4 TED talks to convince you to localize now
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Can the language we speak influence how and what we think?
Moreover, in the sea of available information, how much information do we truly understand? And how does storytelling fire up our brains?
These four talks shine a light on the importance of localizing content. Why is connecting with customers in their native language so powerful?
How strong is the power of native languages?
Check out our selection of TED and TEDx talks for this week for more thought-provoking questions and inspiring stories.
This is your brain on communication
Uri Hasson tells a compelling story about the effects of storytelling on our brains that span cultural and language barriers.
“Today, too many of us live in echo chambers where we’re exposed to the same perspective day after day. We should all be concerned as a society if we lose our common ground and lose the ability to communicate effectively and share our views with people who are different than us.”
— Uri Hasson
But where does the ability to understand come from? How does sharing stories connect speakers and listeners? Find out in this fascinating talk.
TED talk:
https://embed.ted.com/talks/uri_hasson_this_is_your_brain_on_communication
What our language habits reveal
Is language a window into human nature? Steven Pinker believes so, and you might too by the end of this charming talk.
How much of our personality is determined by the language we use?
“Language is not so much a creator or shaper of human nature, so much as a window onto human nature.”
— Steven Pinker
TED talk:
https://embed.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_language_and_thought
The right to understand
Sandra Fisher-Martins believes public documents should be accessible in a way that ordinary people can understand.
She raises an important question: Are we fighting for our right to understand the information we encounter every day? Rather than focusing solely on increasing literacy rates, should we also work on reducing the complexity of official documents?
“When I don’t understand which are my rights, the benefits I can have access to, I can’t understand my duties and I’m not an active and participative citizen either.”
— Sandra Fisher-Martins
TED talk:
https://embed.ted.com/talks/sandra_fisher_martins_the_right_to_understand
Don’t kill your language!
Suzanne Talhouk discusses the importance of using our mother tongue and the connection between language and identity.
She asks whether the language we use shapes our personality, our behavior, and our choices.
“Language isn’t one, two or three words or letters put together.”
“It’s an idea inside that relates to how we think, and how we see each other and how others see us.”
— Suzanne Talhouk
TED talk:
https://embed.ted.com/talks/suzanne_talhouk_don_t_kill_your_language
Need more inspiration?
Our selection of TED and TEDx talks covers compelling ideas about language, translation, cultural identity, and communication.
Check out our previous posts:
Explore what makes a language real, how languages evolve, and why communication remains one of humanity’s most powerful tools.
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