On the World’s English Mania 关于世界英语热.docVIP

TED Talks Jay Walker 关于世界英语热n the World’s English Mania Jay Walker Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -- the worlds second language -- by the thousands. Jay Walker is fascinated by intellectual property in all its forms. His firm, Walker Digital, created Priceline and many other businesses that reframe old problems with new IT. In his private life, hes a bibliophile and collector on an epic scale. Lets talk about manias. Lets start with Beatle mania: hysterical teenagers, crying, screaming, pandemonium. Sports mania: deafening crowds, all for one idea -- get the ball in the net. Okay, religious mania: theres rapture, theres weeping, theres visions. Manias can be good. Manias can be alarming. Or manias can be deadly. The world has a new mania. A mania for learning English. Listen as Chinese students practice their English by screaming it. Teacher: ... change my life! Students: I will change my life. T: I dont want to let my parents down. S: I dont want to let my parents down. T: I dont ever want to let my country down. S: I dont ever want to let my country down. T: Most importantly ... S: Most importantly ... T: I dont want to let myself down. S: I dont want to let myself down. Jay Walker: How many people are trying to learn English worldwide? Two billion of them. Students: A t-shirt. A dress. JW: In Latin America, in India, in Southeast Asia, and most of all in China. If you are a Chinese student you start learning English in the third grade, by law. Thats why this year China will become the worlds largest English-speaking country. (Laughter) Why English? In a single word: Opportunity. Opportunity for a better life, a job, to be able to pay for school, or put better food on the table. Imagine a student taking a giant test for three full days. Her score on this one test literally determines her future. She studies 12 ho