THE EFFECTIVENESS OF «TED TALKS» VIDEO MATERIALS IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT A MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The article examines the methodological potential of video materials from the TED Talks resource (Technology Entertainment Design) in the context of teaching English for Professional Purposes and Academic English at medical higher education institutions. The TED Talks video materials cover not only topical issues of natural sciences but also modern problems of education, culture, history, business, sustainable development, etc., therefore, they can contribute to the development of both hard and soft skills of undergraduate and Ph.D. students majoring in Health Care and Biology. Short TED talks delivered by experts from various spheres can be used to develop public speaking skills, analytical listening, rhetorical text analysis, etc. The paper presents several linguodidactic mechanisms aimed at the development, practice, and systematization of the above skills to optimize students’ mastering of grammatical constructions and lexical material. The methodological algorithm is represented by receptive, reproductive, and productive types of exercises and can be used to improve communicative competence and English language proficiency, to organize the classroom and extracurricular activities, as well as a distance learning mode. The research may be of interest to teachers of English at medical universities, as well as specialists from other fields, in the process of planning training sessions and developing educational and methodological materials.