Preview

Do Language Help Mould the Way We Think

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
587 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Do Language Help Mould the Way We Think
Do language help mould the way we think? If we all spoke the same language, would we think in the same way? Discuss the issue using examples, details, and your personal experiences of English and your native language.

Language is the tool for all of people around the world to communicate with each other; it is a product of human’s creativity which we can consider as the first evolution for the human kind. However, in different place, people use different languages which are differed in many ways: structure, pronunciation, meaning, and way of writing. Base on the Sapir-Whorf theory, language help mould the way we think; specially, the language habits of community. According to my way of thought, the way we think are affected by lots of different things; like education, family’s condition, environment, friends, traditions, … . So, it do that language help to mould the way we think but we would hardly think in the same way even we spoke the same language.
By evidence, in Vietnam, we all speak Vietnamese but there are still many different ideas which came out by different people when they are asked about the same topic. To be specific, they have been ask about the globalization, one said that it is all good for Vietnam on the way of development and it would be a big step for Vietnam to reach the high and stable economic which developed countries reached after globalization; others complained that it would make Vietnam losing many tradition and that the young people who are the future of our country would be affected and turned to support the tradition of foreign country; and others said that it would be fine to globalization with a good preparing and controlling by laws and media.
Another evidence to prove that issue is that many young people in Vietnam studying English, some of them are really good and are to the levels that they can speak English fluently as American, but they still think in different way with the American. We can see it quite clear when we

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ignorance and materialism negatively affects humans some way or another, and society only increases these lifestyles. Whether or not we believe it, ignorance and materialism is a daily part in our lives today; thus, we cannot live without it. We try to ease our problems by blindingly accepting society’s norms and trends. Because we cannot formulate our own ideals and ways of life, we live in a false sense of justice and peace. In Tony Hoagland’s “Hard Rain,” the speaker witnesses these faults in our behavior at a shopping mall; however, he, similarly, is not able to escape that reality. The larger meaning of this poem, that we have no sense of individualism and morality, is specified by the author’s usage of diction and the disappointing, humorous, and controversial tone he uses to prove it.…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Language can be looked at differently from other types of cognitions. There is a need for language in one form or another to have the ability to communicate with other human beings. This communication is the basis to how human beings express themselves to those around them. With this expression comes the ability to formulate thoughts. These thoughts can be translated to others through language. This language play an important role when analyzing, problem-solving, creating reasons, communicating needs, and making plans. Without the existence of language the attempt for humans to achieve goals would be almost impossible to accomplish. Goals would have to be accomplished be figuring out an alternative method than language to be used for sciences, history, mathematics, and the ability to explain past experiences or cultures. Because language is such an important communication tool, this paper will go into the definition of language and lexicon, evaluating the key features of language, with a description of the four levels of the language structure and processing, and analyzing the role of language processing in cognitive psychology.…

    • 1543 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the article “Does your mother tongue shape how you think” Guy Deutscher argues that our mother tongue does indeed shape our experiences of the world. However, it does not do so as Benjamin Lee Whorf’s theory suggests but rather because of what our mother tongue habitually obliges us to think.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Based on Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” it is evident that language has an affect on our lives. Language defines the type of person I am generally and it has had an affect on my choices as well as my lifestyle. Depending on my friends, family, and others I talk to my choice on language tends to vary. My decisions in life, sometimes, are influenced by the language I use and my surroundings. Language has become my way of seeing life in a different perspective.…

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Opioid Addiction

    • 1536 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Opioid abuse and Addiction is a terrible epidemic that is sweeping the nation like an air-born disease. People as young as teenagers who are still in high school are included in this epidemic. Opioids are drugs that slow down the actions of the body, such as breathing and heartbeat. Opioid addiction is a chronic disease, like heart disease or diabetes. A chronic disease is a medical condition for life and most cannot walk away from. Opioids also affect the brain to increase pleasant feelings. Doctors prescribe opioid medication to treat pain, and to treat a person addicted to heroin and opiates. There is also growing evidence to suggest a relationship between increased non-medical use of opioid analgesics and heroin abuse in the United States.…

    • 1536 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    We reflect on ourselves in every kind of aspect in our social atmosphere. The way we interact with each other differs from culture to culture. Due to the fact that we may have different values, cultures and views. Language organizes perception by using symbols. Language can be misleading and confusing but at the same time it is a persuasive tool.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Vietnamese Culture

