1. Language, thought and culture
Four theories
speech is essential for thought
language is essential for thought
language determines or shapes our
perception of nature
language determines or shapes our
world view
2. Theory 1: speech is essential for thought
Proponents:
John B. Watson
B. F Skiner
Leonard Bloomfield
Gilbert Ryle
Alvin Liberman
Inadequacies:
Children having no speech production can comprehend speech
and think
Speech comprehension develop before speech production
People can speak aloud and think something different
Telling a lie
Meaning and thought occur without behavior
Interpreting between language can be done
Thought is defined
as sub vocal speech
or behavior and not
something mental
3. Theory 2: language is essential for thought
Edward Sapir
Vygotsky
Benjamin Whorf
deaf persons without language can think
multilinguals are whole persons
intelligent animal behavior occurs without language
Proponents:
Thought was
derived from speech
production
Inadequacies:
4. Theory 3: language determines or shapes our
perception of nature
Proponents:
Benjamin Whorf
Sapir
Korzybski
Phillip Frank
Knowledge of vocab and
syntax influences one’s
perception and
understanding of nature
Inadequacies:
perception, interest and need determine vocabulary
color and snow vocab
Hopi time and Chinese Counterfactuals
lack of vocab doesn’t indicate lack of concept
knowledge overrides literal word meanings
multilinguals’ view of nature
5. Theory 4: language determines or shapes our
world view
Proponents:
Sapir
Korzybski
Knowing the language will
influence the culture, social belief
and world views
Inadequacies:
Same language yet different world views
different language yet similar world views
same language but world view changes over time
one language can describe many different world view
multilinguals’ world view