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Summary Language and the self - A Level English Language (CIE 9093)
The relationship between language and thought in the language and the self $6.81
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Summary Language and the self - A Level English Language (CIE 9093)
The relationship between language and thought in the language and the self
Course
9093 (9093)
Institution
CIE
Language and the self - A Level English Language (CIE 9093)
This document provides an in-depth summary of The relationship between language and thought in the language and the self unit, which is one of the language topics that candidates need for paper 4. The document follows the CIE syllabus an...
Nativism:
● A theory based on innatism, with the view that the individual is born with
genetic abilities which include the development of language
● Noam Chomsky has been the leader of this view, LAD enables the initial
development of language which then interacts with an individual’s childhood
experiences within a society to produce both languages and a sense of self
the relationship between language and thought
● In our daily lives, we use language to listen, speak, write and read
● Our cognitive skills process and store information that helps to create and
maintain our sense of self
● The stored ideas and memories are parts of our thoughts and we use this
selected information to interpret the language, actions and attitudes of people
● This relationship between ourselves and others helps to build the blocks of
our sense of self
● It also builds relationships with other individuals and groups
● These ideas and memories also apply to many different changing strands of
our culture, our value systems and our interaction, which makes language and
thought a very important part of our self-identities
● The relationship between language and thought has direct implications for
individuals in the way that they relate to social groups around them
● There are many examples where discrimination is voiced against a group,
them being labelled and unfairly treated
Theories of language and thought
● Most linguists believe that the culture of a society, including its lifestyle,
traditions and innovations, shape the way we think and this influences the way
we speak
● The strength of these influences produces different theories of language and
thought
Theories about language and thought take different perspectives:
● Rational thinking requires language to organise the information we are
presented with in our daily lives
● Some linguists believe that language and thought are two different and
separate entities, with thought coming first and then language as a vehicle to
express the thought
● Both language and thought are essential to interact with individuals and
thoughts we come in contact with
, The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
● Developed by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in 1929, gained
momentum in the 1950s
● The hypothesis supports the idea that the words and grammar of a
language directly shape the thoughts of its speakers
● This idea supports that language shapes how the speaker views the world
A well-known example:
● English only has 1 word for snow, meanwhile, the Inuit tribes of the Arctic
have 3 words for its different properties
● The hypothesis claims that the Inuit people can think of a more subtle way
about the snow because their language contains more distinguished forms of
that particular weather condition
● This is the example adopted by the hypothesis
● Arabic also has 13 words for love and each of them conveys a different stage
of falling in love, while English doesn’t have that
Overall, the ideas relating to the link between language and thought are as
follows:
Linguistic determinism:
● The idea that a structure of a language determines the thought process of the
speaker
● Language determines the way we speak and society is confined by its
language
● The words we use directly frame our thoughts
Linguistic reflectionism:
● The idea that a language reflects the thoughts and ideas of a culture
● The language which is used only reflects the thoughts of the speaker, so
language influences the way people view their world but doesn’t determine it
● The opposite of linguistic determinism
Linguistic relativity:
● The idea that the structure of a language affects a person’s view of the world,
either very directly (linguistic determinism) or as a much more indirect, weaker
influence (linguistic reflectionism)
● This is the general overall idea, which states that the structure of a language
influences the way the speakers view the world
● This conclusion was made through a study of the lexis and syntax available in
different languages
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