Patricia Ryan: Don't insist on English!

At TEDxDubai, longtime English teacher Patricia Ryan asks a provocative question: Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? (For instance: what if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL?) It's a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas.

Going underground at the EOI

Logorama

Logorama is a Oscar-winning animated film written and directed by H5/ François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, and produced by Autour de Minuit. The film depicts events in a stylized Los Angeles, and is told entirely through the use of more than 2500 contemporary and historical logos and mascots.

Super Moon

How To Do An Irish Accent

Hello, I am Gareth Jameson. I am an actor and a voice coach from www.londonvoicelessons.com

Here are some tips for working on your voice. The key to any accent is to isolate sound that is specific to that accent.

Now for me the most important one in an Irish accent is the "i" sound. The "i" that we get in "like" or "height", or even at the beginning of the word Irish. It becomes like an "oi", almost like the "oi" in oil.

So that is why you sometimes hear people say "oirish" and "oireland". It is not quite "oi" really, it is slightly less than that, it is "oii". So that we have "I will be fine with all this oil", there is a difference "I will be fine with all this oil, I will be fine".

That introduces another feature as well, the "th", "I will be fine with all this oil". The "th" is usually removed from Irish speakers, especially with more casual speakers so that you get more d's and t's instead. So have a listen to this.

"What do you think of this, what do you think of this?" That is "think" and "this". Our next feature is the letter "r". Now for most Irish speakers the "r" is always pronounced.

So, instead of saying words like "park", we will have "paark", with a "err". It is right at the front of the mouth, unless you are from Dublin where your right at the back of your mouth. You are right at the front, "park" and "garden".

Right at the front like that. Now we move onto a "l" sound. Now, for British English speakers we have two versions for the "l" sound.

We have one at the back of the mouth, like in "kettle", "bottle" and "pull", and one at the front in "lovely", "lemon" and "limned". For an Irish speaker, they are all at the front. In fact, it is quite helpful I like to think of the whole accent coming from the front of the mouth.

This phrase might help, "a little bubble at the front of your mouth, a little bubble at the front of your mouth". Finally, that introduces the "ou" sound in mouth. It becomes "ouw", like if starting on a "ou", if you start on "ou", "ouw", "mouth".

So try "how now brown cow, brown cow" with an "our" in it. "How now brown cow, a little bubble at the front of your mouth". Now we have not got time for more features today.

I am Gareth Jameson, thanks very much.

How To Use St. Patrick's Day Phrases In English

Rowan Atkinson in hell

George Clooney and John Malkovich in heaven

Javier Bardem on acting

In Character: Actors Acting

World renowned photographer Howard Schatz sits down with comedian/actor/director Ricky Gervais to gain insight on his career hand what he loves about the trade.

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at his photoshoot for Vanity Fair and Howard's "In Character" series.

Ricky Gervais is known as the creator of The Office, and star of the British version of the show. He is also known for The Ricky Gervais Show, Extras, and The Invention of Lying.

French & Saunders - Actresses

Wadah Khanfar: A historic moment in the Arab world

As a democratic revolution led by tech-empowered young people sweeps the Arab world, Wadah Khanfar, the head of Al Jazeera, shares a profoundly optimistic view of what's happening in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and beyond -- at this powerful moment when people realized they could step out of their houses and ask for change.

The Man Song

The Woman Song

The Human Animal - The Language of the Body

A personal vView of the human species by Desmond Morris. This episode focuses on the planet's most advanced animal, beginning with a look at how man communicated before the evolution of language. Some gestures and expressions are so ingrained that we have not been able to erase them from our vocabulary...

Watch full video here.