Question 2 Paper 4

 Paper 4 Question 2

Language is thought out to affect, in various ways, what we think. In either case, language affects our thoughts or our thoughts affect our language. While the excerpt from the Stanford University online magazine, in agreement that language shapes how we think. The excerpt provides examples and statements to lead the audience with the common opinion that is presented by a Stanford researcher.

Within different languages, we are presented with different structures of sentences. Within this factor being the case, there is room for different interpretations of specific things. For instance, how the same sentence, with some minor changes, can reroute our thoughts. In the excerpt, it states that in English the speaker would say, “‘She broke the cup.”’ While in Japanese or Spanish the speaker would say, “The cup broke itself.” Which are both in the same situation, person A breaks the cup, and person B describes it. However, the blame is placed differently. In English where the blame is placed on the person, it contradicts the fact that in either Japanese or Spanish the blame is placed on the cup. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, but more specifically, linguistic relativity. Presents the idea that the structure of a language affects a person's view of the world, either very directly, as in linguistic determinism, or as a much more indirect and weaker influence. This example, provided by the excerpt, supports that idea as the blame and perspective change based solely on the language used to describe the situation.

Moving forward, The theory of Language and social equality, which represents the idea about the influence of language on people's thoughts is relevant to behavior. If people believe members of other social groups to be inferior, they may use inappropriate or negative language to express these thoughts. The excerpt provides the idea that within these roles, our thoughts are altered by our language choices. For example, “..differences in how cultures convey their relationship to concepts such as space, time or gender.” The world is made up of different cultures and beliefs and with those variables, there is a lot of code-switching which makes up for an effect on our thoughts. The article suggests that within different cultures different relationships tie into the theory of Language and social equality. This means that the excerpt highlights this theory in the idea that within different cultures there are different relationships and code-switching. Alternatively, the different language affects our thoughts. 

Additionally, the Theory of Universalism is introduced to the audience. This theory suggests that language is a reflection of human thoughts and that all languages are similar with shared patterns and concepts. The excerpt shows this by saying, “In the Yagua language of Peru, there are five distinct grammatical forms of the past tense”, and, “English is not that precise..” While Yagua might have a more specific way of expressing an event or feeling that happened in the past compared to English, they both consist of the same concept of introducing past tense. Here this theory introduces the opposite side of which the excerpt is claiming to agree with, while it provides the idea that the thoughts, being that it's all past tense, shape our language. Instead of language shaping or changing our thoughts. 

Continuing with the same theory, the Theory of Universalism, it also introduces the idea that all humans share the same cognitive process, such as memory and perception, which are reflected in every language so that ideas can be translated easily between different languages. In which the excerpt shows in the introductory paragraph, “they considered her pitiable sense of direction and took her hand to show her how to avoid being gobbled by a crocodile.” With all humans having the same thought process, the girl is able to tell the other person, without words, the safest path. This shows that our thoughts suggest the types of language we use.

In the article, we are introduced to the idea that language shapes how we think. However, with the mix of theories and studies, our thoughts can also shape how we use language. Language all over the world consists of the same patterns, which some might be different and change our thoughts. While others are only thought of and change how we use the language which is provided by the ‘Theory of Universalism’.