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So, do we think differently So, do we think differently
So
do
we
think
differently
in different languages? in different languages?
in
different
languages
OK. OK.
OK
(Speaking Russian) (Speaking Russian)
Speaking
Russian
Sorry, it's like a tongue twister. Sorry, it's like a tongue twister
tongue twister
X
.
Sorry
it's
like
a
tongue
twister
That's a brilliant question. That's a brilliant question.
That's
a
brilliant
question
The Whorfian hypothesis as it's known, The Whorfian hypothesis
hypothesis
X
as it's known,
The
Whorfian
hypothesis
as
it's
known
which is the idea that our language affects our thinking, which is the idea that our language affects our thinking,
which
is
the
idea
that
our
language
affects
our
thinking
has been debated for decades, has been debated
debated
X
for decades
decades
X
,
has
been
debated
for
decades
even centuries. even centuries.
even
centuries
There's a growing amount of experimental evidence There's a growing amount of experimental evidence
evidence
X
There's
a
growing
amount
of
experimental
evidence
that differences across languages have an influence that differences across languages have an influence
influence
X
that
differences
across
languages
have
an
influence
on the way speakers of those languages on the way speakers of those languages
on
the
way
speakers
of
those
languages
conceive of the world. conceive
conceive
X
of the world.
conceive
of
the
world
We can see that different languages We can see that different languages
We
can
see
that
different
languages
structure the world in different ways, structure the world in different ways,
structure
the
world
in
different
ways
they carve up the various continua they carve up
carve up
X
the various continua
they
carve
up
the
various
continua
and different types of relations in the world. and different types of relations in the world.
and
different
types
of
relations
in
the
world
The way that different languages chop up the world almost can vary, The way that different languages chop up
chop up
X
the world almost can vary,
The
way
that
different
languages
chop
up
the
world
almost
can
vary
and that does actually influence how you see that world. and that does actually influence
influence
X
how you see that world.
and
that
does
actually
influence
how
you
see
that
world
I think language changes everything about the way you think. I think language changes everything about the way you think.
I
think
language
changes
everything
about
the
way
you
think
I go into a certain mindset, I sound deeper. I don't know why. I go into a certain mindset
mindset
X
, I sound deeper. I don't know why.
I
go
into
a
certain
mindset
I
sound
deeper
I
don't
know
why
I perceive situations differently, I react differently. I perceive
perceive
X
situations differently, I react differently.
I
perceive
situations
differently
I
react
differently
I think I'm more grounded and more in touch with my emotions in German. I think I'm more grounded
grounded
X
and more in touch
in touch
X
with my emotions in German.
I
think
I'm
more
grounded
and
more
in
touch
with
my
emotions
in
German
Yeah, it makes me feel more assertive when I'm speaking Dutch Yeah, it makes me feel more assertive
assertive
X
when I'm speaking Dutch
Yeah
it
makes
me
feel
more
assertive
when
I'm
speaking
Dutch
because you just get straight to the point. because you just get straight to the point
straight to the point
X
.
because
you
just
get
straight
to
the
point
It's not just for talking - It's not just for talking -
It's
not
just
for
talking
language is for organising an otherwise messy world language is for organising an otherwise messy
messy
X
world
language
is
for
organising
an
otherwise
messy
world
into identifiable categories. into identifiable
identifiable
X
categories.
into
identifiable
categories
It gives us ready labels. It gives us ready labels.
It
gives
us
ready
labels
It's like Lego, you add another word to the word It's like Lego, you add another word to the word
It's
like
Lego
you
add
another
word
to
the
word
and that makes it more precise. and that makes it more precise.
and
that
makes
it
more
precise
Language in French is super gendered - Language in French is super gendered
gendered
X
-
Language
in
French
is
super
gendered
so everything has a masculine or feminine. so everything has a masculine or feminine.
so
everything
has
a
masculine
or
feminine
And it just makes everything feel a bit more one or the other. And it just makes everything feel a bit more one or the other.
And
it
just
makes
everything
feel
a
bit
more
one
or
the
other
If you have a word like bridge, If you have a word like bridge,
If
you
have
a
word
like
bridge
if it's in a language where it is carrying a masculine gender if it's in a language where it is carrying a masculine gender
if
it's
in
a
language
where
it
is
carrying
a
masculine
gender
then bridges will be described by people slightly differently. then bridges will be described by people slightly
slightly
X
differently.
then
bridges
will
be
described
by
people
slightly
differently
So, it might be its usefulness So, it might be its usefulness
So
it
might
be
its
usefulness
or its power might be more associated with the feminine gender or its power might be more associated
associated
X
with the feminine gender
or
its
power
might
be
more
associated
with
the
feminine
gender
whereas its strength and its size whereas its strength and its size
whereas
its
strength
and
its
size
might be more associated with the masculine gender. might be more associated
associated
X
with the masculine gender.
might
be
more
associated
with
the
masculine
gender
The structure of a language forces us to attend to certain aspects The structure of a language forces us to attend to certain aspects
aspects
X
The
structure
of
a
language
forces
us
to
attend
to
certain
aspects
of reality that are relevant for a language, of reality that are relevant for a language,
of
reality
that
are
relevant
for
a
language
at the moment of using that language. at the moment of using that language.
at
the
moment
of
using
that
language
It's known as the thinking for speaking hypothesis. It's known as the thinking for speaking hypothesis
hypothesis
X
.
It's
known
as
the
thinking
for
speaking
hypothesis
There's evidence that language involves There's evidence
evidence
X
that language involves
There's
evidence
that
language
involves
some kind of image simulation some kind of image simulation
simulation
X
some
kind
of
image
simulation
and that that has a consequence for how we perceive of certain events. and that that has a consequence for how we perceive
perceive
X
of certain events.
and
that
that
has
a
consequence
for
how
we
perceive
of
certain
events
Colour is quite a complex property of a visual world. Colour is quite a complex property of a visual world.
