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Monday, August 30, 2010

Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

This article, by Guy Deutscher, critique's Whorf's theory that our minds our "imprisoned" by our native language and yet it sheds light on how our native language may influence which aspects of life are most prominent in our thoughts.

Deutscher's take that language influences our thought processes (or worldview, you might say), is further support that language learning must be world learning.  And it is good motivation to learn more than one "world" so to speak.


Might the reverse of Deutscher's claim be just as true?  That our worldview influences the development of our language?  Maybe your comments will influence a future post of mine on this.  What are your thoughts?

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