TEDxDubai
Patricia Ryan: Don't insist on English!
Patricia Ryan: Ma tlekkuš ɛla el-'engliziya!
Filmed:
Readability: 3.6
2,138,668 views
F TEDxDubai, tseqsi Patricia Ryan, w hiya šixa qdima ntaɛ 'engliziya, swal ntaɛ mnagra: El-telkak f el-ɛalem ɛla el-'engliziya huwa zeɛma elli rahu maneɛ el-nšir ntaɛ el-fkar el-kbar fi luġat waḥduxrin? (B el-mtel: Weš ykun el-ḥal la Einstein kan mejbur beš yfewwet el-TOEFL?) Hadi mḥamya, b el-nefḥa, ɛla el-tarjama w ɛla el-mqasma ntaɛ el-fkar.
Patricia Ryan - Language teacher
Patricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change. Full bio
Patricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
I know what you're thinking.
0
1000
2000
Ɛla bali weš raku txemmu.
00:18
You think I've lost my way,
1
3000
2000
Raku ḥasbin belli weddert ṭriqi,
00:20
and somebody's going to come on the stage in a minute
2
5000
2000
w belli keš waḥed ġadi yji l el-plaṭo, temm temm,
00:22
and guide me gently back to my seat.
3
7000
2000
w yredni, b el-ḍrafa, l kursiya.
00:24
(Applause)
4
9000
6000
(Teṣfaq)
00:30
I get that all the time in Dubai.
5
15000
3000
Ṣratli dima fi Dubey.
00:33
"Here on holiday are you, dear?"
6
18000
2000
"Raki fi ɛuṭla, ya el-ɛziza.'
00:35
(Laughter)
7
20000
2000
(Ḍeḥk)
00:37
"Come to visit the children?
8
22000
3000
"Jiti tzuri el-drari?"
00:40
How long are you staying?"
9
25000
2000
"Šḥal ġadi tebqay?"
00:42
Well actually, I hope for a while longer yet.
10
27000
3000
F el-waqeɛ, netmenna nzid neqɛed kter men hak.
00:45
I have been living and teaching in the Gulf
11
30000
3000
Ɛešt w qerrit f el-Xalij
00:48
for over 30 years.
12
33000
2000
kter men 30 ɛam.
00:50
(Applause)
13
35000
4000
(Teṣfaq)
00:54
And in that time, I have seen a lot of changes.
14
39000
4000
W f had el-weqt, šeft bezzaf tebdilat.
00:58
Now that statistic
15
43000
2000
Ḍerwek: el-'iḥṣa'iyat
01:00
is quite shocking.
16
45000
2000
qrib texleɛ.
**
Luġat el-ɛalem:
El-yum = 6.000
Menna l 90 ɛam: 600
**
Luġat el-ɛalem:
El-yum = 6.000
Menna l 90 ɛam: 600
01:02
And I want to talk to you today
17
47000
2000
W rani baġya nehḍer el-yum
01:04
about language loss
18
49000
2000
ɛla el-ḍyaɛa ntaɛ el-luġat
01:06
and the globalization of English.
19
51000
3000
w el-ɛawlama ntaɛ el-'engliziya.
01:09
I want to tell you about my friend
20
54000
2000
Rani ḥaba neḥkilkum ɛla ṣaḥabti
01:11
who was teaching English to adults in Abu Dhabi.
21
56000
3000
elli kanet tqerri el-'engliziya l el-šarfin f 'Abu Ḍabi.
01:14
And one fine day,
22
59000
2000
F waḥed el-nhar šbab,
01:16
she decided to take them into the garden
23
61000
2000
ɛewlet teddihum l el-jnina
01:18
to teach them some nature vocabulary.
24
63000
2000
beš tɛellemelhum šwiya m el-meklem ntaɛ el-xla.
01:20
But it was she who ended up learning
25
65000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ, f el-tali, hiya elli wellat tetɛellem
01:22
all the Arabic words for the local plants,
26
67000
2000
gaɛ el-'esmawat ɛreb ntaɛ el-šṭeb f hadak el-muḍeɛ,
01:24
as well as their uses --
27
69000
2000
w l weš yeṣṣelḥu --
01:26
medicinal uses, cosmetics,
28
71000
3000
f el-dwa, el-tezyan,
01:29
cooking, herbal.
