Advanced Learner
Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation
Lesson Objectives
Experience a presentation by a native English speaker, to understand the kind of listening and presentation skills a student needs to develop, to make attending a conference like this worthwhile. With over six million views, this video is one of the most watched TED Talks of all time.
Materials
- The Woodpecker app installed on an iOS or Android device.
- Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation video (select this link to watch it in the app)
- Key Vocabulary (exported from Woodpecker)
- (optional) Full transcript available from YouTube - Dan Pink
- (optional) Additional reading material from NPR
Topics for discussion
The student should watch the video in Woodpecker by themselves. After they’ve watched the video a few times, they should be ready to discuss it with their teacher.
- Describe the solution to the candle problem.
- In what circumstances do extrinsic motivators (carrots and sticks) work well?
- How effective are financial incentives for people who do creative work?
- How realistic is it for a business to rely on the three intrinsic motivators (autonomy, mastery and purpose)?
Additional Reading
If you want to find out more about Dan Pink and his ideas then read these stories from NPR about him and his work. If you are reading this document in the Woodpecker app, then after selecting the links below, these documents will open in the app with our dictionary and other functionalities enabled.
'Drive' Not Always Explained By Rewards - NPR
Mr. Bossman: What's My Motivation, Money? - NPR
Death Of The (Predatory) Salesman: These Days, It's A Buyer's Market - NPR
Key Vocabulary
Definitions for English words can be created in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
confession | kənˈfɛʃən | 名詞 (可數的和不可數的, 複數 confessions) 1. 自白, 承認, 承認, 自供, 供認, 供認, 坦白, 交代 (open admittance) 2. 自供狀, 自供狀, 供詞, 供詞, 供狀, 供狀, 自白書, 自白書 (document) 3. 懺悔, 懺悔 (disclosure of one's sins to a priest) |
outset | ˈaʊtsɛt | 名詞 (複數 outsets) 1. 開始, 開始 (initial stage of something) |
at the outset | 1. 開初 | |
not particularly | 1. 不怎麼 | |
oblige | əˈblaɪdʒ | 動詞 (obliges, obliging, obliged, obliged) 1. 幫忙, 幫忙 (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) |
indiscretion | 1. 欠詳慮 2. 不慎重 3. 輕率 | |
evidence | ˈɛvɪdəns , ˈɛvədəns | 名詞 (通常不可數的, 複數 evidences) 1. 證據, 證據 (facts presented in support of an assertion) 2. 證據, 證據 (anything admitted by a court as proof) |
rethink | ɹiːˈθɪŋk | 動詞 (rethinks, rethinking, rethought, rethought) 1. 再想, 重想, 重新考慮 (think again about a problem) |
thumbtack | ˈθʌm.tæk | 名詞 (複數 thumbtacks) 1. 圖釘, 圖釘 (nail-like tack) |
thumbtack | ˈθʌm.tæk | 1. 大頭釘 |
functional | 形容詞 (比較級 more functional, 最高級 most functional) 1. 功能 (in good working order) | |
receptacle | ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩ | 1. 容器,貯藏器；插座,插孔 2. 插座 |
suppose | səˈpəʊz , [səˈpʰəʊz] , ˈspəʊz , [ˈspəʊz] | 動詞 (supposes, supposing, supposed, supposed) 1. 假定 (conclude/ believe) 2. 假定 (theorize/ hypothesize) |
commission | kəˈmɪʃən | 1. 委員會,委託,代辦,委託書,佣金,手續費 2. 委任 3. 委任；委員會 |
reality show | 名詞 (複數 reality shows) 1. 真人秀 (a reality television program) | |
incentive | ɪnˈsɛntɪv | 名詞 (複數 incentives) 1. 刺激, 誘因, 誘因 (something that motivates) 2. 獎勵, 獎勵, 報酬, 報酬 (cash bonus) |
contingent | kənˈtɪn.dʒənt | 1. 偶然的,意外的 |
social science | 名詞 (複數 social sciences) 1. 社會科學, 社會科學 (branch of science) | |
intrinsic | ɪn.ˈtɹɪn.zɪk | 形容詞 (比較級 more intrinsic, 最高級 most intrinsic) 1. 本質的 (inherent) |
extrinsic | ɛks.ˈtɹɪn.zɪk | 1. 外在的 2. 外來的 3. 外表的 4. 被動的 |
operate | ɒpəreɪt | 動詞 (operates, operating, operated, operated) 1. 動手術, 動手術 (medicine) 2. 操作 (to operate a machine) |
operating system | 1. 作業系統 2. 操作系統 | |
reward and punishment | 1. 賞罰 | |
destination | dɛstɪˈneɪʃən | 1. 目的地；目標 2. 目的地,收報局,收報台,終點局 3. 目的地 4. 目的地,目的 |
periphery | pəˈɹɪfəɹi | 名詞 (複數 peripheries) 1. 周邊, 周邊, 外圍, 外圍 (outside boundary, parts or surface) |
conceptual | kənˈsɛptjʊəl | 1. 概念的 |
mystifying | 1. 陰陽怪氣 | |
philosophy | fɪˈlɒsəfi | 1. 哲學,哲學體系理念 |
reward | ɹɪˈwɔːd | 名詞 (複數 rewards) 1. 報酬, 報酬 (something of value given in return for an act) 動詞 (rewards, rewarding, rewarded, rewarded) 2. 獎勵, 獎勵, 報答, 報答 (give a reward to) |
mismatch | ˌmɪsˈmætʃ , ˈmɪs.mætʃ | 1. 配錯；配合不當；錯位防守 2. 不匹配 3. 不匹配；不符合 4. 失配；不匹配；不符合 |
outdated | [aʊtˈdeɪtɪd] | 1. 老式 |
autonomy | 1. 自治,自治權 2. 自律性 | |
mastery | 1. 控制；統治；優勢；優勝；掌握,精通 | |
purpose | ˈpɜːpəs | 1. 目的 2. 宗 |
compliance | kəmˈplaɪəns | 1. 承諾 2. 遵循 3. 依照 |
direction | dəˈɹɛk.ʃən , dɪˈɹɛk.ʃən , daɪˈɹɛk.ʃən | 名詞 (可數的和不可數的, 複數 directions) 1. 方向 (indication of the point toward which an object is moving) |
teammate | ˈtiːmˌmeɪt | 1. 隊友 |