Adding more complexity to sentences (gender, when it happened, etc.) allows the listener to have a deeper understanding of what the speaker is saying without needing to add additional information.

I have always thought of English as being a complex language, but when I hear Lera breaking down the complexities of different languages (verb tenses, grammatical gender, etc.), I realise that English leaves more room for interpretation compared to the specifics of other languages.

Do speakers and listeners of more meaning specific languages develop a higher level of thinking? If these specifics are imparted naturally into their language, do they have a higher understanding of the communicated information?

I feel like in English (I can’t speak for other languages) that so many statements are left open for interpretation which causes the meaning to possibility get lost along the way. Interpretation is part of thinking, but we might not be communicating the thinking that we want all the time. Is this issue similar in other languages?

This example from Lera really made me think about culture specific knowledge or thinking that language allows us to access. Cardinal directions might now be a valuable piece of knowledge for every cultural, especially given the availability of navigation technology presently. But for this tribe, it is essential for their way of life and their language. In English, what thinking has the language allowed it users to access that is culture specific?

I wonder if the non-binary community is having an affect on grammatical gender, and how this might be addressed in languages with grammatical genders?

Again, this part about the vase really made me think about how a lot of English is open to interpretations. In a language with more requirements about being specific, there is less of a chance of interpretation. I especially find that in the age of technology and text messages, English meaning is getting less and less accurate.

I really enjoyed her interpretation of this “magical” component of language and thinking, where if we don’t know something as normal and part of our everyday lives and culture, we are amazed by people who can do these things. I immediately connected to this because I am always amazed by people with a heightened sense of creativity and creative thinking. It is magical skill that some people are gifted with. But this gift, no matter what it is, may come from a more regular, cultural exposure to whatever it is (creativity in my case).

This part of the video really speaks to the power of one, single word. I feel like Lera really emphasized this point well with the example “patriot, activist, and terrorist”. I find that the power of a single word is frequently abused in media, especially with the evolution of “click-bait” headlines to get our attention.