Tuesday, 3 February 2015

DEBATE: LANGUAGE AND THINKING

Some suggest that language (that is, words), plays an important role in thinking, but others suggests that language is the one that  determines the way we think.  Lets discuss this and support our reasoning with practical examples and facts.
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59 comments:

  1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 02:08

    i think language is influenced by thoughts because someone can not say what they never thought unless that person is semi conscious.

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 05:01

      I think I will strengthen this point by saying, during critical thinking the person has some ideas in mind but can not express them in any other language except the mother tongue.the thoughts influence the language again by showing that one can answer in the language they are fluent in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    2. Unknown4 February 2015 at 10:14

      dear Eric, it is true that a person can express themselves in language but not only in their mother tongue and the language they are most fluent in, it would depend on whom the messege is meant for, hence language can not only be verbal as well as physical. what do you do to express your feelings to a deaf person? think about it

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  2. Unknown4 February 2015 at 02:11

    Ntate Taka I do not understand what we are to do. Please help me understand

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 02:44

      On this question I am on the same boat with you Rasebonang,Ntate Taka please come to our rescue.

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    2. Unknown4 February 2015 at 09:16

      Please dont love the word confusion. Post your thoughts and others and myself will help each other. This is a learning platform, dont be afraid to make mistakes.

      Neo your post is ok.

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  3. Unknown4 February 2015 at 03:04

    I think I will go with Mokhele because what she says makes sense.

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  4. Unknown4 February 2015 at 03:58

    i think language influences thought and vice versa becouse if a person has been locked up from the time they were a baby to the time they are mature,definately this person can not say anything and will just be seeing objects hence thinking is limited.

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  5. Unknown4 February 2015 at 04:33

    Njessa how can you say that someone is developed yet they were locked for ages and neglected the opotunity to eet with other people?iI think that in that locked room somehow the individual learn so sort of language due to the thoughts he had in there.

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  6. Anonymous4 February 2015 at 05:48

    Language plays a very important role because we cant critically think about something we are reading,listening to if we cant understand the words we are reading or listening eg if someone speaks to you in German about the next episode of your favourite show and you don't speak German you cant make an honest. opinion.

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  7. Unknown4 February 2015 at 05:56

    I agree with Tlali that language comes first because to think of something one should have understood and understanding would come from knowing the language.

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  8. Unknown4 February 2015 at 05:58

    yes language plays an important role in the way we think and determines our level of thinking, for example here at paray, if we are to learn in sesotho language only, somehow it affects those who don't understand the language and they won't be able to explore more in thinking.

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  9. Unknown4 February 2015 at 06:01

    Very well thought Ntate Prich

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  10. Unknown4 February 2015 at 08:12

    language's formed by majority of our declarative memory. that is thinking determines the way we speak. e.g. if a person is asked a question he thinks about it first and then answer, he could not answer before thinking.

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  11. Unknown4 February 2015 at 09:39

    Guys most of you seem to be suggesting that language shapes thinking, although some think of it the other way. That is very interesting and well thought. Therefore in our quest to understand behaviour which includes the way we speak and think, lets ask ourselves this question -" Do people of the same language have a unique way of thinking different from another group of people? In general do Basotho have a way of thinking common to them , not found in say Shona speaking people?

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 10:03

      it's true certain people have a common way of identifying themselves- i.e. speaking same language but that can not determine the way they think. everybody's unique regardless of race, culture & qualifications!

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  12. liketsotsoinyane4 February 2015 at 09:58

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. liketsotsoinyane4 February 2015 at 10:14

    According to Joshua Hartshome he says his teacher used to say "the more words you know the more thoughts you have." So this means language enable one to have ideas or thoughts. but in return Joshua disagrees with his teacher and says more words makes it easier to recall thoughts.

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 10:25

      I like this. So what do you say, we have heard what Joshua and his teacher thinks

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    2. liketsotsoinyane4 February 2015 at 13:24

      I just go for Joshua's suggestion because I belief that there can't be thoughts without words and as a result language may be affected negatively

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  14. Unknown4 February 2015 at 10:16

    We think by words,the more words you know,the more thoughts you have.

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 10:29

      Welcome Ramone. Excellent thoughts. i have one question for yu- Do people who cannot speak have words hence thoughs

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    2. Unknown4 February 2015 at 11:53

      Yes they do, but they are not able to express their feelings e.g when they are hungry they can not say instead they search for food...

