TED Talks
TED Talks are short, powerful public speeches that cover an array of current topics. For an intermediate language class, they are a great source of authentic material. Not only does each talk focus on topics that could be discussed further, they reflect the speaker's own passions, ideas and interests.
Using TED Talks in the classroom is a great way for students to listen to spoken English from both native and non-native English speakers. This allows students to become accustomed to listening to and understanding different accents and ways of talking.
In my segundo de bachillerato classes I used TED Talks for a class assignment. The assignment was for each student to choose a TED Talk they found interesting. They were then required to present a summary of what the talk was about and their opinions on it, prepare discussion questions derived from the talk for their classmates to answer, after they had watched it, and provide a vocabulary list.
This task allowed the students to discuss topics that they are interested in. From which, they were able to practice their public speaking skills, to strengthen their discussion skills and to develop critical thinking skills.