Ideas change everything

Don't insist on English!

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Patricia Ryan |

TEDxDubai

• December 2010

Patricia Ryan is a longtime English teacher who asks a provocative question: Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? In other words: What if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL? It's a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas.

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Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Patricia Ryan is a longtime English teacher who asks a provocative question: Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? In other words: What if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL? It's a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxDubai, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Language teacher

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Patricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxDubai, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.