{"id":13,"date":"2025-09-14T19:16:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T02:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2025-09-20T10:44:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T17:44:34","slug":"task-2-does-language-shape-the-way-we-think","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/task-2-does-language-shape-the-way-we-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Task 2: Does language shape the way we think?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lera Boroditsky\u2019s talk raised so many interesting examples of how language influences thought. As I listened, I kept connecting her points to situations I\u2019ve experienced while teaching English, learning Japanese, and raising bilingual kids. The talk didn\u2019t just explain theories, it reminded me of real moments where language shaped the way I or others around me saw the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[03:14] <\/span>Gender of verbs<\/b><\/p>\n

Boroditsky\u2019s point about gender in language made me think of Japanese honorifics and speech levels. Instead of marking nouns as masculine or feminine the way some European languages do, Japanese emphasizes hierarchy and respect. For example, the <\/span>sempai\u2013kohai<\/span><\/i> system distinguishes between seniors and juniors, while <\/span>keigo<\/span><\/i> refers to formal \u201cpolite language\u201d used in workplaces or when showing deference. These features don\u2019t exist in English, which uses the same \u201cyou\u201d for everyone. It highlighted for me how different languages focus attention on different aspects of human relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

[05:35] <\/span>The specificity of words like \u201ctree\u201d<\/b>
\n<\/b> She talks about how \u201ctree\u201d isn\u2019t specific enough in some languages. This made me think of Japanese and how <\/span>kinoko<\/span><\/i> (mushroom) usually needs to be narrowed down by type. For me, a mushroom is a mushroom. But in Japan, knowing your shiitake from your enoki can make a big difference at dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

[11:38] <\/span>Text orientation and comics<\/b>
\n<\/b> When I introduced my son to North American comics, he was shocked to learn they opened \u201cthe wrong way.\u201d He kept trying to flip them from the left, the way he would with Japanese manga. His face said it all and had pure disbelief that anyone would read in that direction. For him it felt backward, for me it felt normal, and we both had a laugh about how even reading order depends on where you grow up.<\/span><\/p>\n

[18:35] <\/span>Teaching to talk a new way = teaching to think a new way<\/b>
\n<\/b> Boroditsky\u2019s line about teaching people to \u201ctalk in a new way\u201d teaches them to \u201cthink in a new way\u201d reminded me of learning Japanese myself. Suddenly I was bowing more, apologizing for things that weren\u2019t my fault, and talking in circles instead of going straight to the point. My Canadian friends thought I was being overly polite when I returned. It turns out new languages sneak into your personality whether you like it or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[19:18] <\/span>Colours and traffic lights<\/b>
\n<\/b> Her example about Russian shades of blue made me think of Japan\u2019s \u201cblue\u201d traffic lights. They\u2019re clearly green, but everyone still calls them <\/span>aoi<\/span><\/i> (blue). It confused me at first, but now I catch myself saying \u201cblue light\u201d sometimes, too. It\u2019s funny how quickly your brain adapts, even when your eyes think they know better.<\/span><\/p>\n

[25:00] <\/span>Hurricane names vs. typhoon numbers<\/b>
\n<\/b> Boroditsky\u2019s example of hurricanes having personal names in English reminded me of Japan\u2019s use of numbered typhoons. A name like \u201cHurricane Katrina\u201d feels personal and dramatic, while \u201cTyphoon No. 10\u201d sounds more matter-of-fact. Living in Japan, I noticed how this framing shaped perception and how typhoons felt like part of a seasonal cycle rather than a character in a story. The language made them seem less personalized and more inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, if my son\u2019s comics, Japanese traffic lights, and typhoon numbers have taught me anything, it\u2019s that language will always find a way to surprise us.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Boroditsky, L. (2018, April 11). How the languages we speak shape the ways we think<\/em> [Video]. YouTube. https:\/\/youtu.be\/iGuuHwbuQOg<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lera Boroditsky\u2019s talk raised so many interesting examples of how language influences thought. As I listened, I kept connecting her points to situations I\u2019ve experienced while teaching English, learning Japanese, and raising bilingual kids. The talk didn\u2019t just explain theories, it reminded me of real moments where language shaped the way I or others around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105884,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105884"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mcafuta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}