"The mother tongue has a significant influence in how we think and perceive the world," he says in this dialogue Israeli linguist, opposing other scientists who argue that language is a product of nature.
By: Robert McCrum
in Ñ, September 21, 2010
in Ñ, September 21, 2010
DEUTSCHER:
"The mother tongue has a significant influence on the way we think and perceive the world. "
Guy Deutscher's that unique beast, a scholar who speaks sensibly about language, its scope. In his new book, Through the Glass Language (Heinemann), boldly contradicts the consensus of fashion, they take those like Steven Pinker, believe that language is absolutely a product of nature and is not recreated and means from the culture and society. Deutscher raises playful and provocative way, that our mother tongue effectively influence our thinking and, substantially, in our perception of the world.
Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, the linguist than 40 years provides a range of basics in the book, which demonstrate that language reflects the society that speaks it.
In the process, explains why water (female) in Russian becomes "male" once it enters a tea bag, and why, in German, a young girl has no gender and yes it has a turnip.
"In short, what What is your book?
"It's about how you can see the world differently from different languages. I try to explain why the race awarded to our genes all the fundamental aspects of language and thought, extremely underestimate the immense power of culture and upbringing.
- How it has been underestimated?
-for example, argue that the mother tongue has a leading luencia inf in the way we think and perceive the world. But there are a lot of historical baggage addressed this issue and therefore respectable psychologists and linguists do not want to get into this issue.
- Is it like being a historian and talk about the national character, right?
"Exactly. But I think we have matured enough to approach this issue scientifically.
- Can you give an example of what you mean?
"The most striking example has to do with what I call the language of space, the way they describe the arrangement of objects around us. Take a sentence like this: "The boy is standing behind the tree", one would think that all languages \u200b\u200bbehave the same way in the description of something so simple. It is almost inconceivable think there languages \u200b\u200bthat do not use such concepts. For centuries, philosophers and psychologists would have us believe that these self-centered concepts of space as "front", "behind", "left" or "right" are universal patterns in the construction of language and knowledge.
- Are not universal?
"Well, there appeared an ancient aboriginal language, called Guugu Yimithirr, North Queensland. This town has a way of talking about the space incredibly strange, and not using any of these concepts that we discuss. They never say: "The child behind the tree." Say, however: "The child is north of the tree. "
" It seems also the language that gave us the word kangaroo.
"Yes, it is famous for it but it should be doubly famous.
These people say things like: "There's an ant on your foot of the North" or "I put the pen on the southern edge of the table from the west in your room north of the house."
One might think that this strange way of speaking about space is an exception . But the discovery of this language led to much research and learn from others around the world, from Mexico to Indonesia, who speak similarly.
- What are the consequences have this language in their perception of space?
-Grow with this language in their brains basically develop a kind of GPS system, a foolproof guidance system and the reason is really clear: from the age when they start talking, you should be aware of the guidance cardinal in every second of life, to understand the most trivial things people say about him, then language is training in constant awareness of the guidance. Because of this intense training, the sense of direction becomes natural. If you asked them how the Guugu Yimithirr know where the north and where the south I would look in amazement, as you would be puzzled if you ask how I know what place is in front of you or behind you.
- His predominant interest is referred to neurology or linguistics?
"My approach is referred to the effects of language on thought, but try to concentrate on those effects can be demonstrated scientifically.
Neuroscience can be a fascinating subject, but we are still profoundly ignorant of its contents, we know little about how the brain works. So to prove the inf luencia of language in thought, we need to find examples where this inf luencia have consequences and that can be evaluated in actual behavior. If we had this conversation in 50 years, would be much easier to talk about real neurology, because we could scan your brain and find out exactly how each different language influence different aspects of thought.
Our current thinking on the subject would be painfully primitive. But progress comes only after attempts and failures, and better failure.
© Guardian News & Media and Clarin, 2010. TRANSLATION OF CECILIA BENITEZ
.
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Guy Deutscher's that unique beast, a scholar who speaks sensibly about language, its scope. In his new book, Through the Glass Language (Heinemann), boldly contradicts the consensus of fashion, they take those like Steven Pinker, believe that language is absolutely a product of nature and is not recreated and means from the culture and society. Deutscher raises playful and provocative way, that our mother tongue effectively influence our thinking and, substantially, in our perception of the world.
Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, the linguist than 40 years provides a range of basics in the book, which demonstrate that language reflects the society that speaks it.
In the process, explains why water (female) in Russian becomes "male" once it enters a tea bag, and why, in German, a young girl has no gender and yes it has a turnip.
"In short, what What is your book?
"It's about how you can see the world differently from different languages. I try to explain why the race awarded to our genes all the fundamental aspects of language and thought, extremely underestimate the immense power of culture and upbringing.
- How it has been underestimated?
-for example, argue that the mother tongue has a leading luencia inf in the way we think and perceive the world. But there are a lot of historical baggage addressed this issue and therefore respectable psychologists and linguists do not want to get into this issue.
- Is it like being a historian and talk about the national character, right?
"Exactly. But I think we have matured enough to approach this issue scientifically.
- Can you give an example of what you mean?
"The most striking example has to do with what I call the language of space, the way they describe the arrangement of objects around us. Take a sentence like this: "The boy is standing behind the tree", one would think that all languages \u200b\u200bbehave the same way in the description of something so simple. It is almost inconceivable think there languages \u200b\u200bthat do not use such concepts. For centuries, philosophers and psychologists would have us believe that these self-centered concepts of space as "front", "behind", "left" or "right" are universal patterns in the construction of language and knowledge.
- Are not universal?
"Well, there appeared an ancient aboriginal language, called Guugu Yimithirr, North Queensland. This town has a way of talking about the space incredibly strange, and not using any of these concepts that we discuss. They never say: "The child behind the tree." Say, however: "The child is north of the tree. "
" It seems also the language that gave us the word kangaroo.
"Yes, it is famous for it but it should be doubly famous.
These people say things like: "There's an ant on your foot of the North" or "I put the pen on the southern edge of the table from the west in your room north of the house."
One might think that this strange way of speaking about space is an exception . But the discovery of this language led to much research and learn from others around the world, from Mexico to Indonesia, who speak similarly.
- What are the consequences have this language in their perception of space?
-Grow with this language in their brains basically develop a kind of GPS system, a foolproof guidance system and the reason is really clear: from the age when they start talking, you should be aware of the guidance cardinal in every second of life, to understand the most trivial things people say about him, then language is training in constant awareness of the guidance. Because of this intense training, the sense of direction becomes natural. If you asked them how the Guugu Yimithirr know where the north and where the south I would look in amazement, as you would be puzzled if you ask how I know what place is in front of you or behind you.
- His predominant interest is referred to neurology or linguistics?
"My approach is referred to the effects of language on thought, but try to concentrate on those effects can be demonstrated scientifically.
Neuroscience can be a fascinating subject, but we are still profoundly ignorant of its contents, we know little about how the brain works. So to prove the inf luencia of language in thought, we need to find examples where this inf luencia have consequences and that can be evaluated in actual behavior. If we had this conversation in 50 years, would be much easier to talk about real neurology, because we could scan your brain and find out exactly how each different language influence different aspects of thought.
Our current thinking on the subject would be painfully primitive. But progress comes only after attempts and failures, and better failure.
© Guardian News & Media and Clarin, 2010. TRANSLATION OF CECILIA BENITEZ
.
Please Post your comments
ago
