Learning a Language Will Change your Life for Good | Christopher McCormick | TEDxPhnomPenh

Summary

The speaker shares a personal journey of language learning, starting with an attempt to learn Cambodian from a monk, leading to a broader discussion on the transformative power of languages. They emphasize the cognitive and social benefits of bilingualism, the importance of early language exposure, and the differences in learning approaches between children and adults. Highlighting the global demand for language skills, they advocate for modern, culturally immersive teaching methods that leverage technology to make language learning more accessible and effective.

Takeaways

• 🎉 The speaker was excited about visiting Cambodia and learning the Kamai language, highlighting the importance of cultural immersion in language learning.
• 📚 The experience with the monk showed that learning a language can be non-traditional and still offer valuable cultural insights, even without formal teaching materials.
• 🌏 The speaker's love for languages has led to a career with EF Education First, an organization that teaches languages globally, emphasizing the transformative power of language learning.
• 👶 Babies are naturally equipped to learn any language, and early exposure to multiple languages has cognitive and social benefits for children.
• 🧠 Learning a language enhances memory, attention, reading, writing, understanding of one's own language, critical thinking, and even aging.
• 👶👨 Differences in language learning approaches between children and adults were noted, with children being more fearless and adults needing to reconnect with their creativity.
• 🏠 The speaker's upbringing in Texas during the Cold War influenced their perspective, but early exposure to diverse cultures and languages sparked a lifelong interest in language learning.
• 🌐 The importance of understanding cultural values and behaviors in language learning was stressed, as it provides a deeper connection to the language and its speakers.
• 💼 Language skills are increasingly important in the global economy, with multilingualism correlating with higher trade, education, and income levels.
• 🌍 Learning one of the UN's world languages (French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, English, Mandarin) provides access to a significant portion of the global population.
• 🚀 Advances in digital and mobile technology have revolutionized language learning, making it more accessible, interactive, and connected to real-world cultural experiences.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial reaction upon learning they would be visiting Cambodia?

The speaker was very excited and immediately thought about learning the Khmer language and culture.

How did the speaker and their partner attempt to learn Khmer while in Sri Lanka?

They asked around and found a Cambodian monk studying at a nearby temple who agreed to teach them Khmer without any formal teaching materials.

What challenges did the speaker encounter while learning Khmer from the monk?

The monk had no books and no idea how to teach a language, and there were complications due to certain words used by monks for everyday things that made simple conversations complex.

What resources did the speaker use to learn the Khmer alphabet?

The speaker used an iPad app and online videos and resources to learn the Khmer alphabet.

Why does the speaker love languages and how has it impacted their life?

The speaker loves languages because they have been studying them since childhood, studied them at university, and it has led to their career and the opportunity to travel and work in over 65 countries.

What is the speaker's profession and the organization they work for?

The speaker works with EF Education First, an organization that teaches languages around the world to people of all ages.

What are some practical benefits of being bilingual according to research studies mentioned in the script?

Bilinguals have better memory, pay attention better, read and write better, understand their own language better, think better, age better, and do better in school. They also develop better attitudes towards others.

How do children and adults differ in their approach to language learning according to the script?

Children are fearless and can quickly master a language to play and make friends, while adults may have lost touch with their natural creative instinct and may have additional pressures due to academic, professional, or home reasons for learning a language.

What was the speaker's childhood background and how did it influence their interest in languages and cultures?

The speaker grew up in Texas during the late 1960s and 1970s, a time of international tension and racial/ethnic strife. However, they had experiences with languages and meeting people from other places that challenged their preconceptions and sparked their interest in exploring the world.

How did the speaker's parents encourage their interest in languages and cultures?

The speaker's parents, who were educators in the arts, encouraged them and their brother to read a lot and use their imaginations. They introduced them to languages and culture through music, theater, and books, and took them to the public library regularly.

What is the significance of the year 2012 mentioned in the script and its impact on language learning?

2012 marked a significant economic shift where developing countries imported more than developed countries for the first time, and their output grew faster. This increased the need for language and culture skills for international trade and cooperation.

What are some of the traditional methods of language teaching that the script suggests are problematic?

The script suggests that uneven teacher training, a lack of quality resources, a lack of clear national policy on language learning, and a simple traditional approach to teaching are problematic and hold people back.

How does the script describe the benefits of using digital and online technologies in language learning?

