TED演讲：Jay Walker谈世界英语热
难度标识：★★★
燕山大学 刘立军 宋葳 编写
◇INTRODUCTION
Currently, there is a mania of learning English across the world. Where does it come from? Why is it particularly hot in China? Why do we learn English? Is it because learning English a fad, or is it just because of the GAOKAO in China? At the 2009 annual assembly of the TED, Jay Walker analyzes the upsurge of learning English by Asian people, especially by Chinese people. He shows the hot scenes of thousands of Chinese students learning English with some pictures and videos. His speech attempts to tell us that learning English is not only because it is a world language, but also because it symbolizes opportunity and hope.
◇BEFORE VIEWING
TASK 1: VOCABULARY PREVIEW
1.mania n.（可数名词, 常用单数形式, 不可数名词）mania (for sth. / for doing sth.): an extremely strong desire or enthusiasm for sth., often shared by a lot of people at the same time（通常指许多人共有的）强烈的欲望，狂热，极大的热情。（同义词）craze。例句：
·He had a mania for fast cars. 他是个飞车狂。
·Football mania is sweeping the country. 足球热正风靡全国。
2.hysterical adj. in a state of extreme excitement, and crying, laughing, etc. in an uncontrolled way 歇斯底里的；情绪狂暴不可抑止的。例如：
·hysterical screams 歇斯底里的尖叫
·a hysterical giggle无法控制的傻笑
·He became almost hysterical when I told him. 我告诉他时，他几乎要发疯了。
·Let's not get hysterical. 咱们别太激动。
·(disapproving) He thought I was being a hysterical female. 他觉得我当时像个歇斯底里的女人。
3.pandemonium n.（不可数名词）a situation in which there is a lot of noise, activity and confusion, especially because people are feeling angry or frightened 骚动；群情沸腾。（同义词）chaos。例句：
·Pandemonium broke out when the news was announced. 这消息一宣布，立即乱成一片。
4.rapture n.（不可数名词) (formal) a feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness 狂喜；欢天喜地；兴高采烈。（同义词）delight。例句：
·Charles listened with rapture to her singing. 查尔斯兴致勃勃地听她演唱。
·The children gazed at her in rapture. 孩子们欣喜若狂地看着她。
（习语）be in, go into, etc. raptures (about / over sb. / sth.): to feel or express extreme pleasure or enthusiasm for sb. /sth. 感到（或显得）极为高兴；热情至极。例如：
·The critics went into raptures about her performance. 评论家们对她的表演赞不绝口。
·The last minute goal sent the fans into raptures. 最后一刻的进球使得球迷们欣喜若狂。
5.vision n.（可数名词）an idea or a picture in your imagination 想象；幻象。例如：
·He had a vision of a world in which there would be no wars. 他幻想有一个没有战争的世界。
·I had visions of us getting hopelessly lost. 我想象我们完全迷失了方向。
6.let sb. down: to fail to help or support sb. as they had hoped or expected 不能帮助，不能支持（某人）；使失望。例如：
·I'm afraid she let us down badly. 很遗憾，她让我们大失所望。
·This machine won't let you down. 你尽管放心，这台机器不会出毛病。
·He trudged home feeling lonely and let down. 他步履艰难地往家走，感到孤独而沮丧。
7.literally adv. used to emphasize the truth of sth. that may seem surprising （强调事实可能令人惊讶）真正地，确实地。例如：
·There are literally hundreds of prizes to win. 真的有好几百份奖品可以领呀。
8.grueling adj. 紧张的，激烈的，使极度疲劳的。例句：
·The recruits were put through a week of grueling endurance tests. 新兵要接受为期一周艰苦的耐力测试。
·The presentation of future plans had been a grueling work. 制定这些计划是一项令人精疲力竭的工作。
9.tsunami n.（通常由地震引起的）海啸 A tsunami is a very large wave, often caused by an earthquake, that flows onto the land and destroys things.
TASK 2: TOPIC PREVIEW
Answer the following questions with a partner.
1.When did you start learning English? What difficulties have you encountered while learning English?
2.As to the phenomenon of "English mania", do you have any other examples to illustrate it in China?
◇VIEWING
TASK 3: DICTATION
You're going to watch a TED speech. Complete the table as you watch it.
The world's English mania
TOPIC /QUESTION | EXAMPLE /ANSWER | | CONCLUSION |
Manias | (1) ___________ | Hysterical teenagers, crying, screaming, pandemonium. | |
| (2) ___________ | Deafening crowds. All for one idea. Get the ball in the net. | |
| (3) ___________ | There’s rapture. There’s weeping. There’s visions. | Manias can be (4) ________. Manias can be (5) _____. Or manias can be (6) __________. |
The world has a new mania. A mania for (7) _____________. | Chinese students practice their English by (8) ___________ it. | l I will change my life. l I don’t want to let my parents down. l I don’t ever want to let my country down. l Most importantly... l I don’t want to let myself down. | |
How many people are trying to learn English worldwide? | Two billion of them. | In Latin America, in India, in Southeast Asia, and most of all in (9) ___________. If you are a Chinese student, you start learning English in the third grade, by law. That’s why this year China will become the world’s largest English speaking country. | |
Why English? | In a single word: (10) _____________. Opportunity for (11) _____________. | Imagine a student taking a giant test for three full days. Her score on this one test literally determines her future. She studies 12 hours a day for three years to prepare. 25 percent of her grade is based on English. It’s called the Gaokao. And 80 million high school Chinese students have already taken this grueling test. The intensity to learn English is almost (12) ______________. Unless you (13) __________________ it. | |
Is English mania good or bad? Is English a tsunami, washing away other languages? | Not likely. | English is the world’s second language. (14) ________________________. | But with English you can become (15) ___________________. A global conversation about global problems. Like (16) __________________. Or hunger or disease. |
| | Mathematics is the language of (17) ______________. | |
| | Music is the language of (18) ___________________. | |
| | And now English is becoming the language of (19) _____________________. Not because America is (20) ______________ it. But because the world is (21) _____________ it. | English mania is a (22) ________________. Like the harnessing of electricity in our cities, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, English represents (23) ___________________. A future where the world has a (24) _________________ to solve its (25) ___________________. |
TASK 4: T / F
Read the following statements. Then watch the speech again and check your answer.
