nicholas hanna. what do we do using our language? generate manipulate record
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Research Questions
Does the language we speak limit our thoughts?
Does the language we speak influence our thoughts?
Color
Setswana:1 word for both blue and greenGroup these items together1
English and RussianDo not group these items together
Grammatical Features
Chinese and Navajo1
Categorize items differentlyConsistent with features of their grammars
Quantity
Pirahã, of Brazil{ “One”, “Two”, “Many” }“unable to reliably tell the difference
between four objects placed in a row and five in the same configuration”2
Language trains us to segregatePractice makes perfect
Different languages demand we segregate different features
EvidentialsAffixes to wordsSpecify the source of knowledge (witnessed,
inferred, …)Required in some languages
Evidentials
In languages with evidentials, children:Evaluate degree of certainty from a younger
age7
Differentiate between credible and non-credible sources from a younger age7
Are more reliable in court testimony7
What this means…
In English the idea behind the evidentialcan be represented by words or phrasescan be left out
In languages with evidentialsEvidentials are not optional
ThereforeEnglish is more expressiveThe “less expressive” language is linked
with the positive effects
Conclusion
Does the language we speak limit our thoughts?Maybe.
Does the language we speak influence our thoughts?Yes. Heavily.
Applications
Cross-cultural communicationAre speakers of different languages capable
of the same thoughts? Multilingualism
Benefits to learning multiple languages. Constructed language
Can we design a more capable language to enhance knowledge?
Can we accidentally hinder a language to the point of hurting knowledge?
References1. Arrieta Espinoza, Anita. “Language Culture and Thought: Toward a Reacquaintance
with the Whorfian Hypothesis.” Kanina. 27.2: 173-83.
2. Biever, Celeste. “Language May Shape Human Thought.” New Scientist.
3. Boroditsky, Lera. “Does Language Shape Thought? Mandarin and English Speakers' Conceptions of Time.” Cognitive Psychology. 43.1 (2001): 1-22.
4. Chafe, Wallace. “Language and Memory.” Language. 49.2 (1973): 261-81.
5. Chen, Jenn-Yeu. “Do Chinese and English speakers think about time differently? Failure of replicating Boroditsky.” Cognition. 104.2 (2007): 427-36.
6. Gobel, Eric. "Neural correlates of skill acquisition: Decreased cortical activity during a serial interception sequence learning task." NeuroImage. 58.4 (15 October 2011): 1150-7.
7. Matsui, Tomoko. “Knowing how we know: Evidentiality and cognitive development.” New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development. 2009.125: 1-11.
8. Skerrett, Delaney Michael. “Can the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis save the planet? Lessons from cross-cultural psychology for critical language policy.” Current Issues in Language Planning. 11.4: 331-40.
9. Tohidian, Iman. “Examining Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis as One of the Main Views on the Relationship Between Language and Thought.” Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. 38.1: 65-74.