Ciao tutti!
Here's a link to a fascinating article on how being bilingual can affect one's life in more than a strictly linguistic sense:
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/change-languages-shift-responses/
The spirit of this article is closely intertwined with the motivation driving our course, so check it out if you've the chance!
This article is brings up a good point that the language that you speak influences your thoughts but as a bilingual speaker I think has to do more with how much language has to do with culture. People underestimate how much the language one speaks shapes their thoughts because they don't consider where common phrases and conceptions of the world originated. It is true though, the language which you are asked a question in will influence the response you give.
ReplyDeleteI think the research done here makes sense. With so many different personality traits in people, the only unanimous commonality between people of a state is the language. Thus, it makes sense that speaking a certain language will make someone feel closer to those who also speak that language. It is still an incredible way to calculate the significance of the finding.
ReplyDeleteI think this article is important because I think it brings up the issue of cultural acceptance. Learning a language gives you another whole perspective and insight about a culture. It puts you in a different mindset of understanding and acceptance. This article and the studies it talks about are significant because it shows us that learning languages keeps us more cultured and open to other societies.
ReplyDeleteAfter spending a summer in Italy and trying to live like an Italian, I discovered that the way I spoke, thought, and lived was definitely impacted by my surroundings. However, what is fascinating about this study is that those taking the Implicit Association Tests saw their thinking impacted not by their surroundings, but only by language. While consequences of the study are hard to pin down, it is clear that being able to speak and think in a different language can open us up to different, expanded ways of thinking. Our goal in coming into G&P is to help expedite this process. The earlier a child is exposed to a new language, the easier it is for him to learn it.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually not sure that I buy the conclusions that this study draws. I agree that the language one speaks can affect (and effect) one's thoughts and the way that one thinks, but I don't think that speaking a language (as opposed to not speaking it) will change one's preferences with regard to words in that language or concepts linked with that culture. Instead, I think that has more to do with stereotypes and social/political preconceptions and less to do with linguistics and language.
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