Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

[axiomatik]

Interesting article in NY Times about how our language affects the way we think.

Does Your Language Shape How You Think? (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html?pagewanted=1)

One especially interesting section talked about a culture that does not have words for 'left' or 'right' etc, everything is described in terms of north, south, east and west (maybe their cardinal directions aren't exactly the same as ours, but you get the idea). Because the location of everything is described in reference to cardinal directions, they have an almost supernatural sense of space since all their life they have had to pay so much attention to it.

[I LUV MY S13]

maybe its the meaning in words that define this.

[ManoNegra]

Hmmm... I grew up speaking Spanish till about 12 years old and learned English rather quickly
for the longest time I found it easier to do math in my head and translate to English
even now the concepts of Left of Right give me a hard time in English but come natural in Spanish

I would agree, my native language has definitely influenced the way my brain functions to this day

[ronmcdon]

^^^

I learned English & Chinese (Cantonese) around the same time.
However, it's easier for me to relate math to Chinese for whatever reason.
I also do translation back to English.

In terms of explaining abstract ideas, I'm more comfy with English.

[Kaizen.]

^^Same with me, but i learned chinese first. With math I relalate it to chinese too. im a fob at heart =)

sad to see people nowadays can't even speak their own language.

[ManoNegra]

When I was in College and had a hard time understanding a concept
I would translate it to Spanish, often times it would make more sense to me

sentence structure is different in Spanish as well,
every once in a while during a flowing conversation I tend to say things
in English but structured in Spanish
I can tell by the confused looks on peoples faces

[TravisSW]

^^^

I learned English & Chinese (Cantonese) around the same time.
However, it's easier for me to relate math to Chinese for whatever reason.
I also do translation back to English.

In terms of explaining abstract ideas, I'm more comfy with English.

Of course when you translate it to Chinese or any other Asian language that math becomes a hell of a lot easier!

Just don't translate any signs on the road to Chinese. =x
lol

[ronmcdon]

I studied a bit of Spanish and honestly it was one of the most structured language forms.
Unlike English, you almost never have trouble pronouncing or spelling a novel term.
grammatically, it's much more consistent.
My only qualm, and this applies to all romantic languages, is the need to apply masculine & feminine forms to everything.
That's just absurd.

I like Spanish.
I just detest the shit Spanglish & paisa Spanish a lot of ppl speak here in Los Angeles.
It's very hard to understand and consequently its not easy to practice the language.
When I was in Peru & Ecuador, the Spanish was straightforward.

Aesthetically, (with the exception of Spanish spoken in Spain using lisps excessively) I find Spanish to be the best sounding of the romantic languages.
Portuguese is nice too.
Italian isn't my thing, as based on my exposure, there seems to be a lot of stretching of the vowels towards the end.
(not unlike a lot of Asian languages).

[articdragon192]

To me, my mind set is always relative to what language is around me. If I'm with Spanish speaking people, I usually think in Spanish. It just comes faster to me for some reason. I count in Spanish, I relate ideas in my head in Spanish. However, outside of that situation, everything is in English.
And Adrian, you're right about the Spanglish and paisa Spanish. Even I have trouble understanding them. I'm always like, Huh? What does that mean? And I just nod and smile pretending I understand after asking whomever to repeat what he's said twice already, lol.

Of course when you translate it to Chinese or any other Asian language that math becomes a hell of a lot easier!

Just don't translate any signs on the road to Chinese. =x
lol

What does this even mean?

[Phlip]

What does this even mean?
He thought he was being funny ("Asian people are great at math/shitty drivers") but failed miserably.

[TravisSW]

I thought it was funny and that is all that matters!

[articdragon192]

I thought it was funny and that is all that matters!

That was lame Travis. You are the minority in this thread :P

[ronmcdon]

Well it so happens to be that I'm bad at math, as well as being a shitty driver.
So much for that theory.

Didn't get that at first.

[Touge Noob S13]

Hmm, I am currently practicing Japanese and I find it more understandable when I translate it to Spanish instead of English. Glad to see I'm not the only one who hates paisa Spanish.

[ManoNegra]

I studied a bit of Spanish and honestly it was one of the most structured language forms.
Unlike English, you almost never have trouble pronouncing or spelling a novel term.
grammatically, it's much more consistent.
My only qualm, and this applies to all romantic languages, is the need to apply masculine & feminine forms to everything.
That's just absurd.

I like Spanish.
I just detest the shit Spanglish & paisa Spanish a lot of ppl speak here in Los Angeles.
It's very hard to understand and consequently its not easy to practice the language.
When I was in Peru & Ecuador, the Spanish was straightforward.

Aesthetically, (with the exception of Spanish spoken in Spain using lisps excessively) I find Spanish to be the best sounding of the romantic languages.
Portuguese is nice too.
Italian isn't my thing, as based on my exposure, there seems to be a lot of stretching of the vowels towards the end.
(not unlike a lot of Asian languages).

I understand what you're saying about the gender thing
but that has always been a plus to me
I find it that it adds a deeper layer of meaning to conversation or reading
the beauty of the language (and I guess this is the case for all the romantic languages)
to me is that there are usually a number of ways to say the same thing
but the words chosen and context can also add more meaning to what's being said
English is just a very clinical and cold language

Is paisa Spanish the same as chunty Spanish?
If so, I agree 100%

[articdragon192]

I understand what you're saying about the gender thing
but that has always been a plus to me
I find it that it adds a deeper layer of meaning to conversation or reading
the beauty of the language (and I guess this is the case for all the romantic languages)
to me is that there are usually a number of ways to say the same thing
but the words chosen and context can also add more meaning to what's being said
English is just a very clinical and cold language

Is paisa Spanish the same as chunty Spanish?
If so, I agree 100%

Yeah, the masculine and feminine terms never bothered me. It comes naturally. I guess I've just gotten used to it.
And yes, paisa Spanish = chunty Spanish lol

[axiomatik]

With the masculine and feminine forms, the article brings up the excellent point about how that might subconsciously mold they way you think about these objects versus another language. The article mentions that in German, many of the gender assignments are reversed.