29
74000
3000
el-ṭyab, el-ɛšub.
01:32
How did those students get all that knowledge?
30
77000
2000
Kifeš tɛelmu haduk el-ṭalaba gaɛ hadik el-meɛrifa?
01:34
Of course, from their grandparents
31
79000
2000
Bayna: men ɛend jdudhum
01:36
and even their great-grandparents.
32
81000
3000
w ḥetta men ɛend jdud jdudhum.
01:39
It's not necessary to tell you how important it is
33
84000
3000
Masqaš nqulkum šḥal muhhim
01:42
to be able to communicate
34
87000
2000
ki neqqedru netwaṣlu
01:44
across generations.
35
89000
2000
ma bin el-jyal.
01:46
But sadly, today,
36
91000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ xsara: el-yum,
01:48
languages are dying
37
93000
2000
el-luġat rahi tmut
01:50
at an unprecedented rate.
38
95000
2000
b waḥed el-xuffiya, ɛummer ma ṣrat kifha men qbel.
01:52
A language dies every 14 days.
39
97000
3000
Tmut luġa f kul 14 yum.
01:56
Now, at the same time,
40
101000
2000
Ḍerwek, f el-weqt datu,
01:58
English is the undisputed global language.
41
103000
2000
el-'engliziya wellat el-luġa ntaɛ el-ɛalem bla zyada f el-heḍra.
02:00
Could there be a connection?
42
105000
2000
Kayen hnaya ši weṣla?
02:02
Well I don't know.
43
107000
2000
El-ṣaḥḥ, maniš ɛarfa.
02:04
But I do know that I've seen a lot of changes.
44
109000
3000
Beṣṣaḥ elli ɛla bali bih huwa belli šeft qoja tebdilat.
02:07
When I first came out to the Gulf, I came to Kuwait
45
112000
3000
El-xeṭra el-'ewla ki jit l el-Xalij, jit l el-Kuweyt
02:10
in the days when it was still a hardship post.
46
115000
3000
f el-yamat elli kan fiha had el-muḍeɛ ɛad ṣɛib.
02:13
Actually, not that long ago.
47
118000
2000
F el-waqeɛ, mši gaɛ bekri bezzaf.
02:15
That is a little bit too early.
48
120000
3000
Hadi šwiya qbel mennu.
02:18
But nevertheless,
49
123000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ, kima kan el-ḥal,
02:20
I was recruited by the British Council,
50
125000
2000
qebluni beš nexdem f el-British Council,
02:22
along with about 25 other teachers.
51
127000
2000
mɛa qrib waḥed el-25 šix waḥduxrin.
02:24
And we were the first non-Muslims
52
129000
2000
W kunna el-mši muslimin el-lwala
02:26
to teach in the state schools there in Kuwait.
53
131000
3000
elli qerraw, temmatik, f el-msayed ntaɛ el-dula f el-Kuweyt.
02:29
We were brought to teach English
54
134000
2000
Jabuna beš nqerriw el-'engliziya
02:31
because the government wanted to modernize the country
55
136000
4000
laxaṭerš el-ḥukuma kanet baġya tṭewwer el-blad
02:35
and to empower the citizens through education.
56
140000
3000
w tqewwi el-šeɛbiyin b el-qraya.
02:38
And of course, the U.K. benefited
57
143000
2000
W bayna, Briṭanya stfadet
02:40
from some of that lovely oil wealth.
58
145000
3000
men šwiya m el-xir ntaɛ el-petrol, el-ɛziz.
02:43
Okay.
59
148000
2000
Ṣaḥḥa.
02:45
Now this is the major change that I've seen --
60
150000
3000
Ḍerwek, hada huwa el-tebdal el-kbir elli šeftu --
02:48
how teaching English
61
153000
2000
kifeš el-teɛlam ntaɛ el-'engliziya
02:50
has morphed
62
155000
2000
tḥewwel
02:52
from being a mutually beneficial practice
63
157000
4000
men kunu xedma fiha fayda l beɛḍna beɛḍ
02:56
to becoming a massive international business that it is today.
