Does language shape the way we think?

The School for Advanced Research, founded in 1907 as the School for American Archaeology, is an advanced research center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States.

In this post, I will discuss six statements that caught my attention in Dr. Lera Boroditsky’s lecture on May 18, 2017, when she was invited by The School for Advanced Research (SAR). Dr. Lera Boroditsky explores how language affects the way we think, see the world, and interact with others (Boroditsky, 2017)

Statement 1: Language Shapes Spatial Orientation
Dr. Boroditsky illustrates how Kuuk Thaayorre people use cardinal directions such as north and south instead of “left” and “right,” making them people with an excellent sense of direction. As an educator, I have observed that students from different cultures usually depict spatial precision and excel in history and geography tasks. In another activity, one student from a similar background excels in a map reading exercise. From that day onward, I always introduce orientation-based activities in which students appreciate spatial activities.
Statement 2: Language Influences Perception of Time
Dr. Boroditsky describes how English speakers visualize time as horizontal (left to right), while Mandarin speakers often think of it vertically (Boroditsky, 2017). My students designed historical startup events during an entrepreneurial unicorn startup timeline class. A Thai-speaking student created this timeline vertically instead of horizontally. This surprised the entire class, but we could see the new patterns later. This helps me realize how using different ways of thinking about time can make the classroom environment more engaging and interesting.

Statement 3: Grammatical Gender and Object Description
Dr. Boroditsky emphasizes how the grammatical gender of words in different languages can change how objects are described. For example, In my cybersecurity classes, Polish students often describe technical concepts differently because their language (Polish) assigns genders to objects. For example, a Polish student once described a “firewall” as “sturdy” (masculine), pressuring more on strength and protection. This differed from other students who used terms like “secure” or “reliable.” This example represents how language defines technology learning among students. I now encourage my students to use their unique perspectives in class.
Statement 4: Language and Memory of Events
Dr. Boroditsky highlights how two languages define events in a completely different way. English focuses on who is doing the action, like “He broke the glass.” The action is described more passively in Spanish, like “The glass broke itself” (Boroditsky, 2017). In my technology management classes, I’ve noticed that students take this differently when it comes to responsibility. In my class, I have given them a group task. English-speaking students mainly focus on individual responsibility and share that the project failed because they did not complete it on time. On the other side, for students from Asian and Latin cultures, the project was not completed due to technical setbacks. This shows that as an educator, I need to design activities where students can think critically about internal and external factors in decision-making and effectively utilize technology management platforms.
Statement 5: Multilingualism and Cognitive Flexibility
Boroditsky (2017) discusses the advantages of knowing more languages or being multilingual, such as better problem-solving and adaptability. As a multilingual educator, I notice that bilingual students often define things from more than one perspective with creativity. For example, I once taught the Python program using an IDLE environment. One student described the concept from their native language as a metaphor, which was too explicit for everyone. I think multilingualism motivates me to encourage students to celebrate their linguistic abilities.
Statement 6: Linguistic Diversity as a Resource
(Boroditsky, 2017) finally concludes by focusing on language diversity and how 7000 languages remodel our thinking. For instance, in my entrepreneurial thinking class, students used idioms from their native language to describe entrepreneurial concepts. I believe the linguistic approach improves the quality of teaching and learning.

References

Boroditsky, L. (2017, May). How language shapes the way we think [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGuuHwbuQOg

Boroditsky, L. (2017). How language shapes the way we think [Video]. Society for the Anthropology of Religion (SAR). https://sarweb.org/how-the-languages-we-speak-shape-the-ways-we-think-sar-lecture-series-continues/