Nardagani, TEDx Sunvalley Talk
When Narda Pitkethly, CEO Nardagani, spoke at Sun Valley TEDx in September 2017, her goal was simple—to share her personal journey that led to the creation of the Nardagani Reading Program. Narda’s TEDx talk, “A New Way to Learn to Read English,” not only uncovers how the Nardagani system helps reduce illiteracy, but also takes viewers on Narda’s personal education adventure from Japan to Sun Valley, Idaho. In fact, Nada’s talk is so compelling that it has now been viewed by over 600,000 people around the globe.
Of course, whether your goal is to help a child or adult struggling with reading speed or fluency, work on phonics for kids, improve pronunciation for an elementary school child, learn how to better read English or are even seeking an ESL class for adult, Nardagani can support you by teaching decoding (sounding out words) quickly and simply. But what is the story behind Nardagani and how does Narda feel about her success and her experience with TEDx? We decided to talk with Narda and ask her these exact questions.
Nardagani: How does it feel knowing that now over 600,000 people have seen your TEDx Talk?
Narda Pitkethly: I’m super excited so many people have seen my TEDx talk! The more people that find my TEDx talk on YouTube, the more people will know about the Nardagani symbols and realize this is the best ESL school in USA for learning English as a second language. I also want people to know that this system is just like phonics for kids and it’s a terrific pronunciation program.
Nardagani: What was the process like creating your TEDx Talk?
Narda Pitkethly: To create my TEDx talk, first I had to develop a script. The TEDx coaches helped me tweak my script over and over until it was the best it could be for my topic. During this time, I was also memorizing my script, because TEDx speakers are not allowed to use notes. To memorize the script I started by reading every word in order, then I’d memorize each paragraph without looking at the page, as best I could. Sometimes I’d hike while memorizing, as the coaches said this may help me on stage, as my heart rate would be high.
Nardagani: Can you share a bit about the TEDx Sun Valley event?
Narda Pitkethly: It was great being in my hometown working on my TEDx speech. Many fellow speakers were local and we supported each other well, getting together to practice on the local library stage and giving each other feedback.
Nardagani: What advice would you give other TEDx speakers?
Narda Pitkethly: One piece of advice is to know that there are two kinds of speakers, those who can speak from bullet points and those who must memorize ever word. I am the kind that must memorize every word, as speaking from bullet points would be too hard. I would worry that I would not get all my points across, and I might go on and on in the wrong direction because of being nervous on stage. Also, practice your script while doing many different types of activities, so focus is key and you overcome distraction.
Be sure to learn more about Nardagani Reading Program and watch Narda’s TEDx talk, “A New Way to Learn to Read English”: