There are 2.4 Billion English speakers in the world, and 2 Billion of them learned the language in a classroom. Many say they speak “bad English,” but when 5 times more people speak “bad English” than “good,” how do we decide which language is best?

In this talk, global communication specialist Heather Hansen takes a look at the other side of English, where 2 Billion voices have created a flexible, adaptable and accommodating space for global English communication. What can we learn from the 2 Billion voices when we really listen? What happens when the natives suddenly become the foreigners — not in their own land, but in their own language? For every 1 person born into English, there are 5 who migrate to this language when communicating internationally. On a global scale, this quite literally means
that there are more voices that stand out, than fit in.

Heather Hansen is director of the corporate training firm Global Speech
Academy where she helps talented global professionals speak with clarity and confidence in international settings. It’s hard to imagine anyone more qualified to do her job, since Heather knows all about global communication first hand, after having lived in 6 different countries already! This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx