Discussion Discussion
Answer the discussion question then respond to the peer separately in 4 sentences.
One of the more interesting topics in the readings for this week deals with the idea that what language we speak effects the way we think. Linguist Benjamin Whorf coined the term linguistic determinism. Given what you have learned in the readings share you thoughts on this idea. Can you think of any examples from your life? Another interesting topic to discuss is the nature versus nurture question as it relates to intelligence. I talked a bit about that toward the end of the lecture. You needn’t share your thoughts on all these topics but pick a few that interest you and share your thoughts.
Peer 1 : In my opinion, language does play a role in shaping our understanding of the world, I don’t think that it completely affects our thoughts or actions. I think that language interacts with brain functions like our memory, and attention and it can influence our interpretations of things. An example from my life that shows the influence of language on perception is my experience with learning a new language. When I started learning German, I noticed how things are expressed in a more descriptive way in that language compared to English. This made me realize that different languages offer unique perspectives on the world and can shape how we understand certain ideas.
Peer 2: I believe language does affect the way we think, but also how we understand our environment and how we form our personality. The language used to describe different people, things, or places and the connotations behind the words are influences on how we form our thoughts and associations. My only example would be learning Spanish and French in middle school, I remember thinking how differently language is used and the importance of conveying emotions in each one. They differ widely, but are also very similar at the same time.
Peer 3: I understand that language and experiences affect how we think based on our reading this week. Starting with the concepts we form from the words we have available and the images or experiences we have access to. If we live in another country, for example, we may not see a specific species of animals or food to fit into our current prototype, such as mammals or vegetables. Our thinking strategies, or heuristics, would not follow the same thought pattern in English versus Arabic. From the example in our book, we would not have a point of reference if we did not speak Arabic to begin to group similar letter patterns, as we would not have a point of reference for Arabic words and meanings. Our insights for novel situations would vary, if our past experiences from our culture did not include examples from another culture. Connections would be difficult to make. Our biases would differ if, for example, we grew up in the Middle East. We might agree that it is acceptable for a man to have more than one wife, and that perception may cause a bias when confronted with a monogamous marriage. We would most likely form judgments based on the words and experiences we had to judge a situation. I use the example of Arabic and Middle Eastern living because my daughter has lived in the Middle East for over ten years and speaks Arabic fluently. At home (in America), she goes back and forth between Arabic and English to get her thoughts across. The culture she lives in is based on a group, or tribe, mentality, with little concern for individual thinking. Meals are eaten sitting on the floor without utensils and with group sharing. There is no point of reference for me when experiencing that, I can’t conceive it before it happens. I visited her there, so that has helped my ability to think differently, but without that experience, it would just be foreign. Even simple things, like coffee, are a completely different concept, the way it is drunk, the snacks provided with it, and the expectations for what should be eaten, when, and how. Words define our mental categories, as mentioned in our reading, and language brings those thoughts to fruition.
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