The use of Ted Talks in ESP teaching at technical universities

High-quality language teaching of prospective information technology (IT) specialists involves the use of a range of authentic materials that enable teachers to introduce students to English for specific purposes (ESP), to diversify the educational process and to make it more interesting and applied. The purpose of this article is to consider the classification of tasks using TED Talks in the English for specific purposes context of teaching IT students in higher education institutions. The “didactic function” criterion encompasses tasks aimed at developing professionally oriented language competences and tasks focused on the development of professionally oriented speech competences. The criterion for differentiating tasks based on the level of foreign language proficiency takes into account the individual characteristics of IT students, specifically at the B1 and B2 levels. In terms of the “form of performance” criterion, taskscan be adapted for individual, pair, or group work. The criterion for integrating different types of speech activity is to combine listening with speaking, writing, and reading in the task. The criterion for selecting TED Talks by topic is to select speeches with a professional focus. According to the criterion of “the way of presenting material,” TED Talks can be presented either in full or in fragments within the tasks. Regarding the format criterion, tasks based on TED Talks can be offered in online and offline formats. In terms of types of control criterion, TED Talks can be integrated into tasks for diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment. Forms of assessment for tasks based on TED Talks include hetero-assessment, peer assessment, self-assessment, and automated system assessment. Thus, tasks based on TED Talks are diverse and can be adapted to the needs of IT students and the specifics of the educational process, making TED Talks a universal and effective tool for achieving various educational goals in ESP teaching.