How Language Affects Thoughts

Language is the essential element to acquire knowledge through communication and it is a common assumption that our intellectual standing and cognitive capacities affect the way we get our ideas through. Being that thoughts and their complexity alter our verbal communication, could language have a similar influence over our reasoning? In his essay "Politics and the English Language” George Orwell asserts that not only the thoughtful source of a statement influences the statement itself but that the form in which it is established affects the original idea and thus the perception of the listener. Linking his argument to politics and how politicians use words on their intricately arranged speeches in order to change meaning in their words.

Thoughts have a great influence in how people express their own perceptions of the world but language being such a fundamental part of developing in a social environment definitely affects in a certain level the means of communication.

When someone expresses an idea, not only the denotation of their comment is taken in consideration but its connotation as well. A text for example changes in meaning depending on the choice of words which leads to the preference for pompous phrasal arrangements. In his essay regarding politics and language use, Orwell mentions a group of rules that convert complicated (and therefore unclear) verbal statements into simple and to the point ideas. Political propaganda is an example of the importance of connotation in a given situation because be it a speech or a slogan, the selection of words that may trigger emotions in order to change a point of view of even misguide the audience play a significant role.

Taking an example closer to everyday communication, different languages affect their native speakers by modifying in some cases how they categorize particular elements in different groups, how they must think of specific characteristics of a person when referring to them or even not understanding concepts that are not used in their daily language. Several studies done by the Stanford psychology professor Lera Boroditsky support this through the analysis of the impact unique characteristics of different languages have on their speakers. One of the examples is the Pormpuraawans and their system of identifying an object’s location. Instead of using adjectives that focus on the person’s perception, they use cardinal points. Due to this method of picturing their surroundings that comes from a linguistic characteristic, Pormpuraawans stay oriented regardless of their environment. Another example is based on Keith Chen (2012) investigations regarding language and behavioral economics. Chen compares English and Chinese grammatical structures when referring to a future tense in relation with the population’s saving habits. According to his research since English uses a different setting of words for future tense (adding “will” to the verb as a different configuration), the concept of future is often perceived as distant in contrast with Chinese in which verbs do not change with the tense. Therefore and according to the data, Chinese speakers save up to 30% of their income in contrast with the 5-10% shown in United States and United Kingdom population.

Regardless of the evidence this studies may show, language affecting someone's processing of information opens a shoe new range of questions. Languages evolve in order to fit the speakers’ needs and cultural characteristics which leads to the creation of words that stand for complex concepts which are often related to cultural aspects. This does not mean however that non-native speakers can’t understand these concepts even when there are no words in their language that describe them.

In my opinion, language does have an impact in our way of processing information but this includes not only native languages but learned ones as well. Learning a new language

...