Discussion: Language = Identity?

Please complete the following as preparation for this discussion, in addition to your assigned discussion role.

Materials

• Read the TED article, “How Language Can Affect the Way We Think“
• Watch the last four minutes of Tim Doner’s TED Talk, “Breaking the Language Barrier” (start at 12:53)

Questions

Answer the following questions, and bring your answers typed and printed to class. You can use these questions and any other notes you bring during the discussion.

1. In her article, Gross explains research from Keith Chen, who finds that language can affect how we think and behave. From your experiences learning and speaking different languages, do you agree or disagree that language influences how you understand the world?
2. Can you think of an example from your own language, or another language you speak, of how the vocabulary or grammar is different from English and might therefore affect how speakers understand the world? Had you ever noticed this before?
3. Tim Doner asserts, “There is a real tie between language and culture.” Can you think of examples from your own language learning where learning the culture helped you learn the language?
4. What is one strategy for learning a language that works well for you that you would like to share with us?

Structure

We will follow a Round Robin discussion format. Each person will share his/her ideas, and then the person on the right will respond and then add his/her ideas.