FAQs

Who is Keynote aimed at?

Keynote is aimed at busy working adults and young adults who are probably studying English after work or fitting it round other commitments. It is also ideal for university students because of the presentation skills strand which is equally suitable for academic situations.

How many hours are needed to teach a level of Keynote?

There's enough material for between 90 and 120 hours. You can fast track the material by getting students to do some work at home, such as watching the TED Talk or reading the reading text.

How many units are there?

Twelve per level

What is the overall approach used in Keynote?

The methodology in Keynote can be described as eclectic. There has been a level of convergence in course books over recent years and a general expectation that courses will take the best of all approaches, hence the name, Keynote. Keynote offers the following:

• It is communicative
• There is a balanced approach to skills with particular emphasis on reading
• There is a Guided discovery approach to grammar
• It has a multi-strand syllabus
• There is practice of specific business areas that is available via the website

What type of teacher is this book suitable for?

The material is suitable for all teachers – experienced/less experienced, native/non-native alike. The Teacher's Book provides full teaching notes with keys, scripts, tips, background notes, suggestions for extension activities and a wealth of ideas for maximising the potential of TED Talks in the ELT classroom.

How is the reading presented?

Each unit has a reading lesson based on a contemporary and real-world text. The activities cover reading comprehension, reading skills, but also elicit a personal response to the content of the text. In the reading lesson – as in the other types of lesson – the final activity has a ‘21st century outcome’, and therefore practises the skills, knowledge and expertise students need to succeed in their professional and personal lives in the 21st century.

How is the writing presented?

The final lesson of every unit focuses on a writing skill and specific text type. There are on-page models for students to follow. Writing is further practised in the Workbook where there are six double-page spreads that provide detailed practice of the kinds of texts that come up in the Cambridge exams (matched to the level of the book). These process-based lessons help students generate ideas, provide them with a model, give them useful language, and help them plan, draft, revise and analyse.

How is listening presented?

Listening is a key component of the course and is dealt with in various ways. To help students deal with the authentic, native speaker-level language of the TED Talks, Keynote has a comprehensive authentic listening skills syllabus that – together with a focus on key words from the TED Talk and background information – allows students to understand listening material which is often well above their productive level. Secondly, there is graded listening material which students work on, using a wide variety of listening comprehension task types.

How is speaking presented?

Each unit has a lesson that focuses specifically on functional and situational language that is relevant to working adults. This is supported by a Useful Language Box. In addition, the grammar lessons end with a speaking task related to a 21st century outcome.

How is grammar presented?

The grammar is presented and contextualised via an infographic. Language exponents are then pulled out and showcased in the grammar box and are followed up with concept-check questions. Students then move to the back of the book to read about the grammar in more detail, check their answers to the concept-check questions and do the practice exercises that focus mainly on form. They then come back to the unit and have further, less controlled and more use/meaning-based practice. This guided discovery approach asks very practical, easy-to-answer questions that allow students to understand the fundamentals of the grammar points without becoming too abstract.

The Workbook consolidates the grammar presented in the Student’s Book and extends it (often looking at more idiomatic grammar) in the ‘Grammar Extra’ exercises.

How is vocabulary presented?

The vocabulary in the Student’s Book falls into three main categories:

• Key words – these are the words that are central to the key message of the TED Talk and a matching with definitions exercise helps students to understand their meaning. They aren’t intended for productive use, as they are above the students’ target CEFR level.
• Vocabulary in context – these are excerpts from the TED Talk that contain words and collocations which are useful language for this level. Students watch the excerpts, choice the correct on-screen synonym and then go on the practise the words through a personalisation activity.
• Lexical sets – each reading lesson contains a lexical set that is related to the topic of the unit. There is consolidation of the vocabulary in context and the lexical sets in the Workbook. In addition, the Workbook provides more practice of wordbuilding and common collocations of a topic word.

How is pronunciation presented?

The pronunciation syllabus appears on the functions page and on the grammar spreads where there is a relevant pronunciation point to make in relation to the grammar.

How does Keynote teach Critical Thinking skills?