The script describes the benefits as the ability to unleash the creativity of teachers and students, allowing for faster progress, bringing the world into the classroom, and providing cultural contact without leaving home. It also mentions the ability to connect online with teachers or work with personal adaptive systems.

What is the final message the speaker conveys about the value of learning a language?

The speaker conveys that learning a language can change one's life by giving a better brain, a more open mind, and a brighter future. It teaches humility and allows one to find their voice and see who they can become.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Embracing Language Learning in Cambodia

The speaker expresses excitement about visiting Cambodia and the desire to learn the Kamai language. Despite the challenges of finding a teacher, they end up learning from a Cambodian monk with no formal teaching materials. The experience, although not yielding much language proficiency, provides a deep cultural insight. The speaker's passion for languages is highlighted, having studied them since childhood, and their career with EF Education First, which teaches languages globally. The transformative power of language learning is emphasized, including cognitive benefits and the impact on personal growth and opportunities.

05:01

👶 Childhood Experiences Shaping Global Perspective

The speaker recounts their childhood in Texas during the late 1960s and 1970s, a time of international tension and domestic racial strife. Despite this, they had transformative experiences with immigrants and exchange students, including Vietnamese and Cambodian 'boat people' and Russian defectors. These interactions, along with exposure to international sports events, broadened their worldview. The speaker's parents fostered a love for arts and imagination, leading them to explore languages through music, theater, and books. Early exposure to language learning resources at the local library sparked a lifelong interest in understanding and connecting with different cultures.

10:02

🌐 The Importance of Cultural Understanding in Language Education

The speaker discusses the significance of cultural understanding in language learning, emphasizing that knowing a culture's values, beliefs, and attitudes is as important as learning the language itself. They describe how EF Education First incorporates cultural insights into their language teaching, preparing students for international success. The economic shift towards developing countries and the need for language and cultural skills in the global workforce are highlighted. The speaker also addresses the importance of learning one of the UN's world languages to access a large portion of the global population and the benefits of multilingualism for economic development.

15:04

🚀 Advancing Language Learning with Technology and Cultural Integration

The speaker outlines how modern technology is revolutionizing language learning, making it more accessible and effective. They discuss the use of digital platforms, online resources, and mobile technologies to facilitate learning and cultural interaction. The importance of teaching real-world tasks and simulations is emphasized, as is the role of humility in language learning. The speaker concludes by advocating for the promotion of creativity, discovery, exploration, and collaboration in language education, and the personal growth that comes from learning a new language.

Keywords

💡Kamai language

The Kamai language is a specific language the speaker wanted to learn during their visit to Sri Lanka. It is an example of the broader theme of language learning in the video. The speaker's experience with the Kamai language illustrates the challenges and joys of engaging with a new culture and its language, as they attempted to learn from a monk with no formal teaching materials.

💡Language learning

Language learning is the central theme of the video, emphasizing its transformative power on individuals and societies. The speaker shares personal anecdotes and professional insights on how learning languages can enhance cognitive abilities, cultural understanding, and global opportunities. The video script discusses various aspects of language learning, from the natural aptitude of children to the challenges adults face.

💡Cultural immersion

Cultural immersion refers to the process of learning about and adapting to a different culture, which is a significant aspect of language learning as depicted in the video. The speaker's experience with the monk and the Kamai language exemplifies cultural immersion, as it was not just about language acquisition but also understanding the customs and lifestyle of the Cambodian people.

💡Bilingualism

Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages fluently, which the video highlights as having cognitive and social benefits. The script mentions research studies that show bilingual individuals have better memory, attention, reading, writing skills, and even age better. The concept is used to underscore the advantages of language learning from a young age.

💡Language acquisition

Language acquisition is the process of learning a new language, which is a key concept in the video. The speaker discusses how children and adults approach language learning differently, with children being more naturally adept due to their curiosity and creativity, while adults may need to rekindle these traits and leverage their maturity and self-awareness.

💡EF Education First

EF Education First is an organization mentioned in the video that the speaker works for, which focuses on teaching languages globally. It represents the professional context of the speaker and provides a real-world example of how language education is conducted on a large scale, affecting millions of learners worldwide.

💡Cultural contact

Cultural contact is the interaction with different cultures, which is vital for language learners as it provides context and understanding beyond the language itself. The video emphasizes the importance of cultural contact in language learning, suggesting that it helps learners to see the bigger picture of what they can achieve through language proficiency.

