TED talk by Patricia Ryan

Mert Kaan Tek

First foreign language English

1) Why is losing languages so dangerous in the presenter’s eyes? Do you agree?

A Language is a culture more than a language for her. If people are losing their
languages they also lose their cultures, mostly what they have in their countries.

2) Which example did Ryan give of cultural knowledge that wasn’t shared in
English?
She said that even though the English language is a global language it shouldn’t
prevent people from sharing their thoughts and culture.

3) Do you think that far-reaching English education is responsible for cultural loss?
If so, how would you solve this problem?
I think that it affects countries' development on globalization. Some people from
countries that are seeking English education are not being able to reach English
education as easily as other people in other countries who are more comfortable
with reaching English Education. I think it might be responsible for cultural loss
knowing that those people are not fully able to have the knowledge of facts and
cultures of English speaking countries.

4) Ryan mentions that the U.K. benefitted from the shared oil wealth that resulted
from greater cultural integration with Kuwait when the country began to use
native-speaking teachers. Is English education a kind of imperialism or
neo-colonialism in this way?
In this case it’s kind of neo-colonialism because when they started to use
native-speaking teachers the U.K. benefited from the shared oil wealth that results
from greater cultural integration. It was a way for countries to improve. It helped
improve good relationships between Kuwait and the U.K. when they began to use
native-speaking teachers.

5) What role does English play in higher education?

Learning English might be a need for those who are planning to study in Universities
that have programs which require them to have decent knowledge of English. For
people who are getting higher education English is important to them being involved
in the things they can get advantages for their education worldwide.
6) Which specific examples did Ryan give of English being a barrier to Education?
She said that “when students come to us from abroad, we may not be giving them
enough credit for what they know, and they know it in their own language.”
She also mentioned about the requirement to get into universities for the foreign
students who are not citizens or native speakers of the English language.

7) Is globalization a good or a bad thing, and what part does language play in this
process? What was Ryan’s opinion on this topic?
In my opinion it’s a good thing. It connects people with different nations, cultures
and languages all around the world. One of the most important parts of globalization
is language. People are using the most common language in the world to
communicate with each other and keep their business work.

8) Should there be a minimum level of spoken English required for admission to

Western Universities? What do you think it should be?
At least a minimum level of spoken English should be required in order to get into
Western Universities. For quality of understanding and being able to do work for
classes people should have a certain amount of English speaking knowledge.

9) Do students who use English to study in foreign universities lose some of their
own culture, or just gain parts of another?
They gain parts of other cultures more than losing their own. I don’t think they lose
some of their own culture as long as they won’t stop speaking in their native
language. As they’re using English for studying in a foreign university they would be
more aware of the culture than they would if they were learning English in their own
countries.