64
161000
3000
ḥetta wella, f el-ɛalem, ṣenɛa hayla - kima rahu el-yum.
02:59
No longer just a foreign language on the school curriculum,
65
164000
4000
Mši ġir luġġa berraniya f el-qraya ntaɛ el-msid,
03:03
and no longer the sole domain
66
168000
2000
w mši ġir el-muhhima
03:05
of mother England,
67
170000
2000
ntaɛ el-yemmayen el-'Ongleter,
03:07
it has become a bandwagon
68
172000
2000
wella el-jerrar
03:09
for every English-speaking nation on earth.
69
174000
3000
elli tsuqu kul blad, fuq el-'erḍ, tehḍer el-'engliziya.
03:12
And why not?
70
177000
2000
W ɛlah lla?
03:14
After all, the best education --
71
179000
3000
Kima kan el-ḥal, el-qraya el-mxeyra --
03:17
according to the latest World University Rankings --
72
182000
3000
ɛla ḥsab el-testaf el-'exrani ntaɛ el-jamiɛat f el-ɛalem --
03:20
is to be found in the universities
73
185000
2000
yetnelqa f el-jamiɛat
03:22
of the U.K. and the U.S.
74
187000
4000
ntaɛ Briṭanya w el-Marikan.
03:26
So everybody wants to have an English education, naturally.
75
191000
4000
'Amala, gaɛ rahum baġyin qraya 'engliziya, ɛla ḥsab el-šufa.
03:30
But if you're not a native speaker,
76
195000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ la ma kanetš hiya luġa't waldik,
03:32
you have to pass a test.
77
197000
2000
lazem ɛlik tfewwet xtibar.
03:34
Now can it be right
78
199000
2000
Fi mizkum, kayen ši ṣwab
03:36
to reject a student
79
201000
2000
ki nḥawzu keš ṭaleb
03:38
on linguistic ability alone?
80
203000
2000
ġir ɛla jal el-qudra ntaɛu f el-luġa?
03:40
Perhaps you have a computer scientist
81
205000
2000
Twali, ykun ɛendek ɛalem ntaɛ ḥawsaba
03:42
who's a genius.
82
207000
2000
elli huwa muxx.
03:44
Would he need the same language as a lawyer, for example?
83
209000
3000
Zeɛma ġadi yeḥtaj nefs el-luġa kima waḥed muḥami, b el-mtel?
03:47
Well, I don't think so.
84
212000
3000
El-ḥeqq, ma nḍenš had el-ši.
03:51
We English teachers reject them all the time.
85
216000
3000
Ḥna el-šyuxa ntaɛ el-'engliziya rana nḥawzu fihum, gaɛ el-weqt.
03:54
We put a stop sign,
86
219000
2000
Rana ndiru: Marka ntaɛ stop
03:56
and we stop them in their tracks.
87
221000
2000
w rana nḥebsu fihum f ṭriqhum.
03:58
They can't pursue their dream any longer,
88
223000
2000
Ma ɛaduš ynejmu yḥeqqu el-ḥelm dyalhum,
04:00
'til they get English.
89
225000
3000
ḥetta yetɛelmu el-'engliziya.
04:04
Now let me put it this way:
90
229000
3000
Ḍerwek: Xelluni nqeddemha b had el-ṣifa:
04:07
if I met a monolingual Dutch speaker
91
232000
4000
'Ida tlaqit b keš waḥed yehḍer ġir b el-holandiya
04:11
who had the cure for cancer,
92
236000
2000
elli ɛendu el-dwa ntaɛ el-konser,
04:13
would I stop him from entering my British University?
93
238000
3000
nḥebsu w ma nxellihš yedxel el-Jamiɛa el-Briṭaniya ntaɛi?
04:16
I don't think so.
94
241000
2000
Ma nḍenš.
04:18
But indeed, that is exactly what we do.
95
243000
3000
Beṣṣaḥ, f el-waqeɛ, hada huwa weš rana ndiru.
04:21
We English teachers are the gatekeepers.
96
246000
3000
Ḥnaya, el-šyuxa ntaɛ el-'engliziya, rana kima el-ɛessasa ntaɛ el-saqya.
