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Starter: Can you know something without having a word for it? Can you think of any examples?
Starter: Can you know something without having a word for it? Can you think of any examples?
Objective: explore the relationship between language and knowledge
Objective: explore the relationship between language and knowledge
Outcomes:
Outcomes:
Watch 1984 - Novilingua [Newspeak] while considering these questions:
What do you notice about how language is being used (and changed)?
What does this suggest about the relationship between the extent of language and thought?
Why is it hard (impossible?) to translate these words into English?
Can you think of more examples?
What does this suggest about the relationship between the type of language and thought?
Linguistic determinism & relativism - consider the definitions:
The idea that the extent of our language shapes what we know is called linguistic determinism.
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
The idea that the type of language we speak shapes what we know is called linguistic relativism.
“We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because of the language habits of our community.” (Benjamin Lee Whorf)
How valid do they seem?
Do they match up to your personal experiences of language? Does this differ between languages?
Can knowledge exist without words for it?
BQ lesson 5 - Newspeak (student handout) - work in groups
PLENARY: Are you a linguistic determinist, relativist, both, or neither? Does this matter?
PLENARY: Are you a linguistic determinist, relativist, both, or neither? Does this matter?
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