As you view this lecture, identify at least 6 statements that strike you or you relate to at a personal level. Record the timestamps of such statements and respond to or comment on each statement in your webspace. You can use a format similar to this for each statement:

1. [03:40] Dr. Boroditsky mentions “in a lot of different languages you have to change the verb depending on how you came about to know this information.” In my own experience, I find this very true. I speak fluent English, Cantonese and Mandarin. I mentally flip verbs in my head when I switch back between Cantonese and Mandarin when speaking with family. In Cantonese specifically, there are stricter grammatical rule. There is a drastic difference between formal and informal speech and therefore I have to be careful in the phrasing of my words and verbs when processing information and then communicating the information. Cantonese also has more slang. What is more tricky, is that my first language growing up is Mandarin so I speak Mandarin in my head then think about what words best translate in Cantonese.
2. [04:48] Dr. Boroditsky mentions “evidential information – something you inferred from vision, sound, or heard from something someone says. Some languages will have trouble translating. Some languages only have a few colour words.” I think this is important because I was never able to justify how I could understand Laotian fluently and also formulate elementary-level speech in Laotian. A fun fact upon reflection, I was never taught the language but my father’s family always spoke it and I’ve always been able to understand it. In addition, my mother used to always put on Cantonese shows as a way of bonding and keeping our culture. But I knew that it was the most fun way to learn our mother tongue. As a auditory learner, I can say that listening to languages can build linguistic learning and skills. It was nice to hear from Dr. Boroditsky to legitimize my linguistic and cultural experiences growing up.
3. [09:42] Dr. Boroditsky mentions “to what extent of language guide what we see in the world? language shapes thought.” In my own experience, I can say yes. I found it fascinating, first handedly witnessing how baby cousins from my own family differed in development, character, philosophical thinking, and closeness to our culture. I realized it was linked to the closeness of our family’s language. I was lucky enough to pick up as many languages as I did, as a first-generation Chinese-Canadian. But for my sister, and younger cousins they didn’t pick it up as easily. Was it due to different parenting styles/techniques? Was it due to the time we spend with grandparents? Was it dependant on what type of learner we were? I cannot tell. But what I found was that language progressed linguistic, cultural, and real-world understanding. I feel that language development differs in every cultural but it is essential in building knowledge, exploration, trial and error, and confidence in a child.
4. [41:42] Dr. Boroditsky mentions “reveal relationship between language and thought.” In my own experience, I think differently in my languages. The way I would explain it, is almost as if I had a different expressive personality with each language. In English, I am most confident and expressive. In Cantonese, I am witty, humorous, and cheeky. And in Mandarin, I am sensitive and fond of the people I speak it with because it is the language I speak with my grandmother. It’s exactly like what Dr. Boroditsky says, word association. I believe language can guide thought, in the right words, it can alter how we approach world views, perspectives, morals, and traditions.
5. [44:15] Dr. Boroditsky mentions “languages and cultures make us super smart.” In my own experience as a secondary school teacher, I’ve appreciated and continue to incorporate the First Peoples Principles of Learning in my classroom. Why? It’s because it’s the first documented curricular way of connecting holistic thinking in balance to our Western way of thinking/learning. As a multilingual learner, the FPPL was easy to grasp but I soon realized English speakers found the practice difficult. I then realized how the study of language and/or culture at a basic elementary/secondary school level, can have a great impact on self-development and influence the way an individual may see the world. The more I teach, I find many first/second/third generation Canadian students want to learn more about their family’s language and culture or languages of interest to them.
6. [45:21] Dr. Boroditsky mentions “linguistic diversity is a testament to the incredible flexibility and ingenuity of the human mind.” I think this is important to have linguistic diversity. Luckily in BC curriculum and local schools, it is encouraged and promoted. At the school that I teach in, we have so many students of various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are a community secondary school which makes us a tight-knit community always seeking to grow together. And this comes with full acceptance of students, of their identities, living and lived experiences, and acknowledging their linguistic intellect.

This video study and task made my day. I really enjoyed deeply thinking about personal linguistic experiences, reflecting practice to theory, and found many connections to many of Dr. Boroditsky’s ideas.