The Shape of Language - TED Talk
Lera Boroditsky, a cognitive scientist, discusses how the choice of words and language construction influences intelligence and the way humans think.
The Shape of Language - Lera Boroditsky
There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world -- and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language -- from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words for blue in Russian -- that suggest the answer is a resounding yes. "The beauty of linguistic diversity is that it reveals to us just how ingenious and how flexible the human mind is," Boroditsky says. "Human minds have invented not one cognitive universe, but 7,000."
Another two examples discussed in this talk is the various words used for the color blue in the Russian language and the details a witness would remember from an accident based on the grammatical construction in their native tongue. In English we would say: He broke the vase, whereas in Spanish they'd say, the vase was accidently broken, emphasizing the motive, rather than the person.
In Macedonian, people dont say aunt or uncle, there is a distinct and different word used depend on maternal VS. paternal relation.
The Shape of Language - Lera Boroditsky
There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world -- and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language -- from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words for blue in Russian -- that suggest the answer is a resounding yes. "The beauty of linguistic diversity is that it reveals to us just how ingenious and how flexible the human mind is," Boroditsky says. "Human minds have invented not one cognitive universe, but 7,000."
Another two examples discussed in this talk is the various words used for the color blue in the Russian language and the details a witness would remember from an accident based on the grammatical construction in their native tongue. In English we would say: He broke the vase, whereas in Spanish they'd say, the vase was accidently broken, emphasizing the motive, rather than the person.
In Macedonian, people dont say aunt or uncle, there is a distinct and different word used depend on maternal VS. paternal relation.
Comments
Post a Comment