The critical thinking in Keynote always uses the device of viewers’ comments (like those on sites like TED and YouTube etc.). Using these posts turns the critical thinking into a modern, real-life task, and practises a skill we need for our modern world where we have to sift through masses of information which is sometimes relevant, correct and interesting, but more often, irrelevant and incorrect and is really somebody’s ill-informed opinion masquerading as a fact!

Why is studying with Keynote better for preparing my students for the 21st Century?

21st century skills is a recurrent sub-syllabus within Keynote. All of the lessons except the TED Talk spreads end with a final productive task that practises a 21st century student outcome. While these tasks practise the language they’ve just learnt, the goal of the task always relates to a skill for the modern workplace. Examples include things like financial literacy – making good financial decisions; life and career skills – presenting information accurately; communication – good interpersonal skills; information literacy – interpreting data

How does Keynote inspire tertiary communication?

Keynote engages university students with the inspired ideas of respected professionals giving TED talks, and through thought-provoking texts and infographics. The course develops the skills and literacies needed to navigate the information-rich world of global English and gives students the courage to find their own voice in English, inspiring real, meaningful communication.

The course is particularly well suited for university students because while it doesn’t assume any prior business experience, it frequently looks through the lens of a professional at the world we live in, helping build learners’ familiarity with business ideas and concepts without an overt focus on ‘business English’.

Why is Keynote perfect for university students?

With Keynote, University students can:

• listen to the formal presentation of ideas of respected professionals and thinkers in authentic, ungraded English which is ideal practice for lectures
• apply key critical thinking skills to the evaluation of these ideas and talks much as they would have to in essays and tutorials
• learn how to give more formal presentations themselves in an engaging and coherent way – a key skill for academic success
• build key 21st skills, such as information literacy and global awareness, through analysis of real-life data and infographics
• engage with a wide range of thought-provoking texts which examine our relationship with work, technology, the economy and education 
• collaborate with fellow students to reach a deeper understanding of topics and ideas
• find their own voice in English, inspiring real, meaningful communication
• learn to express themselves accurately and persuasively in both spoken and written English

Why is Keynote ideal for professionals?

The syllabus sub-strands in Keynote make it an ideal course for professionals. One of the key sub-strands is a focus on Presentation Skills. This is ideal for professionals who need to deliver slick, well-constructed and impactful presentations in English. The ideas have been provided by TED themselves and are based on advice they give their speakers.

In addition, all of the spreads except the TED Talks spreads end with a final productive task that practices a 21st century student outcome. The goal of the task always relates to a skill for the modern workplace. Examples include financial literacy – making good financial decisions; life and career skills – presenting information accurately; communication – good interpersonal skills and information literacy – interpreting data.

Why TED?

• Authentic native-speaker content
• Inspiring speakers who engage learners
• Challenging listening content
• High-level content is ideal for Upper-Intermediate and Advanced students (including C2)
• Presentation skills
• Wide-ranging topics
• It’s contemporary and cutting-edge
• Teachers love TED

How do the TED Talks help students learn English?

Real and relevant topics from around the world to the classroom are interesting and relevant to learners. They help learners to form opinions that they can’t help but want to share and discuss and this series helps them do that in English. National Geographic Learning’s new partnership with TED represents our commitment to continue to expand the resources we provide for your learners to react to and engage with global topics while learning meaningful English.

Are the TED Talks edited for language level?

No, the TED Talks are not edited for language level. The length of the talks has been edited and varies depending on the level and gets longer as the level gets higher. It is the comprehension activities and the way the content is exploited that have been graded and which make the TED Talks accessible.

Where is the Online Workbook hosted?

The Online Workbook is hosted on myELT. The online workbook material is the same as the print workbook. This is a standalone item and can also be purchased bundled with the Student’s Book.

Is there an Interactive Whiteboard?

There is an IWB but it is called a Teacher Presentation Tool and is essentially a Teacher’s eBook with answers. This is delivered on a CD-ROM.

What is on the DVD-ROM found in the Student’s Book?

The disc in the back of the Student’s Book contains the video and audio.

Where is the Class Audio found?

The Class Audio is available in the back of the Teacher’s Book and will also be downloadable from the Keynote resource website