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Language lessons from the happiest place on Earth – Vanuatu and Bislama | Tess Walraven | TEDxBasel


long time before time law that Verdean

long time before time law that Verdean full of people from all island the South

full of people from all island the South

full of people from all island the South Pacific deep sea some man is tillymann

Pacific deep sea some man is tillymann

Pacific deep sea some man is tillymann gotta mow Folsom or gotta long work long

gotta mow Folsom or gotta long work long

gotta mow Folsom or gotta long work long oil plantations lost raelia mow Fiji

oil plantations lost raelia mow Fiji

oil plantations lost raelia mow Fiji only Tok Tok all different language only

only Tok Tok all different language only

only Tok Tok all different language only no savvy understand amor gotta slow slow

no savvy understand amor gotta slow slow

no savvy understand amor gotta slow slow no more when mama language is that blow

no more when mama language is that blow

no more when mama language is that blow come out after all Manya Surve a talk

come out after all Manya Surve a talk

come out after all Manya Surve a talk talk long all gotta time way Blackbird

talk long all gotta time way Blackbird

talk long all gotta time way Blackbird any finish only go back go home please

any finish only go back go home please

any finish only go back go home please bring all guitar more language away son

bring all guitar more language away son

bring all guitar more language away son Orson English is spread blow all

Orson English is spread blow all

Orson English is spread blow all Melanesian island Vanuatu ECAD bitch

Melanesian island Vanuatu ECAD bitch

Melanesian island Vanuatu ECAD bitch llama solo moon he got pidgin English

llama solo moon he got pidgin English

llama solo moon he got pidgin English Papua New Guinea they got tock pigeon

Papua New Guinea they got tock pigeon

Papua New Guinea they got tock pigeon all people today he sing out them all

all people today he sing out them all

all people today he sing out them all man no god bless ya won’t talk my family

man no god bless ya won’t talk my family

man no god bless ya won’t talk my family moved to Vanuatu when I was 12 years old

moved to Vanuatu when I was 12 years old

moved to Vanuatu when I was 12 years old and I instantly fell in love with this

and I instantly fell in love with this

and I instantly fell in love with this country when you get to explore its raw

country when you get to explore its raw

country when you get to explore its raw landscapes and a based in the genuine

landscapes and a based in the genuine

landscapes and a based in the genuine joy of its local population there is a

joy of its local population there is a

joy of its local population there is a moment of realization that you just

moment of realization that you just

moment of realization that you just might have reached heaven on earth in

might have reached heaven on earth in

might have reached heaven on earth in fact even though I’m sure many of you

fact even though I’m sure many of you

fact even though I’m sure many of you didn’t know Vanuatu existed until just

didn’t know Vanuatu existed until just

didn’t know Vanuatu existed until just now it was ranked several times happiest

now it was ranked several times happiest

now it was ranked several times happiest place on earth by the Happy Planet Index

place on earth by the Happy Planet Index

place on earth by the Happy Planet Index and so I fell in love with the many

and so I fell in love with the many

and so I fell in love with the many forms of expressions of its powerful

forms of expressions of its powerful

forms of expressions of its powerful local culture I mean how could I not

local culture I mean how could I not

local culture I mean how could I not when you experienced such a thing as the

when you experienced such a thing as the

when you experienced such a thing as the black and white snake dance

black and white snake dance

black and white snake dance performed regularly on our island I also

performed regularly on our island I also

performed regularly on our island I also became fascinated by the way the

became fascinated by the way the

became fascinated by the way the inhabitants of Vanuatu perceived time in

inhabitants of Vanuatu perceived time in

inhabitants of Vanuatu perceived time in a vertical manner in order to be more

a vertical manner in order to be more

a vertical manner in order to be more anchored in the present moment but what

anchored in the present moment but what

anchored in the present moment but what I’m most fell in love with was it’s

I’m most fell in love with was it’s

I’m most fell in love with was it’s incredibly accessible in welcoming

incredibly accessible in welcoming

incredibly accessible in welcoming national language bish lama yeshe lama

national language bish lama yeshe lama

national language bish lama yeshe lama looks like this as you can see it’s a

looks like this as you can see it’s a

looks like this as you can see it’s a very graphic and straightforward

very graphic and straightforward

very graphic and straightforward language if I tell you for instance me

language if I tell you for instance me

language if I tell you for instance me colos on beach row Luke Luke loss all

colos on beach row Luke Luke loss all

colos on beach row Luke Luke loss all whatta you can easily understand that

whatta you can easily understand that

whatta you can easily understand that I’m going to the beach to look at the

I’m going to the beach to look at the

I’m going to the beach to look at the sea so if you want to understand which

sea so if you want to understand which

sea so if you want to understand which llama which I’m sure a lot of you do by

llama which I’m sure a lot of you do by

llama which I’m sure a lot of you do by now I’m gonna give you a few guidelines

now I’m gonna give you a few guidelines

now I’m gonna give you a few guidelines the most important word to know is Blanc

the most important word to know is Blanc

the most important word to know is Blanc or blum blum encompasses many things

or blum blum encompasses many things

or blum blum encompasses many things most of the time it refers to possession

most of the time it refers to possession

most of the time it refers to possession or origin so for instance to or from off