💡Language policies

Language policies refer to the strategic approaches taken by countries or institutions to promote language learning. The video script discusses the importance of having clear language policies on a national level, especially starting language education early and investing in quality resources and teacher training.

💡Digital learning

Digital learning is the use of technology to facilitate learning, which the video script highlights as a modern and effective method for language acquisition. It mentions how digital tools, online platforms, and mobile technologies can make language learning more accessible, interactive, and personalized.

💡Multilingualism

Multilingualism is the ability to speak multiple languages, which the video posits as a valuable skill in today's globalized world. The script connects the level of English proficiency in a country to its economic development, education, and income, suggesting that promoting multilingualism can have broad societal benefits.

💡Humility

Humility, in the context of the video, is the recognition of one's limitations and the willingness to learn from others. The speaker describes the humbling experience of trying to express oneself in a new language, which strips down one's personality and necessitates a beginner's mindset, contributing to personal growth.

Highlights

The speaker's excitement about learning the Kamai language and culture in Sri Lanka.

The unconventional language learning experience with a monk who had no formal teaching materials.

The cultural immersion and language learning through the monk's life and experiences.

The importance of language learning in personal growth and career development.

The benefits of being bilingual, including improved memory, attention, and cognitive abilities.

The differences in language learning approaches between children and adults.

The challenges of teaching languages to adults and the need to rekindle their creativity.

The speaker's personal journey from Texas to becoming a global language educator.

The impact of international experiences on the speaker's perspective and language learning.

The role of technology in enhancing language learning and cultural understanding.

The economic significance of language skills in global trade and business.

The correlation between English proficiency and a country's economic development.

The need for a shift in traditional language teaching methods to embrace technology and creativity.

The potential of language learning to foster humility and a deeper understanding of oneself and others.

The transformative power of language learning in personal and professional life.

The importance of starting language learning early and promoting a culture of multilingualism.

The speaker's advocacy for language learning as a means to open doors and create opportunities.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

