TED Talks as a Pedagogical Bridge: Exploring Strategies for Reducing Speaking Anxiety in Iranian and Indian Contexts

This research investigates the impact of TED Talks on communication apprehension (CA) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) among university students in Iran and India. The study utilised two closed-ended questionnaires, PRCA-24 and FLCA, which employed a descriptive survey methodology for data collection and evaluation. The participants involved 400 undergraduate students from Iran and India who had previously completed university-level oral communication or spoken English courses, where TED Talks were integrated as part of the instructional materials. The findings revealed that TED Talks could potentially decrease levels of CA among participants. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between nationality and PRCA-24 scores. Similarly, no significant disparity in FLCA scores was found between the Iranian and Indian cohorts. The study underscores the potential of TED Talks in English language training in Iran and India, suggesting that they can enhance conversational skills. The study suggests that nationality does not significantly influence the effectiveness of TED Talks in various cultural and national settings. The study provides valuable insights for future research. It calls for a broader participant range, the use of objective metrics, standardised instructional approaches, consideration of varying proficiency levels, and technological accessibility to improve conversational skills development. In general, the study offers significant contributions to the understanding of the utilisation of TED Talks as an educational instrument for CA and FLCA to enhance conversational abilities within Iranian and Indian universities. The findings offer significant insights for educators and curriculum developers operating within these geographic regions. Keywords: Anxiety; Apprehension; Communication; Conversation; TED Talks DOI: http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2026-3201-19