04:24
And you have to satisfy us first
97
249000
3000
W lazem ɛlik tqenneɛna, qbel,
04:27
that your English is good enough.
98
252000
3000
belli el-'engliziya ntaɛek mliḥa kima yelzem.
04:31
Now it can be dangerous
99
256000
2000
Ḍerwek, teqder tkun el-ḥala waɛra
04:33
to give too much power
100
258000
3000
ki neɛṭiw ṣulṭa, b el-zyada,
04:36
to a narrow segment of society.
101
261000
2000
l ṭerf m el-mujtamaɛ.
04:38
Maybe the barrier would be too universal.
102
263000
3000
Had el-ḥdada tnejjem tkun kayna tanik f el-ɛalem.
04:41
Okay.
103
266000
2000
Ṣaḥḥa.
04:43
"But," I hear you say,
104
268000
3000
"Beṣṣaḥ," rani nesmeɛ fikum tqulu:
04:46
"what about the research?
105
271000
2000
"Weš el-ḥal ɛla el-beḥt?
04:48
It's all in English."
106
273000
2000
Kul ši rahu b el-'engliziya."
04:50
So the books are in English,
107
275000
2000
Ha el-ktuba b el-'engliziya,
04:52
the journals are done in English,
108
277000
2000
el-jranin medyurin b el-'engliziya,
04:54
but that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
109
279000
3000
beṣṣaḥ hadi nubu'a tebni ruḥha.
04:57
It feeds the English requirement.
110
282000
2000
Twajeb el-meṭlub el-'englizi.
04:59
And so it goes on.
111
284000
2000
W hak yzid el-ḥal ɛla ḥalu.
05:01
I ask you, what happened to translation?
112
286000
3000
Nseqsikum: Weš ṣra l el-tarjama?
05:04
If you think about the Islamic Golden Age,
113
289000
4000
'Ida xemmemtu f el-weqt el-mesɛud ntaɛ el-'Islam,
05:08
there was lots of translation then.
114
293000
3000
kanet kayna, weqtha, qoja tarjamat.
05:11
They translated from Latin and Greek
115
296000
3000
Terjmu m el-latiniya w el-yunaniya
05:14
into Arabic, into Persian,
116
299000
2000
l el-ɛerbiya, l el-farsi
05:16
and then it was translated on
117
301000
2000
w men temmak tterjmu
05:18
into the Germanic languages of Europe
118
303000
2000
f el-luġat el-jermaniya ntaɛ 'Europa
05:20
and the Romance languages.
119
305000
2000
w el-luġat el-romansiya.
05:22
And so light shone upon the Dark Ages of Europe.
120
307000
4000
W temmatik ɛad: el-ḍḍew newwer el-ɛehd el-meḍlam f el-'Örop
05:27
Now don't get me wrong;
121
312000
2000
Ḍerwek, masqaš teffehmuni ġlaṭ;
05:29
I am not against teaching English,
122
314000
2000
ma raniš kontr el-teɛlam ntaɛ el-'engliziya,
05:31
all you English teachers out there.
123
316000
2000
ntuma el-muɛellimin ntaɛ el-'engliziya
05:33
I love it that we have a global language.
124
318000
2000
Rahi rašqetli ki ɛendna luġa mentašra f el-ɛalem.
05:35
We need one today more than ever.
125
320000
3000
Rana meḥtajin waḥda el-yum kter men 'eyy weqt.
05:38
But I am against using it
126
323000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ rani kontr el-stiɛmal ntaɛha
05:40
as a barrier.
127
325000
2000
b mqam el-ḥdada.
05:42
Do we really want to end up with 600 languages
128
327000
3000
Zeɛma ṣaḥḥ, rana baġyin nkemlu ɛla 600 luġa
05:45
and the main one being English, or Chinese?
129
330000
3000
w tebqa ġir waḥda muhhima: el-'engliziya wella el-šinwiya?
05:48
We need more than that. Where do we draw the line?
130
333000
3000
Rana meḥtajin kter men had el-ši. Win lazem ndiru el-xeṭṭ?
