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 intended audience of the video. In other words, who is Chieh speaking to?
  • His purpose in speaking. In other words, what does he hope to accomplish by giving this talk?
  • What three main, general steps does the speaker use to organize his advice?
    
• In the intro to his talk, Chieh says, “Life is about finding the intersection of what you really, really love with what you’re really, really good at. As simple as it sounds, it’s really not that easy to find.”
  • Do you agree with the speaker’s idea of the key to life? Why or why not?
  • What stresses and difficulties arise in life when we don’t love the work that we do?
  • How can we find a balance between financial responsibility and doing what we love?
    
• On making the big decision, Chieh focuses on three key ideas: learning, trusting your gut and short-term pain.
  • Explain Chieh’s views on learning as if you were speaking to someone who has not seen this video.
  • To what extent do you agree or disagree with Chieh’s views on learning? Explain your own views on this topic using examples from your own life.
  • Explain Chieh’s views on trusting your gut as if you were speaking to someone who has not seen this video.
  • To what extent do you agree or disagree with Chieh’s views on trusting your gut? Explain your own views on this topic using examples from your own life.
  • Explain Chieh’s views on short-term pain as if you were speaking to someone who has not seen this video.
  • To what extent do you agree or disagree with Chieh’s views on short-term pain? Explain your own views on this topic using examples from your own life.
    
• Once you’ve made the decision, Chieh advises you to prepare for the change by networking, shoring up your finances and getting your side hustle on.
  • Explain Chieh’s views on each of these three topics as if you were speaking to someone who has not seen this talk.
  • Speak about your own views on each of these three topics, using examples from your own experience.
    
• In the final section of his talk, Chieh speaks about burning bridges, taking stock and being nervous.
  • Explain Chieh’s views on each of these three topics as if you were speaking to someone who has not seen this talk.
  • Speak about your own views on each of these three topics, using examples from your own life or examples from the lives of others that you have known.
    
• In your opinion, is Chieh’s talk effective? When giving your opinion, consider his speaking style as well as the overall organization and flow of his talk.
  
• In the intro section of his talk, Chieh offers specific examples from his own life.
  • What do you think his purpose is in doing this?
  • In your opinion, does it make his talk more effective? Why or why not?
  • In your opinion, does the effectiveness of personal examples depend on the topic of the presentation? Explain.
    
• In his talk, Chieh uses very informal language. For example, he says “what you really, really love” and “what you are really, really good at”.
  • Can you think of ways to says these two ideas in slightly less informal ways?
  • In your opinion, how would using a neutral tone or formal tone change the effectiveness of Chieh’s talk?
    
• Speechwriters often use the “Rule of Three” to organize ideas and to give their speeches more power. How does Chieh use the Rule of Three in his talk? Is it effective? Why or why not?
  
• Has Chieh overlooked any key ideas that should be considered when thinking about a career change?