Assignment #2: Article Summary & Response: Does Your Language Shape How You Think? By Guy Deutscher The New York Times

     In 1940, Benjamin Lee Whorf wrote an article revolving around the concept that language has power over one’s mind. In the coming years, people began to believe that their native language actual restrict our ability to think. Whorf’s idea was that each language created a different reality, which would then hinder one’s ability to understand the difference between objects and actions, or the flow of time depending on the language. Years later Whorf was discredited on the account there was no proof his theory was right. In the twenty-first century, however, research is now editing Whorf’s idea as more evidence is collected. Today they are not looking at it as language restricts one’s understanding, but that language obliges one to think about only certain things. For example, many European languages give objects genders, whereas in the English language we do not. In a study done, when Spanish think of bridges they think of masculine traits, because it is el Puente, whereas Germans think of bridges they identify feminine characteristics since a bridge is known as dies Brucke. Another example is the way languages approach space, some use egocentric coordinates, or geographic directions, or both. If a language only uses geographic directions, the people of that mother language will began to think in geographic terms even when retelling stories. Geographic directions are how you remember events and situations. In addition, languages determine how we look at art or our surroundings. If the language does not have a word for blue, that person would see the artwork different from a person whose mother language does have blue. People do not think the same way and their mother language does have some effect on how and what they think.

     This article captures interest due to its critical thinking aspect. One normally does not think about how their mother language effects how they think. Since communication involves language it is a good idea to broaden your mind and see the way you speak and think and why that is. Whorf’s idea opened up a portal of knowledge that is just now being really discovered and widened. However, Whorf’s idea was not completely accurate it did relate language to mind for the first time. Personally, I think there needs to be more scientific research on the brain from people of different languages. Yet, I do believe there is a strong correlation between language and people’s minds. The difference between the ways people think is obvious when listening and understanding different cultures. Most people however, relate it to the culture difference, but when looking closer it could be the language itself. The power of language is not just spoken, but also written, which makes it relevant to any English class. This New York Times article does give a base for changing the way one understands the power of language, at least it did for me.  

This article was found at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html?_r=1&sq=Does%20Your%20Language%20SHape%20Your%20How%20You%20think&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=print