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  15. Unknown4 February 2015 at 10:24

    i think that people of the same language do not think alike but experience determines the thinking ability of an individual its just that language is an aid to portray those thoughts in a language that the next person may understand.

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 11:58

      so according to you, language does not influence thinking?

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    2. Unknown5 February 2015 at 08:13

      it does because people speak of things they thought of and translate them in their language to make sense

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  16. Unknown4 February 2015 at 11:00

    I blv people who speak different languages thnkk differently,yes Basotho hv their common way of thinking,even jst their grammar is different.

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:02

      Nice thoughts. Give us practical examples

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  17. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:06

    This what I personally think:People who speak different languages do indeed think differently. Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak shape the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives.

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  18. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:08

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:09

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:12

    language is the one that determines the way we think because if one asked a question in a language that he or she doesn"t understand,he will not come up with the right solution

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 02:50

      Sure , you cant think about it until its in a language you understand

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  21. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:44

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Unknown4 February 2015 at 12:54

      i think langauage is influenced by thinking because people speak or talk from their thoughts

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    2. Unknown4 February 2015 at 13:11

      LANG play a crucial part in thinking , one thought about something in his or her home lang or lang that he /she is familiar with, in order for it to make sense

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    3. Unknown5 February 2015 at 02:53

      But also isn't it that language can trigger thinking, and thinking can shape the language?

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  22. Unknown4 February 2015 at 13:19

    the other one is confusing, but i don't think lang determines the way we think, all diploma first year know English language but we don't think in the same way , that's why there are variation of marks when tests were written

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 02:58

      Surely human beings are unique regardless of their language. But remember if we are all Basotho, we speak the same language, we have more or less the same culture, therefore our thinking may have some common aspects. However to say that the common way of thinking in certain aspects is due to the language is falling short of fully analysing human behaviour. There are so many other things that influence our thinking.

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  23. Unknown5 February 2015 at 07:39

    thnkn influences words or talkn meaning we cannot talk without thnkn

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 10:56

      I agree, but we cant just look at one side. What about the other way.

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  24. Khantse Mokhele5 February 2015 at 07:55

    I think they influence each other or let me say they grow up all together for example the story of the chicken and the egg.

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 10:52

      Please tell us the story of the chicken and the egg

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  25. Unknown5 February 2015 at 09:07

    I think language determines thinking because there are things that are present in some languages yet they are not there in other languages, so you cannot think of what you do not know

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 10:59

      So basically its both ways. The two influences each other

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  26. papali5 February 2015 at 10:48

    I think language determines thinking because there is no way that one can think of something in language that one is not familiar with

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 11:00

      So do all Basotho think differently from chinese for example

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  27. Unknown5 February 2015 at 11:36

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  28. Unknown5 February 2015 at 11:40

    They both determine each other, no one can think without knowing any language and everyone think differently.

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 12:52

      I like that. Are you also saying that the language one speaks cannot make them think in a certain unique way?

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  29. Khantse Mokhele5 February 2015 at 12:11

    I want to share the story but its too long even though the question still remains about which came first, the chicken or the egg? I think they both came first just like language and thinking because we can not think without knowing the language at the same time we can not speak the language without thinking.

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  30. Khantse Mokhele5 February 2015 at 12:19

    This brings me to say if I do not know the answer in class it is because am unable to think or I do not have words for the answer or it might be that I lack words for the answer because I can not think...

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    1. Unknown5 February 2015 at 12:57

      This advanced thinking. Excellent. In class we use a language foreign to us all, maybe it slows our thinking. Besides people are sometimes not sure of their answers , so their thinking tells them not to say out such answers.

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  31. Unknown5 February 2015 at 13:01

    Language is orderly, therefore thinking comes first. When someone starts speaking disorderly, we begin to wonder if they are okay mentally. Most people who cant speak are still mentally okay, they can think well.

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  32. Anonymous6 February 2015 at 13:57

    language is important in thinking. as the language of the question needs to be understood before thinking of the answer

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    1. Unknown6 February 2015 at 23:41

      I could not agree with you more. But maybe one also needs to think before speaking. Well thought

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  33. Unknown8 February 2015 at 05:15

    Yes words play important role on what we think because a persons cannot say what he has never thought of before meaning every time we say something its because we have been thinking about it

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