Talk is Golden by KanTalk.com

Each year since 1984, fifty speakers went to TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Conference in Monterey, California, each giving a 18-minute talk. The speakers are the thinkers and doers. They are leading experts in various fields, or have achieved the extraordinary things in their life.

These are not boring lectures. In less than 20 minutes, each speaker entertained the mind of the audiences with an inspiring idea and intriguing insight. The topic varies, but the delivery is uniform: sleek, speedy, and straightforward.

TED has put out about 200 talks in video at its website. The talks are not intended as ESL learning materials; they are meant to spread ideas. Nonetheless, for the advance learners, there are no better materials than the TED’s talks.

Acquiring another language is a fulfilling journey. Peppering it with the sparking ideas from TED makes it delightful.

If you can spare five minutes a day, then listen to This I Believe at the National Public Radio (NPR).

This I Believe is a project that let people talk about what they believe within a few minutes. In each broadcasting, you can hear someone reading the short essay he wrote. Some of the authors are well-known, like entrepreneur Bill Gates, novelist John Updike, astronaut Dan Tani, and politician John McCain.

But a majority of the authors are the ordinary people just like you and me. The theme of their stories ranges from as grand as improving the world to as simple as “be cool”. They wrote from their hearts, and their readings came through fresh and original.

After listening to each essay, you can read the transcript at the website to check your comprehension. The readings in This I Believe project are the best short listening materials available online.

This we believe.

As Valentine’s Day is around, we too smell the rose. It’s the best gift for your love one in this special occasion. For our beloved English learners, we thought that celebrating it with the scent of a rose is great; it’s greater with the substance of the rose.

The Charlie Rose, that is.

We lifted the idea from an experienced ESL teacher, who always recommends it his advanced students. it’s an hour-long TV talk show, hosted by Charlie Rose. He isn’t the best good-looking guy, but he has the kind of charm that George Clooney doesn’t: he knows how to pose the simple and smart questions to his guests, and then shut up and let them talk.

And they really talk. Studying English or not, you may well want to hear what his guests have to say. They made it to the show for a reason; they all are the overachievers in their chosen fields, be it business, politics, sports, or arts, like Rupert Murdoch, Roger Federer, George Lucas … You got the idea.

Fascinating people, wonderful topics, and great conversations; all in one. The benefit of watching his show often to your listening comprehension is like that of eating nutritious dinner daily to your health. It never hurts to listen to smart people talking.

The Show is aired on almost every public station in the U.S. during the week. All of its interviews are archived in its website; you can watch them anytime anywhere.

By the way, don’t forget to smell the scent of a rose.