The document discusses the relationship between language and thought, examining topics like linguistic determinism and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. It presents experiments that illustrate how language influences but does not completely dictate our thoughts and perceptions. Key findings include differences in preferences between various speech communities regarding colour, shape, and social factors.

1. ِ‫م‬ْ‫ي‬ ِ‫ح‬َّ‫الر‬ ِ‫ن‬ ٰ‫م‬ْ‫ح‬َّ‫الر‬ ِ‫هللا‬ ِ‫م‬ْ‫س‬ِ‫ب‬
E-LEARNING IS NOT THE NEXT BIG THING— IT IS THE NOW BIG
THING
National University of Modern Languages
(Peshawar Campus)
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2. Language, Thought & Culture
By
Sulaiman Ahmad
Lecturer in English
NUML Peshawar.
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Subject: Sociolinguistics

3. ???
1. Does Language Determine Thought?
2. To what extant & in what ways does language determine
thought?
3. Are thoughts totally determined by language?
4. Can thoughts stand independent of language?
5. What are the other factors which may influence thought?
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4. An Experiment by Susan Ervin-Tripp
 Research Participants: Japanese women
 Early life in Japan but immigrated to the US after WWII
 Sentence Completion Task: “I like to read__________.”
 In Japanese: “…bout sociology.”
 In English: “…comics because they relax my mind”.
 Conclusion: Linguistic determinism.
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5. THE SAPIR-WHORF HYPOTHESIS
Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf:
Two Versions of the Hypothesis:
1. Linguistic Determinism (Strong Version):
2. Linguistic Relativity (Weak Version)
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6. Linguistic Determinism (Strong Version)
Linguistic Determinism (Strong Version):
 Language determines thoughts.
 One is incapable of understanding a concept for which the
language has no name.
 There is no thought without language
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7. Linguistic Determinism
The language we speak limits or determines the concepts we can
understand and express. For example, proponents of linguistic
determinism argue that speakers of languages without a specific
colour term, such as "blue," would have difficulty perceiving or
conceptualizing that colour.
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8. Grammatical Gender Across Languages
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9. Colour Spectrum Across Languages
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10. Linguistic Relativity (Weak Version)
language influences our thoughts and perception but does not
entirely determine them.
Language can shape our thinking to some extent, but it does not
entirely constrain or limit it.
Experimental Project by Caroll and Casagrande (1950s).
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11. The Verb of Handling Technique Experiment
 Two Speech Communities:
i. English Speaking Community.
ii. Navajo Speaking Community.
1.String:----------------------Flexible-----------------------Long
2. Stick---------------------Rigid--------------------------Long
3. Cloth--------------------Flexible-----------------------Flat
Result: Navajo speakers preferred to Shape.
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12. The Triads Sorting Task
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 Colour, Shape & Size
 Results:
i. The Navajo speakers preferred Shape.
ii. The English speakers preferred colour.

13. Experiment No.03
 Two English Speaking Communities:
1. Boston English Speaking Middle Class.
2. Harlem English Speaking Lower Class.
Finding/Conclusion: Socialization/Social Class.
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Result:
Shape
Colour