05:51
This system
131
336000
2000
Had el-sistem
05:53
equates intelligence
132
338000
3000
ysawi bin el-fṭana
05:56
with a knowledge of English,
133
341000
3000
w el-meɛrifa ntaɛ el-'engliziya,
05:59
which is quite arbitrary.
134
344000
2000
Ḥaja elli hiya qrib medyura b kraɛ kelb.
06:01
(Applause)
135
346000
6000
(Teṣfaq)
06:07
And I want to remind you
136
352000
2000
W rani baġya nkakikum
06:09
that the giants upon whose shoulders
137
354000
3000
belli el-ɛamaliqa elli ɛla ktafhum
06:12
today's intelligentsia stand
138
357000
2000
rahi qayma el-'intelligentsya ntaɛ el-yum
06:14
did not have to have English,
139
359000
2000
ma kanš lazem ykun ɛendhum el-'engliziya,
06:16
they didn't have to pass an English test.
140
361000
2000
ma kanš lazem ɛlihum yffewtu xtibar ntaɛ 'engliziya.
06:18
Case in point, Einstein.
141
363000
3000
Ḥala b el-dat, Einstein.
06:22
He, by the way, was considered remedial at school
142
367000
3000
F had el-šan, kan melzum ɛlih ydir durus 'istidrak, f el-msid
06:25
because he was, in fact, dyslexic.
143
370000
2000
laxaṭerš, f el-waqeɛ, kanet ɛendu disleksya.
06:27
But fortunately for the world,
144
372000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ mziya l el-ɛalem,
06:29
he did not have to pass an English test.
145
374000
3000
ki ma fewwetš xtibar ntaɛ 'engliziya.
06:32
Because they didn't start until 1964
146
377000
3000
Laxaṭerš ma bdawš ḥetta 1964
06:35
with TOEFL,
147
380000
2000
mɛa el-TOEFL,
06:37
the American test of English.
148
382000
2000
el-xtibar el-marikani ntaɛ el-'engliziya.
06:39
Now it's exploded.
149
384000
2000
Ḍerwek el-ḥala rahi tfejret.
06:41
There are lots and lots of tests of English.
150
386000
3000
Rahi kayna ɛayṭa xtibarat ntaɛ el-'engliziya.
06:44
And millions and millions of students
151
389000
2000
W mlayen w mlayen ntaɛ ṭalaba
06:46
take these tests every year.
152
391000
2000
elli yfewtu had el-xtibarat kul ɛam.
06:48
Now you might think, you and me,
153
393000
2000
Ḍerwek, teqder txemmem, nta w 'anaya,
06:50
"Those fees aren't bad, they're okay,"
154
395000
2000
"Ma fiha ḥetta bas mɛa had el-meṣruf; kul ši: ɛalama,"
06:52
but they are prohibitive
155
397000
2000
beṣṣaḥ rahum yɛerqlu f
06:54
to so many millions of poor people.
156
399000
2000
šḥal men melyun bnadem zawali/faqir.
06:56
So immediately, we're rejecting them.
157
401000
2000
'Amala, b el-qeṭɛi, rana nrefḍu fihum.
06:58
(Applause)
158
403000
3000
(Teṣfaq)
07:01
It brings to mind a headline I saw recently:
159
406000
3000
Hada yfekkerni b waḥed el-ɛunwan f el-xbarat šeftu hada mši bezzaf:
07:04
"Education: The Great Divide."
160
409000
2000
"El-Qraya: El-Feṣla el-Kbira."
07:06
Now I get it,
161
411000
2000
Ḍerwek rani
07:08
I understand why people would want to focus on English.
162
413000
3000
fhemt ɛlah el-nas rahi tlekkek ɛla el-'engliziya.
07:11
They want to give their children the best chance in life.
163
416000
3000
Rahum baġyin ymeddu l wladhum el-furṣa el-mxeyra fi ḥyathum.
07:15
And to do that, they need a Western education.
164
420000
3000
W beš ydiru had el-ši, lazemlhum terbiya't gwer.
07:18
Because, of course, the best jobs
165
423000
2000
Laxaṭerš w hadi bayna: el-xedmat el-mxeyrin
07:20
go to people out of the Western Universities,
166
425000
3000
yruḥu l el-nas elli txerju m el-jamiɛat gwer,
07:23
that I put on earlier.
