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

Neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman explains that through his studies hes learned that our kryptonite is ignoring the importance of our social superpowers and by building on our social intuition, we can make ourselves smarter, happier, and more productive. In this TEDx Talk, Lieberman explores groundbreaking research in social neuroscience that reveals that our need to connect with other people is even more fundamental than our need for food or shelter and that the social pain and pleasure we experience has just as much impact as physical pain and pleasure.

TEDxStLouis was held at MX Movies in downtown St. Louis, Missouri on 9.19.13.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Ive been asking the question: What makes a good teacher great? for 24 years. I have collected 26,000 responses from 8 different schools and patterns have emerged.

For the last 24 years, he has repeatedly asked students the same question, «What makes a good teacher great?» Azul Terronez is the author of the best-selling book «The art of Apprenticeship» Azul has coached teachers and schools leaders around the world in Spain, Chile, Canada, India, United States and China and he is currently serves as a teacher coach at Shanghai American School.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Collaboration. Communication. Critical thinking. Creativity. — Should be present in all classrooms.

Joe Ruhl received his bachelors and masters degrees at Purdue University and he has been sharing the joys of biology with kids for 37 years. He presently teaches Biology, Genetics, and Science Research courses at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana. Joe and his wife Gail have two children and two grandchildren. The National Association of Biology Teachers named Joe Ruhl the Outstanding Biology Teacher of Indiana in 1987. In 1988 he was awarded a Golden Apple Teaching Award by the Lafayette, Indiana Chamber of Commerce. In 1989 he was honored at the White House as Indiana’s recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. In 1996 he received the Purdue University College of Science Distinguished Alumnus Award for Excellence in K-12 Science Teaching. In 2004 he was awarded the Purdue College of Education’s Crystal Apple Teaching Award. And in 2012 he was honored with the Shell National Science Teaching Award.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

He started a wearable technology company called Digital Dudz that combined smartphones playing a video with clothing. Mark left NASA to grow the business for 2 years and after selling Digital Dudz to a company in the UK, he has recently decided to return to his Engineering roots.

Mark Rober is a YouTuber and former NASA Engineer turned Inventor/Entrepreneur. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from BYU and Masters from USC. He worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 9 years, 7 of which were spent working on the Curiosity Rover which is now on Mars. In 2011, he uploaded his Halloween costume to YouTube that featured 2 iPads using a FaceTime chat so it looked like he had a hole in his body. The video went viral overnight with 3M views and he decided to start posting monthly videos about creativity, science and design and now has over 77M total views and 350k subscribers.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Why do we like what we like? Raymond Loewy, the father of industrial design, had a theory. He was the all-star 20th-century designer of the Coca-Cola fountain and Lucky Strike pack; the modern sports car, locomotive, Greyhound bus and tractor; the interior of the first NASA spaceship; and the egg-shaped pencil sharpener. How did one man understand what consumers wanted from so many different areas of life? His grand theory of popularity was called MAYA: Most advanced yet acceptable. He said humans are torn between two opposing forces: neophilia, a love of new things; and neophobia; a fear of anything that’s too new. Hits, he said, live at the perfect intersection of novelty and familiarity. They are familiar surprises. In this talk, I’ll explain how Loewy’s theory has been validated by hundreds of years of research — and how we can all use it to make hits. Derek Thompson is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where he writes about economics, technology and media. He is a news analyst with NPRs afternoon show “Here and Now," appearing weekly on Mondays, and an on-air contributor to CBS News. The recipient of several honors, including the 2016 Best in Business award for Columns and Commentary from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, he is the author of the national bestselling book Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction. 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

Cole Bennett came up with the idea for Lyrical Lemonade while still in High School. Through his talk, he walks through what it took to grow Lyrical Lemonade into what it is today along with how he navigated the music world. His talk emphasizes why having a passion for what you do can change the game and bring you success no matter the obstacle. As CEO of Lyrical Lemonade, Cole Bennett has produced some of hip hop’s most viewed videos. Entrepreneur Cole Bennett is not afraid to confront risks to move ideas and creative expression forward. Growing up in Plano IL, Cole enjoyed bringing ideas to life. Whether, creating comics or making skits with friends, he always loved to create. At 17 years old and a senior in high school, Cole produced his first music video. Discovering this deep passion, he founded Lyrical Lemonade while still in high school. After graduation, Cole moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University and further chase his dreams for Lyrical Lemonade. Cole’s dreams quickly became an undeniable reality that led him to dropout of college. His imprint, Lyrical Lemonade, is now a multi-faceted company that specializes in visual content, live events, high demand merchandise and more. At the age of 22, Cole has now directed over 300 music videos for some of the most influential artists that have amassed over 2.8 billion views. Cole has been featured in major publications such as Rolling Stone, Forbes, XXL, and Billboard Magazine. As the Summer approaches, Bennett is exploring another adventure — preparing to enter the beverage business with his very own lemonade. The lemonade launch is just in time for the second annual Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash, a hip hop music festival expected to bring together 20,000 people in Douglas Park, Chicago. 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

How might your life be better with less? Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known to their 4 million readers as «The Minimalists,» are the executive producers of MINIMALISM, the #1 indie documentary of 2016. They spoke at TEDxFargo about the benefits of letting go and living a meaningful life with less. For more info about The Minimalists visit theminimalists.com

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known to their four million readers as “The Minimalists,” have written four books, including the bestselling memoir, Everything That Remains. They write about living a meaningful life with less stuff at TheMinimalists.com. Their new film, Minimalism, is currently the #1 documentary of 2016.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Nearly 80% of college students report that procrastination is a significant issue for them. Procrastination is not a matter of mere “laziness” and the solution is not simply “better time management”. Could it be that procrastination is actually a highly effective strategy for self-protection and that’s why we continue to do it? In this talk, Nic unravels the surprising and perplexing motivational dynamics underlying our procrastination that lead so often to disengagement and burnout. Illustrated with examples drawn from two decades of coaching students, he introduces self-worth theory of motivation, a powerful research-based conceptual framework for understanding and overcoming procrastination, avoidance, and over-commitment. Dominic (Nic) Voge is Senior Associate Director of Princeton University’s McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, and author of “Life Beyond Grades” (Cambridge University Press). His work focuses on helping students truly thrive and achieve a sense of well-being not only academically, but in all realms of their lives. Nic is a founding member of The Resilience Consortium, the Princeton Perspective Project, and Principedia, initiatives designed to deepen engagement and learning among students. He maintains private consulting and coaching practices. 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

Amanda explores how to move beyond mindset-driven defensive failure and into productive failure to succeed at the problems you struggle with the most. Amanda Crowell is a cognitive psychologist, university professor at the Hunter College School of Education, speaker and coach. Dr. Crowell works with teachers, therapists, and mission-driven entrepreneurs to clear away mindset blocks and move into action. 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