Reflect and Discuss

Roundtable Preparation

Roundtable Discussions are live, small-group (max 4 students) conversations centering on the topics raised in the TED talk. Guided by an American business trainer with more than 35 years of professional experience, the Roundtable Discussions are designed to help you build fluency and confidence in spontaneous conversation with other advanced-level English speakers from around the world.

Read more about Roundtable Discussions >>

Prepare for the Roundtable Discussion by reflecting on the questions below. Practice answering them using vocabulary that was introduced in this lesson. You’ll get the best practice if you practice answering by speaking out loud.

• Can you give a clear and concise summary of the video? Include the following points in your summary:
  • The problem
  • The negative impact(s) of the problem
  • The specific solution that the speaker proposes
  • A few key examples, presented in the talk, which illustrate how the solution can be implemented
    
• Let’s focus just on the introductory part of the talk.
  • What main idea was presented in the introduction section of the talk?
  • What examples or statistics were given as supporting evidence?
  • In general terms, what does the speaker propose as a solution?
    
• What was the first workplace happiness factor that the speaker chose to talk about?
  • Explain this factor in your words.
  • According to the speaker, what negative consequences can be observed when this happiness factor is not present in a company?
  • What details, examples or statistics does the speaker provide to support his argument?
    
• What was the second workplace happiness factor that the speaker chose to talk about?
  • Explain this factor in your words.
  • According to the speaker, what negative consequences can be observed when this happiness factor is not present in a company?
  • What details, examples or statistics does the speaker provide to support his argument?
    
• What was the third workplace happiness factor that the speaker chose to talk about?
  • Explain this factor in your words.
  • According to the speaker, what negative consequences can be observed when this happiness factor is not present in a company?
  • What details, examples or statistics does the speaker provide to support his argument?

• What conclusion does the speaker want us to reach as a result of his talk?

• In your opinion, was the speaker’s presentation persuasive? Why or why not?

• Which of the speaker’s points really jumped out at you (grabbed your attention)?

• What, if anything, do you think the speaker overlooked (failed to notice or consider)?

• Tell us about a time when your morale or your team’s morale was positively or negatively affected by one of the three factors discussed in the video.

• The speaker ends his talk by encouraging the audience to reflect on how they can change for the better. Think about how you might make a positive change at work or in a personal context, based on the three key points from the talk.

• In cases where a company’s culture doesn’t foster job satisfaction…
  • Can the culture be changed? If so, how? If not, why not?
  • What specific challenges might be faced when trying to change company culture?
  • What steps can be taken to overcome these challenges?