167
428000
2000
elli nebbeht lihum men qbel.
07:25
It's a circular thing.
168
430000
2000
nruḥu nruḥu w nwellu l blaṣa waḥda.
07:27
Okay.
169
432000
2000
Ṣaḥḥa.
07:29
Let me tell you a story about two scientists,
170
434000
2000
Xelluni neḥkilkum ḥkaya ntaɛ zuj ɛulama,
07:31
two English scientists.
171
436000
2000
zuj ɛulama ngliz.
07:33
They were doing an experiment
172
438000
2000
Kanu ydiru f waḥed el-tejriba
07:35
to do with genetics
173
440000
2000
ɛendha ɛalaqa b el-jinat
07:37
and the forelimbs and the hind limbs of animals.
174
442000
3000
w el-gwayem ntaɛ el-quddam w el-lurr ɛend el-hwayeš.
07:40
But they couldn't get the results they wanted.
175
445000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ ma qedruš yewweṣlu l el-natijat elli bġawha.
07:42
They really didn't know what to do,
176
447000
2000
Beḥretelhum weš ydiru,
07:44
until along came a German scientist
177
449000
3000
ḥetta elli ja waḥed el-ɛalem 'almani
07:47
who realized that they were using two words
178
452000
3000
elli tkaka belli kanu yexxedmu b zuj kelmat
07:50
for forelimb and hind limb,
179
455000
2000
beš yehheḍru ɛla el-gwayem ntaɛ el-quddam w el-lurr,
07:52
whereas genetics does not differentiate
180
457000
4000
win el-jenetik ma tmeyyezš binathum
07:56
and neither does German.
181
461000
2000
w la el-'almaniya, tanik.
07:58
So bingo,
182
463000
2000
'Amala bingo,
08:00
problem solved.
183
465000
2000
el-muškila tḥellet.
08:02
If you can't think a thought,
184
467000
2000
'Ida ma qdertš txemmem keš texmima,
08:04
you are stuck.
185
469000
3000
'amala, rak ḥaṣel.
[Luġa - Texmima - Meɛrifa]
[Luġa - Texmima - Meɛrifa]
08:07
But if another language can think that thought,
186
472000
2000
Beṣṣaḥ, lakan luġa waḥduxra teqder txemmem hadik el-texmima
08:09
then, by cooperating,
187
474000
2000
'amala, b el-mɛawna,
08:11
we can achieve and learn so much more.
188
476000
3000
neqqedru nḥeqqu w netɛelmu, kter w kter.
08:16
My daughter
189
481000
2000
Benti
08:18
came to England from Kuwait.
190
483000
3000
jat l 'Inglitra m el-Kuweyt.
08:21
She had studied science and mathematics in Arabic.
191
486000
3000
Hiya qrat el-ɛulum w el-riyaḍiyat b el-ɛerbiya.
08:24
It's an Arabic medium school.
192
489000
3000
F msid ɛerbi metweṣṣeṭ.
08:27
She had to translate it into English at her grammar school.
193
492000
3000
Kan lazem ɛliha tterjem b el-'engliziya f el-kulij ntaɛha.
08:30
And she was the best in the class
194
495000
2000
W kanet el-mxeyra f el-klaṣa,
08:32
at those subjects.
195
497000
2000
f had el-mawad.
08:34
Which tells us
196
499000
2000
El-ši elli yqulenna
08:36
that when students come to us from abroad,
197
501000
2000
belli ki el-ṭalaba yju l ɛendna men berra,
08:38
we may not be giving them enough credit
198
503000
2000
neqqedru ma nmedulhumš kfaya tiqa
08:40
for what they know,
199
505000
2000
ɛla weš yeɛɛerfu,
08:42
and they know it in their own language.
200
507000
3000
w huma yeɛɛerfuha b el-luġat ntaweɛhum.
08:45
When a language dies,
201
510000
2000
Ki tmut keš luġa,
08:47
we don't know what we lose with that language.
202
512000
3000
ma neɛɛerfuš weš nḍeyɛu mɛa had el-luġa.