or origin so for instance to or from off

or origin so for instance to or from off but you can basically place it anywhere

but you can basically place it anywhere

but you can basically place it anywhere you like and it will always work for

you like and it will always work for

you like and it will always work for instance men belong me this pink pink

instance men belong me this pink pink

instance men belong me this pink pink blush RM it’s an idea worth spreading

place blow piece piece

place blow piece piece this means a place to pee a toilet

now other fish llama generally chooses

now other fish llama generally chooses fewer rather than more alternative

fewer rather than more alternative

fewer rather than more alternative forwards sometimes the range of

forwards sometimes the range of

forwards sometimes the range of available options can be unsettling for

available options can be unsettling for

available options can be unsettling for instance with pronouns where all of a

instance with pronouns where all of a

instance with pronouns where all of a sudden things get very specific you have

sudden things get very specific you have

sudden things get very specific you have me fella for myself

me fella for myself

me fella for myself me too fella for me and one other person

me too fella for me and one other person

me too fella for me and one other person with three fella for me and more than

with three fella for me and more than

with three fella for me and more than two other persons and me Fallon again

two other persons and me Fallon again

two other persons and me Fallon again for more than for me and more than two

for more than for me and more than two

for more than for me and more than two other persons and the list goes on but

other persons and the list goes on but

other persons and the list goes on but the great thing about this llama

the great thing about this llama

the great thing about this llama is that there really is no right or

is that there really is no right or

is that there really is no right or wrong every interpretation and figure of

wrong every interpretation and figure of

wrong every interpretation and figure of speech is possible and open to play with

speech is possible and open to play with

speech is possible and open to play with and so now we’ve covered a bit of

and so now we’ve covered a bit of

and so now we’ve covered a bit of grammar and we’re going to look at some

grammar and we’re going to look at some

grammar and we’re going to look at some vocabulary some words are beautiful by

vocabulary some words are beautiful by

vocabulary some words are beautiful by their sheer simplicity for instance

their sheer simplicity for instance

their sheer simplicity for instance number one which is the number one the

number one which is the number one the

number one which is the number one the best Easi

best Easi

best Easi or friend versus bad friend friend

or friend versus bad friend friend

or friend versus bad friend friend versus enemy why do things more

versus enemy why do things more

versus enemy why do things more complicated than this and some words

complicated than this and some words

complicated than this and some words will require more of your imaginations

will require more of your imaginations

will require more of your imaginations as they are rather poetic descriptions

as they are rather poetic descriptions

as they are rather poetic descriptions so for instance basket blow tea tea it’s

so for instance basket blow tea tea it’s

so for instance basket blow tea tea it’s a basket foot it’s sobre la ba Blanc

a basket foot it’s sobre la ba Blanc

rubber what could this be

rubber what could this be and now let’s try something more

and now let’s try something more

and now let’s try something more difficult Mix Master long Jesus Christ

difficult Mix Master long Jesus Christ

difficult Mix Master long Jesus Christ so what could this be

so what could this be

so what could this be Mixmaster it’s a mixer maybe something

Mixmaster it’s a mixer maybe something

Mixmaster it’s a mixer maybe something spinning but Jesus Christ is involved so

spinning but Jesus Christ is involved so

spinning but Jesus Christ is involved so maybe there is something religious to it

maybe there is something religious to it

maybe there is something religious to it well it means helicopter

well it means helicopter

well it means helicopter just imagine the confusion the person

just imagine the confusion the person

just imagine the confusion the person who saw a helicopter for the first time

who saw a helicopter for the first time

who saw a helicopter for the first time must have been in to name in it such to

must have been in to name in it such to

must have been in to name in it such to name it in such a way and now share one

name it in such a way and now share one

name it in such a way and now share one of my personal favorites

of my personal favorites

of my personal favorites he got one big fella black bookies

he got one big fella black bookies

he got one big fella black bookies he got black boots mo amiga white hood

he got black boots mo amiga white hood

he got black boots mo amiga white hood suppose you kill him a missing out good

suppose you kill him a missing out good

suppose you kill him a missing out good so this is a big black box which has

so this is a big black box which has

so this is a big black box which has white black teeth and it has white teeth

white black teeth and it has white teeth

white black teeth and it has white teeth suppose you hit it it sings out good

suppose you hit it it sings out good

suppose you hit it it sings out good this means piano could have guessed it

this means piano could have guessed it

this means piano could have guessed it mm-hmm

so maybe right now you can understand a

so maybe right now you can understand a little bit my my fascination for bitch

little bit my my fascination for bitch

little bit my my fascination for bitch mama and as Vanuatu’s UN Ambassador put

mama and as Vanuatu’s UN Ambassador put

mama and as Vanuatu’s UN Ambassador put it in a speech earlier this year and I

it in a speech earlier this year and I

it in a speech earlier this year and I quote it may be rather difficult talking

quote it may be rather difficult talking

quote it may be rather difficult talking about space rockets or computer digital

about space rockets or computer digital

about space rockets or computer digital technologies with languages from Vanuatu

technologies with languages from Vanuatu

technologies with languages from Vanuatu because certain ideas and concepts seems

because certain ideas and concepts seems

because certain ideas and concepts seems to simply do not exist

to simply do not exist

to simply do not exist end of quote languages as we know are an

end of quote languages as we know are an

end of quote languages as we know are an essential part of a country’s cultural

essential part of a country’s cultural

essential part of a country’s cultural diversity and other Vanuatu does not

diversity and other Vanuatu does not

diversity and other Vanuatu does not have space rockets what they do have is

have space rockets what they do have is

have space rockets what they do have is over a hundred and ten spoken languages

over a hundred and ten spoken languages

over a hundred and ten spoken languages for two hundred and sixty thousand

for two hundred and sixty thousand

for two hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants so if a country’s wealth was

inhabitants so if a country’s wealth was

inhabitants so if a country’s wealth was measured by its language the diversity

measured by its language the diversity

measured by its language the diversity this would make Vanuatu the richest

this would make Vanuatu the richest

this would make Vanuatu the richest country in the world

country in the world

country in the world Thank You Tomas data

Thank You Tomas data

Thank You Tomas data [Applause]

”

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