21st Century Reading, First Edition

21st Century Reading was created through a partnership between TED, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading ideas through short, powerful talks and National Geographic Learning.


21st Century Reading provides the ideal forum for learners of English to make connections with topics ranging from science to business to global issues. Using TED Talks as the springboard to share ideas, this new four-level reading series shows learners how to understand and respond to ideas and content in English.


21st Century Reading develops essential knowledge and skills for learners to succeed in today’s global society. The series teaches core academic language skills and incorporates 21st century themes and skills such as global awareness, information literacy, and critical thinking.


Each unit of 21st Century Reading has three parts: READ about a 21st century topic—such as social robots and viral videos—in Lesson A; LEARN more about the topic by viewing an authentic TED Talk in Lesson B; EXPLORE the topic further by completing a collaborative research project.
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Authors

Robin Longshaw

Robin Longshaw has taught English to adults and young adults in Spain and the US for thirty years. She has worked as an author and editor of English t... more

Laurie Blass

Laurie Blass is a writer and editor specializing in print and digital English Language Teaching materials. She has an M.A. in Linguistics and a TESL certificate from the University of Pittsburgh and h... more

Mari Vargo

Mari Vargo holds an M.A. in English from San Francisco State University. She has authored numerous ELT textbooks and online educational materials for a wide range of audiences, including community col... more

Eunice Yeates

Eunice Yeates taught English in Japan for a number of years before turning her attention to educational publishing in 1999. She has written extensivel... more

Ingrid Wisniewska

Ingrid Wisniewska studied modern languages and philosophy at Oxford University. She holds an MA in English language teaching and a PhD in language teacher education from the University of Southampton.... more

Jessica Williams

Jessica Williams is an author, teacher, and teacher trainer. She was a professor of Applied Linguistics for more than 30 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she prepared hundreds of ... more