“Language and Thought”

TED Talk by Lera Boroditsky

General notes

We can translate complicated thoughts through sounds

7000 languages spoken around the world
Does the language we speak shape the way we speak?
Those who speak in which way we are heading are more oriented more
Time is described differently based on language
Kuuk Thaayorre base on landscape
Linguistic tricks are different
Languages have different names for colors.
Languages have different genders, and it affects how they describe them.
Languages different on how they describe events.
People who speak different languages focus on different things based on the focus of the language,
this has a shift in focus between people.
Language guides our reasoning about events.
It can have deep (math), big (time), early (color), broad (grammatical gender), weighty (punishment).
Linguistic diversity shows how flexible our minds are.
What we know about the brain is very biased.

Reflection Questions

1. Why do I think the way that I do?

I think they way I do because I grew up in America, and was shaped by the way my parents
think and behave, as well as my teachers and fellow peers.

2. How could I think differently?

I can look at different ideas, and think of different viewpoints in which they can be seen.

3. What thoughts do I wish to create?

I wish to create the thought of just acceptance. The viewpoint on acceptance today has
broadened than what it used to be, but still super divided. I wish that people just accepted
the fact that people were vastly different, and didn't make a big deal of those differences, and
just be a token in society. I wish people didn’t make things a bigger deal than they actually
are.
 “Lost in Translation”
by Lera Boroditsky

General Notes: Compare and contrast with texts and ideas explored

The difference in language can affect how we shift blame, remember events, identify object and
colors, and how we view each other.
-Danger of a SIngle story
The article supports the idea that people who speak different languages have different viewpoints,
and if you speak multiple languages, or explore how they think, you are less in danger of having a
single story about something.
-”Politics and the English Language” George Orwell
The article supports Orwell’s thoughts on how language shapes the way we think, and how we think
and talk affect politics. If we improve on language, we will improve on our mindset and improve in
politics, and how we communicate ideas to each other.

Statement about language and thought in regard to politics, power, and

justice

The way we speak-the language we use- affects the way we view each other and the world around us,
causing us to react to situations with a different viewpoint on politics, power, and justice, than other
people who use a different language or thought process.