| STATEMENTS | T (True) OR F (False) |
1 | Manias can be good. Manias can be alarming. However, manias cannot be deadly. | |
2 | Generally, a Chinese student will study 12 hours a day for three years to prepare for GAOKAO, and 25 percent of her grade is based on English. | |
3 | English is a tsunami, and it washes away other languages. | |
4 | Now English is becoming the language of problem solving because America is pushing it. | |
5 | English language represents hope for a better future. |
|
◇AFTER VIEWING
TASK 5: DISCUSSION
Watch the video clip and discuss the following questions in pairs.
1.According to the speaker, in what ways did Chinese students learn English?
2.Do you agree with what he said about Chinese students learning English? Why or why not.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS
LISTENING TASK
◇BEFORE VIEWING
TASK 2:
1.I started to learn English since I went to the junior middle school. I've been learning English for more than 7 years. I encountered some difficulties while learning English. First of all, I had a limited vocabulary, and sometimes I found it very hard to express my ideas in English. Secondly, I had difficulty in understanding authentic listening materials, especially when native speakers speak very fast.
2.English mania is quite popular in China. Take New Oriental School as an example, there are lots of students who are eager to improve their English after school. It is kind of examination-oriented learning, which I don't like very much.
◇VIEWING
TASK 3:
(1) Beatle mania
(2) Sports mania
(3) Religious mania
(4) good
(5) alarming
(6) deadly
(7) learning English
(8) screaming
(9) China
(10) Opportunity
(11) a better life, a job, to be able to pay for school, or put better food on the table
(12) unimaginable
(13) witness
(14) Your native language is your life
(15) part of a wider conversation
(16) climate change or poverty
(17) science
(18) emotions
(19) problem solving
(20) pushing
(21) pulling
(22) turning point
(23) hope for a better future
(24) common language
(25) common problems
TASK 4:
| Statements | T (True) OR F (False) |
1 | Manias can be good. Manias can be alarming. However, manias cannot be deadly. | F |
2 | Generally, a Chinese student will study 12 hours a day for three years to prepare for GAOKAO, and 25 percent of her grade is based on English. | T |
3 | English is a tsunami, and it washes away other languages. | F |
4 | Now English is becoming the language of problem solving because America is pushing it. | F |
5 | English represents hope for a better future. | T |
◇AFTER VIEWING
TASK 5:
1.Chinese students practice their English by screaming it.
2.Yes, I just learned English exactly that way.
No, we have learned English in different ways.
附件：TRANSCRIPT
The world's English mania
Let's talk about manias1. Let's start with Beatle mania. Hysterical2 teenagers, crying, screaming, pandemonium3. Sports mania. Deafening crowds. All for one idea. Get the ball in the net. Okay, religious mania. There's rapture4. There's weeping. There's visions5. 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 don't want to let my parents down6.
S: I don't want to let my parents down.
T: I don't ever want to let my country down.
S: I don't ever want to let my country down.
T: Most importantly...
S: Most importantly...
T: I don't want to let myself down.
S: I don't 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. That's why this year China will become the world's 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 literally7 determines her future. She studies 12 hours a day for three years to prepare. 25 percent of her grade is based on English. It's called the Gaokao. And 80 million high school Chinese students have already taken this grueling8 test. The intensity to learn English is almost unimaginable. Unless you witness it.
Teacher: Perfect!
Students: Perfect!
T: Perfect!
S: Perfect!
T: I want to speak perfect English.
S: I want to speak perfect English.
T: I want to speak …
S: I want to speak …
T: perfect English.
S: perfect English.
T: I want to change my life!
S: I want to change my life!
JW: So is English mania good or bad? Is English a tsunami9, washing away other languages? Not likely. English is the world's second language. Your native language is your life. But with English you can become part of a wider conversation. A global conversation about global problems. Like climate change or poverty. Or hunger or disease. The world has other universal languages. Mathematics is the language of science. Music is the language of emotions. And now English is becoming the language of problem solving. Not because America is pushing it. But because the world is pulling it. So English mania is a turning point. Like the harnessing of electricity in our cities, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, English represents hope for a better future. A future where the world has a common language to solve its common problems.
Thank you very much. (Applause)
1. mania n. 狂热
2. hysterical adj. 歇斯底里的；异常兴奋的
3. 一片混乱
4. 兴高采烈
5. 幻觉
6.let sb. down 让某人失望
7.正确地；不夸张地
8.折磨人的；使人筋疲力尽的
9.海啸