    • 3614 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Intercultural communication and differences among cultures is something that I have been interested in since I began in my communications major. I had never been directly affected by intercultural boundaries until I began working at an after school program in Elk Grove. Many of the families that I work with are Vietnamese and it has been difficult for me to communicate with them due to our language/culture boundary. My lack of understanding and apprehension has made it so that I do not communicate with the parents at all but rather use the children (who speak English) to communicate with them. It is important to develop a relationship with the parents at my job and this particular cultural boundary had not allowed me to do so. I plan on studying this topic further in order to give myself an understanding of their culture and values so I am better able to communicate not only at work but in other aspects of my life. I find it fascinating how different the attitudes, beliefs and norms are among cultures and I believe that it is important to recognize these differences in order for any two cultures to get along. Although it is a challenge, there are steps that can be taken to improve the way we interact with cultures around the world and to help us to better understand how to successfully communicate with other cultures in different situations. In this paper I will focus on the Vietnamese culture and values in comparison with that of the United States. I will discuss their values/orientation and explain how these cultural values affect the way they communicate with one another.…

    • 3614 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Language Of Belonging

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Language is defined as the communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals such as voice sounds, gestures and written symbols. Following with its definition shows that it can be the significant feature for every individuals as human beings to determine identity and sense of belonging. So from using the ability of language to communicate with others is one of the elements which allows us the develop our own unique sense of self. We learn about ourself as we interact with others. As we share our experiences and listen to the others' views of life we are constantly reassessing of who we are and how we belong. Finding people who have similar experiences is validating but having contact with those whom have different…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Language Stereotypes in the Media The media has molded the way of thinking within many reports decades. The media is known to manipulate certain words to persuade the tone of a message to the public, in terms of character and culture. In addition, racial and gender stereotypes are covered in countless advertisements and media reporting through the use of specific images and words. McGowan asked the question, “So does language shape character and culture, or is it the other way around?…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Language Beliefs

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The number of linguistically and culturally diverse students in America is constantly increasing, that is why there is a challenge before the teachers to give children and students quality bilingual education, especially to those with limited English skills. Language is the main vehicle by which we know about other people's thoughts, and the two must be intimately related. Every time we speak we are revealing something about our language. Nonetheless, learning a first language is something every child does successfully, in a matter of a few years and without the need for formal lessons. Therefore language must be learned, it cannot be a module, and thinking must be a form of verbal behavior, since verbal behavior is the prime manifestation of "thought" that can be observed externally (Language Acquisition, 2004).…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Language influences the view of the world, embodies a person’s essential for survival to communicate with people, interpret ideas,…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Language is a very import part in our life, we carry it with us through all the steps, processes, moments experiences of our life, language built us and make us grow and the most important thing is that it grows with us, changes, modifies itself, and becomes more appropriate and specific. As we pointed out language help us to create and understand the world around us, gives meaning to everything and gives birth to emotions and feelings; a world without language would be meaningless and very lonely. Language it’s what help us grow up, the more we learn through it, the more we desire to experience and study in deep, leading us to new prospective, opening our mind to more specific and deep concepts, ideas, projects, goals. We really can’t live our life to the best without it, we are not the same without language and we can only give it the right importance, the importance making our life being in contact and in relation with people, the importance of making us feel alive and passionate of the world we are living with, the importance to fulfill our life to the top.…

    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There have been many studies done on how language shapes the way people think. I must agree with this, because based on past experiences, language has affected the way I thought. Language and culture together, have changed the way humans think, just like it has for me.…

    • 924 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Role Of Language

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Language is an essential from of communication. It allows people to convey and elaborate their perspective. However, there are many forms and styles of language. Different counties and religions have different ancestral languages and styles of speaking.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Importance of Language

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Language is defined as any body which can be written, spoken shown or otherwise communicated between people. Thus it is obvious that it is significant in all areas of knowledge, as well as balanced. Making it absolutely necessary in learning. I believe language is the most important out of the four ways of knowing due to its influence on the areas of knowledge. It is also significant in each area because it plays a large role for the basic awareness of each area. The austrian-british philosopher Ludvig Wittgenstein even says that "the limits of language are the limits of knowledge". According to Wittgenstein, "What can be thought clearly," he says "can also be said clearly." Language is the greatest factor on which most of the human activities depend. This can explain how significant language's role is, although it is different, yet equally important in each area. Without any form of language, any cooperation and communication would be almost, if not totally impossible. Since equality cannot be measured in this case, I will explain my thesis in the following manner: I will clarify the importance of language by explaining its role in each category. As well as explaining how the other ways of knowing are not as significant in the areas of knowledge but it is included as my counter claim.…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays