Does Language Shape the Way We Think?
Wikipedia Article
Skim the articles and answer the following questions on your own blog:
- Summarize the Sapir-Whorf Theory of Language
- In what ways is the theory an accurate picture of Language (give examples where it works)
- Why has it been discredited?
Lost in Translation
Read the above article, and then form groups of three or four, with at least two native languages represented. Try to come up with five examples of words that you 'just can't translate' for each other. Do you best to come up with a 'close enough' translation, but try to think of words that just 'don't work' in any other language. Post them as a comment here with the best definition you can come up with.
Here's an excellent example from the best television show of all time, Arrested Development:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_qGbv-tV6U
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