Colour
is
quite
a
complex
property
of
a
visual
world
Your brain is decoding colour in quite a complicated way. Your brain is decoding
decoding
X
colour in quite a complicated way.
Your
brain
is
decoding
colour
in
quite
a
complicated
way
So you have many languages So you have many languages
So
you
have
many
languages
that have a term to denote both green and blue that have a term to denote
denote
X
both green and blue
that
have
a
term
to
denote
both
green
and
blue
and typically we call this a grue term. and typically we call this a grue term.
and
typically
we
call
this
a
grue
term
You find this in languages like the Himba, for example, You find this in languages like the Himba, for example,
You
find
this
in
languages
like
the
Himba
for
example
in the Namibian plains. in the Namibian plains.
in
the
Namibian
plains
In this experiment In this experiment
In
this
experiment
we asked participants to look at the colour tile we asked participants to look at the colour tile
we
asked
participants
to
look
at
the
colour
tile
and then after 30 seconds we show them the full array of colours and then after 30 seconds we show them the full array
array
X
of colours
and
then
after
30
seconds
we
show
them
the
full
array
of
colours
and we say, "Now, pick the one that you just saw." and we say, "Now, pick the one that you just saw."
and
we
say
Now
pick
the
one
that
you
just
saw
And it's a very difficult task if you're an English speaker And it's a very difficult task if you're an English speaker
And
it's
a
very
difficult
task
if
you're
an
English
speaker
but a Himba speaker can do it like child's play but a Himba speaker can do it like child's play
but
a
Himba
speaker
can
do
it
like
child's
play
because that colour is central to them. because that colour is central to them.
because
that
colour
is
central
to
them
You simply cannot recognise colours that are not easily encoded You simply cannot recognise colours that are not easily encoded
You
simply
cannot
recognise
colours
that
are
not
easily
encoded
in your native language. in your native language.
in
your
native
language
I think by virtue of being born into a particular culture I think by virtue
virtue
X
of being born into a particular culture
I
think
by
virtue
of
being
born
into
a
particular
culture
and the language that goes with that culture and the language that goes with that culture
and
the
language
that
goes
with
that
culture
we're almost certainly given to think in a particular way. we're almost certainly given to think in a particular way.
we're
almost
certainly
given
to
think
in
a
particular
way
The human brain doesn’t work out of the box. The human brain doesn’t work out of the box.
The
human
brain
doesn’t
work
out
of
the
box
You grow up and you're growing up learning languages You grow up and you're growing up learning languages
You
grow
up
and
you're
growing
up
learning
languages
in particular environments. in particular environments.
in
particular
environments
By the time you're dealing with an adult, By the time you're dealing with an adult,
By
the
time
you're
dealing
with
an
adult
you're dealing with a brain that has been trained up to be an expert you're dealing with a brain that has been trained
trained
X
up to be an expert
you're
dealing
with
a
brain
that
has
been
trained
up
to
be
an
expert
along a number of quite specific dimensions. along a number of quite specific dimensions
dimensions
X
.
along
a
number
of
quite
specific
dimensions
There's actually another very, very good reason to learn a language. There's actually another very, very good reason to learn a language.
There's
actually
another
very
very
good
reason
to
learn
a
language
That's simply to gain another perspective on the world. That's simply to gain another perspective on the world.
That's
simply
to
gain
another
perspective
on
the
world
You can actually say a lot more, a lot quicker, You can actually say a lot more, a lot quicker,
You
can
actually
say
a
lot
more
a
lot
quicker
in Uzbek than you can in English which is quite interesting. in Uzbek than you can in English which is quite interesting.
in
Uzbek
than
you
can
in
English
which
is
quite
interesting
They used to be nomadic They used to be nomadic
They
used
to
be
nomadic
which meant that the language has to be a lot quicker which meant that the language has to be a lot quicker
which
meant
that
the
language
has
to
be
a
lot
quicker
because you were speaking to people while moving around because you were speaking to people while moving around
because
you
were
speaking
to
people
while
moving
around
and all this kind of stuff. and all this kind of stuff.
and
all
this
kind
of
stuff
But in a sense, language is culture and culture is language. But in a sense, language is culture and culture is language.
But
in
a
sense
language
is
culture
and
culture
is
language
Speaking a different language is almost a gateway Speaking a different language is almost a gateway
gateway
X
Speaking
a
different
language
is
almost
a
gateway
into a completely different cultural understanding. into a completely different cultural understanding.
into
a
completely
different
cultural
understanding
(Korean) Do we think differently in different languages? (Korean) Do we think differently in different languages?
Korean
Do
we
think
differently
in
different
languages
(Russian) Do we think differently in different languages? (Russian) Do we think differently in different languages?
Russian
Do
we
think
differently
in
different
languages
(Portuguese) Do we think differently in different languages? (Portuguese) Do we think differently in different languages?
Portuguese
Do
we
think
differently
in
different
languages
Cognitive diversity I think is at the core of human nature. Cognitive
Cognitive
X
diversity I think is at the core
core
X
of human nature.
Cognitive
diversity
I
think
is
at
the
core
of
human
nature
It is probably, if you are looking for universals, It is probably, if you are looking for universals,
It
is
probably
if
you
are
looking
for
universals
diversity is probably the one true universal of humanity. diversity is probably the one true universal of humanity.
diversity
is
probably
the
one
true
universal
of
humanity
Thanks for watching. Thanks for watching.
Thanks
for
watching
Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications for new videos. Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications for new videos.
Don't
forget
to
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and
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the
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See you again soon. See you again soon.
See
you
again
soon

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