08:50
This is -- I don't know if you saw it on CNN recently --
203
515000
4000
Hada huwa -- Maniš ɛarfa la tferrejtu f el-CNN hadi mudda qlila --
08:54
they gave the Heroes Award
204
519000
2000
ki ɛṭaw el-jayza ntaɛ Heroes Award
08:56
to a young Kenyan shepherd boy
205
521000
3000
l waḥed el-raɛi ṣġir, men Kinya,
08:59
who couldn't study at night in his village,
206
524000
3000
elli ma kanš yeqder yeqra, b el-lil, f el-dešra ntaɛu,
09:02
like all the village children,
207
527000
2000
b ḥal gaɛ el-bzuza f el-dešra,
09:04
because the kerosene lamp,
208
529000
2000
ɛla jal el-lampa ntaɛ el-kirozen:
09:06
it had smoke and it damaged his eyes.
209
531000
2000
kanet tdir el-duxxan w ɛeṭbetlu ɛeynih.
09:08
And anyway, there was never enough kerosene,
210
533000
3000
W kima kan el-ḥal, ɛummer ma kan temmatik el-kirozen kima yliq,
09:11
because what does a dollar a day buy for you?
211
536000
3000
laxaṭerš weš ġadi yeqḍilek dollar meṣruf f el-nhar?
09:14
So he invented
212
539000
2000
'Amala xtareɛ
09:16
a cost-free solar lamp.
213
541000
3000
waḥed el-lampa temši b el-šmisa w ma yliqelha ḥetta meṣruf.
09:19
And now the children in his village
214
544000
2000
W ḍerwek el-drari f el-dešra ntaɛu
09:21
get the same grades at school
215
546000
2000
rahum yeqraw mɛa beɛḍ f el-msid
09:23
as the children who have electricity at home.
216
548000
4000
kima el-bzuza elli ɛendhum el-ḍeww f dyurhum.
09:27
(Applause)
217
552000
6000
(Teṣfaq)
09:33
When he received his award,
218
558000
2000
Ki nál el-jayza ntaɛu,
09:35
he said these lovely words:
219
560000
2000
qal had el-klimat elli yeġwiw:
09:37
"The children can lead Africa from what it is today,
220
562000
3000
"El-bzuza ntaɛ Friqya ynejmu yeddiwha men weš rahi ḍerwek,
09:40
a dark continent,
221
565000
2000
qara meḍlama,
09:42
to a light continent."
222
567000
2000
l qara mḍewya."
09:44
A simple idea,
223
569000
2000
Fekra sahla,
09:46
but it could have such far-reaching consequences.
224
571000
3000
beṣṣaḥ tnejjem tkun ɛendha šḥal men natija kbira.
09:50
People who have no light,
225
575000
2000
El-nas elli ma ɛendhumš el-ḍeww,
09:52
whether it's physical or metaphorical,
226
577000
3000
ḥeqqani wella b el-meɛna,
09:55
cannot pass our exams,
227
580000
3000
ma yeqqedruš yfewtu el-xtibarat dyalna,
09:58
and we can never know what they know.
228
583000
3000
w ɛummer ma nnejmu neɛɛerfu weš yeɛɛerfu.
10:01
Let us not keep them and ourselves
229
586000
3000
Masqaš nxelluhum w nxellu rwaḥtina
10:04
in the dark.
230
589000
2000
f el-ḍlam.
10:06
Let us celebrate diversity.
231
591000
3000
Xelluna neḥtaflu b el-tenwaɛ.
10:09
Mind your language.
232
594000
3000
Thella fi luġtek.
10:12
Use it to spread great ideas.
233
597000
4000
Steɛmelha beš tenšer fkar kbar.
10:16
(Applause)
234
601000
7000
(Teṣfaq)
10:23
Thank you very much.
235
608000
2000
Ṣeḥḥitu b el-bezzaf. Šukran!
10:25
(Applause)
236
610000
3000
(Teṣfaq)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Patricia Ryan - Language teacherPatricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change.
Why you should listen
UK-born language teacher Patricia Ryan has spent most of the past 40 years teaching English in the countries of the Arabian Gulf.
She is currently teaching at Zayed University in Dubai, and studying for a second Masters degree in Law.
Patricia Ryan | Speaker | TED.com