TED Talk - Goals
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Mel-ody WitteveenTED Talk - Goals
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Mel-ody WitteveenEnglish
TED Talk
If you want to achieve your goals, …
Reggie Rivers discusses how focusing on your goals is the one sure way NOT to achieve them. With
humor and insight he goes on to explain how focusing on your behaviors is how you achieve goals.
Before we listen:
Are you a person who sets goals? Why yes/no? When do you usually do that? What
was the last goal you set yourself?
What is your goal in the next 6 months? What is your goal in the next 6 years?
In your opinion: What does someone need to pay attention to in the goal setting
process? (Mention at least 2 aspects)
Pre-Listening: Vocabulary
What do these expressions mean? Write down the German translation in the right column.
If you need help you can have a look at the box with the translations.
English German
1. recess
2. prerogative
3. on purpose, purposely
4. behaviour
5. participation
6. in order to
7. metaphor
8. voluntary/involuntary
9. to be mature
10. to be agitated
11. short term/long term
12. to achieve something
Beteiligung/Teilnahme, aufgewühlt sein, um zu/zwecks, absichtlich, freiwillig/……, Vorrecht,
Pause, Verhalten/Benehmen, Metapher (übertragener Ausdruck), etwas erreichen,
reif/mündig sein, kurzfristig/….,
After watching:
Source : Ted talk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PP3p4_4R8
Useful exp. : https://www.linguahouse.com/learning-english/general-english/useful-expressions-for-discussions
English
1. What is the main statement from Reggie Rivers?
Stop thinking about ___________________________________________________
2. “I heard yes” What does the speaker want to convey? (communicate)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. How does it work according to the speaker?
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________
4. Look at the goal which you set yourself for this class. After watching this talk, do you
want to add/change something?
Discussion questions (groups of 4)
Try to use some new vocabulary from the list
- What do you think about this talk in general?
- Did you like the speaker? Why yes/not?
- Are you a goal setter? Why yes/not? Share some experiences.
- What do you think about the main statement of this talk? Do you
agree/disagree? Give reasons.
- Share your goal to your groupmates and explain if you
added/changed something after the talk.
Useful expressions for discussions
Asking for opinion Giving an opinion
How do you feel about ...? I think …
What`s your opition about …? If you ask me, …
What do you think of …? From my point of view, …
Agreeing Partially agreeing Disagreeing
Absolutely! That might be true, but … That`s not true.
I totally agree with you. You`re right to a certain extent, but … I`m afraid, I don`t
really agree.
I`d go along with that. You`re right up to a point, but I`m not sure about that.
I suppose so. I absolutely disagree.
Source : Ted talk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PP3p4_4R8
Useful exp. : https://www.linguahouse.com/learning-english/general-english/useful-expressions-for-discussions
English
Answer key
English German
13. recess Pause
14. prerogative Vorrecht
15. on purpose, purposely absichtlich
16. behaviour Verhalten/Benehmen
17. participation Beteiligung/Teilnahme
18. in order to Um zu/zwecks
19. metaphor Metapher (übertragener Ausdruck)
20. voluntary/involuntary Freiwillig/unfreiwillig
21. to be mature Reif/mündig sein
22. to be agitated Aufgewühlt sein
23. short term/long term Kurzfristig/langfristig
1. What is the main statement from Reggie Rivers?
Stop thinking about the goal, focus on your behaviour to achieve that goal
2. “I heard yes” What does the speaker want to convey? (communicate)
- positive mindset about the goal, in the head -> already reached goal, now I can focus
how to get there (behaviour), you control what you can control -> you can be positive
about the process (more likely to reach the goal) or negative (less likely to reach the
goal) …
3. How does it work according to the speaker?
a. You set a goal
b. Behaviours are very short-term -> 7 days
c. What can I do today/tomorrow/this week to get closer to that goal? Behaviours =
building blocks
Source : Ted talk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PP3p4_4R8
Useful exp. : https://www.linguahouse.com/learning-english/general-english/useful-expressions-for-discussions
