All in the Mind - How Language Shapes Thought

The notion that the language we live and speak (and with which we think) shapes our thinking and our perception is not new, and it is still widely debated among linguists, philosophers, and neuroscientists (among others). However, Lera Boroditsky, of Stanford University, offers new proof that this idea is more than a notion - it's a reality.

Here are a couple of Boroditsky's papers from the popular press (more at her site):

• Boroditsky, L. (2011). How language shapes thought. Scientific American, February 2011
• Boroditsky, L. (2010). Lost in Translation. Wall Street Journal. July 24, 2010
• Boroditsky, L. (2010). Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? The Economist.
• 3-part Oxford-style debate. I represented the “pro” side. "Pro" won by reader vote (78% pro)

Enjoy the discussion.

How language shapes thought

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Broadcast: Sunday 28 October 2012

It’s been controversial for centuries but new empirical research suggests that language has a powerful influence over the way we think and perceive the world. Lera Boroditsky from Stanford University suggests that Japanese and Spanish speakers have a different sense of blame, and some Indigenous Australians have a different sense of space—all because of the language they speak.

Image:
Lera Boroditsky with children on Cape York Peninsular (Supplied by Lera Boroditsky)

Image:
Lera Boroditsky (Supplied by Lera Boroditsky)

Image:
Alice Gaby (Supplied by Alice Gaby)

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Cape York Peninsular

Related

Audio: More from linguist Alice Gaby about her work with indigenous language speakers on Cape York Peninsula   (11:56, 5.47MB) 

Show Transcript 

Guests

• Lera Boroditsky: Assistant Professor of Psychology, Stanford University 
• Dr Alice Gaby: Linguist, Monash University

Credits

Presenter: Lynne Malcolm