Is it possible that your mother language influences or even determines the way you think about and perceive the world? Linguists and philosophers have long suspected that it does. Each language has developed in a different historical, social, cultural and geographic context and it holds a powerful influence on the way we interpret the world around us.
Guy Deutscher explores this question in Does Your Language Shape How to Think, published in the New York Times. According to Mr. Deutchner our mother language is like a habit that molds our minds to see the world in a way similar to the way fellow speakers of the language perceive their world.
Our mother tongue has carved out a canyon of habit which is hard to break. But recent research shows that we are capable of learning how to explore outside the limits established by our own linguistic context and to see the world in a different light.
Professional translators should understand these differences to better interpret the idea of one language in another.
The good news is that we can break away from the limits of our language. Any ideas of how to do this? How about learning a new language or traveling abroad?
Guy Deutscher explores this question in Does Your Language Shape How to Think, published in the New York Times. According to Mr. Deutchner our mother language is like a habit that molds our minds to see the world in a way similar to the way fellow speakers of the language perceive their world.
Our mother tongue has carved out a canyon of habit which is hard to break. But recent research shows that we are capable of learning how to explore outside the limits established by our own linguistic context and to see the world in a different light.
Professional translators should understand these differences to better interpret the idea of one language in another.
The good news is that we can break away from the limits of our language. Any ideas of how to do this? How about learning a new language or traveling abroad?
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