading it karaoke-style. Come on, I dare you!
Best,
Yumi