when I found out that I'd be coming to

Cambodia I was so excited and the very

first thing I thought about is how can I

learn the language I was in Sri Lanka at

the time with my partner and we both

wanted to get an introduction to the

Kamai language and culture we asked

around turns out it's actually quite

hard to find a Kamai teacher but there

was a monk studying at a temple nearby

and he was from Cambodia so we asked him

to teach us and he

agreed he had no books he had no clue

how to teach a language but he was

friendly he was funny he was curious all

the right qualities for Learning and

teaching he came to our house and sat at

the head of a long dining table with his

orange robe spilling all around him it

was a beautiful sight and he laughed as

we struggled with the alphabet trying to

get our mouth around these sounds and we

invented lessons on the

spot it be got it got complicated and

funny rather quickly as many of you know

in the Kamai language there are certain

words that monks use for everyday things

so eating or drinking or I or you so

having a simple conversation about

dinner got very complicated he couldn't

eat after 1 p.m. at the temple so he

didn't see the point of having a

practice dialogue about having dinner at

a restaurant and no matter what we did

we could not convince him not to be

himself for that moment needless to say

we didn't learn very much in those

lessons but that really wasn't the point

fortunately I had already found an iPad

app to teach the alphabet I had found

online videos and resources just

spending time with him was a Fant

fantastic window into his culture and

his life and his language and that's

what made the difference and it was an

excellent preparation for coming to

Cambodia now I love languages I've been

studying them since I was a kid it's

what I studied at University and it's

how I found my career it's also how I

met my partner and it's the way that

I've traveled around the world and had

the chance to work and study and explore

upwards of 65 countries with Cambodia

being my 65th so I now work with an

organization called e F Education First

and we teach languages around the world

to people from all ages and so having so

many people we've had Millions go

through our programs it gives us a

fantastic perspective on learning and

teaching what's actually happening and

we get to watch people grow in real time

and this is what I love about languages

the process actually changes you

learning a language will change your

life it will give you a better mind it

will stretch your understanding of the

world and your opportunities in life

increase when a baby is born it's

equipped to learn any one of the 7,000

languages in the world it can learn to

make the sounds and distinguish the

grammar and the rules and if it's

exposed to more than one language it'll

be able to tell them apart very simply

and research studies on bilingualism in

young children shows time and time again

that having languages also other

practical benefits people who have

languages also have a better memory they

pay attention better they read better

they write better they understand their

own language better they think better

they grow older better and age better

they do better in school and crucially

they develop better attitudes about

others these are real practical benefits

and the sooner you start the

better now a person can learn a language

at any age

but how they go about it kids and adults

is different and that also comes into

how we teach them kids are fearless they

can quickly Master a language simply in

order to play and make

friends they can quickly absorb the

rules make the sounds and tell things

apart on their own they have a fantastic

curiosity and creative ability with

language so as parents and Educators

what's most important at an early age is

to make sure that we develop that

Curiosity we develop that creativity

because that positive attitude will last

them for a lifetime now adults are more

complicated they have maturity they can

sit still for longer that helps but they

may have lost touch with that natural

creative Instinct and play with language

they also will have academic or

professional or home reasons for

learning a language and that can add

additional pressure so what we have to

be thinking about when we teach the

languages is how to connect the adults

knowledge of themselves to raise their

self-awareness of what progress they're

actually making and how it connects to

the real world and then we also have to

work to find that creativity again to

help them take risks and become more

confident and it's a fascinating process

to watch as people come out of their

shelves and they become someone

new I'm an unlikely person to be talking

about this today based on where I come

from it almost it would seem impossible

from my childhood perspective I grew up

in Texas I was born in Texas in the

south of the United States at the end of

the

1960s and from the 60s and on into the

70s the United States was not a very

optimistic Place

internationally we were locked in a cold

war with the Soviet Union we were

struggling to understand our involvement

and cope with our involvement here in

the region in Vietnam and in Cambodia we

were told to be worried about what

communism might do to us and closer to

home in Texas along the border with

Mexico and across the south of the

United States racial and ethnic tension

was real it was in our neighborhoods in

our schools in our classrooms but

fortunately I had several experiences as

a child both with languages and with

meeting people from other places that

helped to challenge all that and help me

to see another side of the

story the Texas of my childhood was not

necessarily always the most open-minded

place but ironically there's an

incredible amount of diversity there

through a history of immigration over

the centuries and due to more recent

geopolitical events in my primary

school there were young Brave Vietnamese

and Cambodian children who arrived not

speaking a word of English and quietly

integrating and thriving the next they

called them boat people which we didn't

really understand because we were in the

middle of Texas not near any water we

also had real live Russians who had

defected from the Soviet Union and moved

into the neighborhood and one Russian

family set up a small gymnastics

training school because they were

professional gymnasts in the Soviet

Union so I joined and regularly made a

fool of myself every week there but

luckily one day the cold war came to

Texas and in

1979 my hometown Fort Worth Texas hosted

the World Cup Gymnastics championships

and we the Russian coach took us now I

was 10 years old at the time and we were

going to be seeing the Fearsome Soviets

and Romanian gymnasts the ones who were

famous for never smiling so we were

really excited but also a little bit

scared however we went to the practice

rounds they let us in to come and watch

them train and we saw them and they were

teenagers on an adventure abroad and it

made a huge impact on us because we saw

them laughing playing we got to meet

them we even got to train with some of

the gymnasts in the competition so it

turned everything upside down from what

we had been told and what to expect

also we had exchange students arriving

by the dozens in our city and our

schools we hosted a Chinese musician in

our house who sang all day long and then

we had a Swedish exchange student as

well all of these International

experiences acted like passport stamps

on my young brain and it made me want to

explore more and collect more of them I

wanted to get out in the world and find

out for myself eventually I did learn

Russian and I traveled to the across the

Soviet Union and in modern Russia today

I learned Spanish and I lived in Mexico

and I taught there I had a fantastic

opportunity to move to China while China

was opening up in the early 2000s and I

lived in Shanghai for three years and

many many opportunities apart from that

and I'm here with you

today now fortunately my parents saw the

world a little bit differently they

encouraged me and my brother to read a

lot and to use our imaginations they are

Educators in the Arts and and they gave

us our first exposure to languages and

culture through music through theater

through books every week we went to the

public library and we devoured stacks of

books in between visits and along the

way I discovered that you could check

out cassette tapes if you remember those

or records going way back where you

could teach yourself another language

and it must have been a very funny site

for the local librarian to see a young

boy 8 years old at the counter with a

stack of mystery books in one hand and

beginner Japanese and the other but I

was hooked it was almost magical

listening to people make these sounds

from all around the planet and I began

to understand that there were rules and

that there were patterns they were doing

things like we did in English I wanted

to figure out that puzzle but more

importantly I wanted to meet these

people I wanted to know who they were

now this was all very low Tech this

media wasn't the problem though it was

the method what was missing was a into

the culture of these people I couldn't

see them I couldn't see what was

important to them and understanding how

different cultures behave and what's

important to them is a very powerful

experience in learning it teaches you

what's important to you you learn a lot

about yourself in the process but you

also learn about the values and the

beliefs and attitudes of another culture

so when we teach languages today we do

focus on that we focus on what is

important in that culture we teach the

building blocks of language but we also

look at what do people find important

what do they fear what do they believe

in who is important and why the the the

tabos what happens at home and in the

office and this allows people to get a

window that's bigger than the language

they get a perspective on the culture

and this will crucially help them if

they're going to work and travel

internationally will help them be

successful so when we teach we want to

give people a window on to cultures and

we want to allow them to be able to see

where they can take in life as

well knowing other cultures and knowing

other languages does bring opportunities

it opens doors and 2012 is a very

important year for the first time

there's a big economic shift happening

developing countries will import more

this year than developed

countries also their output is growing

faster while the developed countries

have

stomped this means that more people in

the world today are trading in more

places than ever before and they need to

be able to

communicate and Company Executives that

have been recently surve said that the

lack of language and culture skills in

their organizations was holding them

back they can't grow they've also said

that in recruitment it's going to be

essential to hire someone who speaks at

least one additional

language so certainly countries and

companies recognize that they need

language speakers of all

kinds but which which language should

you

learn knowing just one of the world's uh

the United Nations World languages

French Russian Arabic Spanish English

and Mandarin will give you access to

hundreds of millions of people on the

planet over 2third of the world's

population speaks just one of those

languages and in the case of English

over the next decade over two billion

people will be speaking the language and

most of them are not speakers under a

quarter so English has become the

dominant language for research for trade

international cooperation and that may

not be the case for the long term but it

certainly is undeniably important right

now and at EF we did some research on

this we gave a free English test to over

two million people around the world and

we looked at the results we grouped the

results by country which countries spoke

the best English and then we took that

ranking and compared it to those

countries Economic Development and the

results were clear and convincing in

every case the higher the level of

English in the country correlated

strongly with higher trade higher

education attainment and higher income

and the countries that did this best

were those that promoted a culture of

multilingualism and diversity they

invested in more years of schooling per

child and crucially they started

language learning early they've realized

that they can can afford not

to

now the world needs language speakers

the need is more urgent than ever before

but the traditional methods that we see

around the world are still aggravating

the problem uneven teacher training a

lack of quality resources a lack of a

Clear Vision on a national level in

terms of policy and a simple traditional

approach to teaching they aggravate the

problem they're holding people back the

good news

is that language learning is actually

better and faster than ever before we

know much more about how people learn

and what they need to do it with new

digital and online and mobile

technologies we're able to unleash the

creativity of teachers and students to

allow them to make progress faster and

we can bring the world into the

classroom allowing students to speak and

work with material that really matters

to them with a simple click students can

connect online and work virtually with

teachers or on their own with personal

adaptive

systems we can also bring media to them

directly so they can actually connect

and have that cultural contact right

from where they're working if they're

learning Mandarin they can see people in

Shanghai exploring a market they can

look at local menus from a restaurant in

London watch the live local news in New

York or play games with new friends in

Moscow this cultural contact is real and

it's powerful but you don't have to

leave home to get it and so it makes it

far more access accessible for more

people we're also completely changing

what we do in the classroom by

introducing mobile technologies we can

untether students from the computers and

they can turn in and face each other and

collaborate and this makes the

experience far more

social we're also able to change what we

teach to focus on the tasks that people

will do in the real world and the these

kinds of simulations give students a

taste of what to expect when using the

language and also a vision of who they

can

become languages will help you realize

your

potential indeed they'll give you a

better brain more open mind and a

brighter future the way we teach them

today is about promoting creativity and

Discovery and exploration and

collaboration this helps you become more

confident to learn to take risks and be

independent you get a chance to find

your voice in the process and you get to

see who you can

become but one of the best things about

learning a language is that it teaches

you

humility trying to be yourself in

another language strips your personality

down to its most basic elements

languages are complicated and subtle

they're beautiful systems approaching a

new one can seem like an impossible

task but it's good to do things that

seem impossible it can change your life

thank you