Introduction
Language and thinking have long been a hot topic for discussion among linguists and philosophers. Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf’s research on language and thought proposed that language affects the way we think (Mihalic, 2017). However, psychologists have since disproved this theory as one rooted in empiricism. The main discussion surrounding language and thinking is whether a person thinks differently when speaking a particular language or maintains their thinking. This essay discusses theories on language and thought as they relate to a South African context.
Key Theories and Theorists
Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis
One fundamental theory was by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. Their hypothesis referred to Sapir–Whorf hypothesis proposed that the language one speaks determines how one thinks (Regier & Xu, 2017). The theory is concerned with how cultural contexts and language patterns shape thoughts. It suggests that people perceive experiences according to the structure of their native language. Thus, it follows that different people using different languages perceive the world differently.
Several studies have been conducted to investigate Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. One of the studies investigates how the Piraha people performed in a cognitive test compared to English-speaking people. The study was based on the counting system of the Piraha people, who have a one-two-many system compared to the English language with more than two number representations (Regier & Xu, 2017). The cognitive tests showed a difference in performance and supported the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Other studies based on orientation in space and color produced the same results (Regier & Xu, 2017). However, this theory faces controversy as it challenges the belief that the thought process rests on a universal foundation.
Linguistic Determinism
Philosophers such as Humbolt have stated one cannot dissociate language and thought. However, one cannot equate language to thought. That would render the question of how one influences the other moot. Nietzsche believed that language was the building block through which a person formed the thought process (Mihalic, 2017). He described language as a ‘prison of the mind.’ Therefore, it is a determinant of thought and thought processes such as memory, categorization, and perception.
Linguistic Relativity
Linguistic relativism is a weaker form of the linguistic determinism theory. Linguists like Deutscher support this theory language influences the thought process but steers away from language as a prison of the mind notion. In his book, Through the Location Glass, Deutscher presents findings from a study done with the Guugu Yimithirr people who describe the location in a geocentric manner (Behr, 2018). Instead of describing an object as either right or left, they use adverbs such as north and south. The argument here is that the use of egocentric directions as descriptors is encoded in their memory because the language they speak requires it.
Language of Thought (LOTH)
This theory proposes that external language does not influence the way we think. The belief is that thoughts in the head take place through mental language. Cognitive language is similar to spoken language in that it consists of words that one can combine to form sentences. Linguist Stephen Pinker terms this language mentalese (Camp, 2020). This theory aims to address whether language and thought are separable, such that thought can exist without language. Arguing such a debate would essentially also answer whether language exists because of thoughts.
Theories and Concepts of Cognitive Development
Vygotsky’s theory supports the notion that language and thought develop differently with different functions before two years of a child’s age. After two years, speech and thought unite, and speech becomes rational, and thoughts become verbal. He proposed that language shapes the social and cultural characteristics of a person (Camp, 2020). Piaget’s theory suggests that children go from lower-level cognitive representations and progress to higher-level mental models as they get older.
Different views on Language and Thinking
All theories provide above relate to language and thinking in one way or another. There are specific characteristics of research aimed at exploring this topic. One is that language and thought are entangled and cannot be separated. Additionally, it is impossible to separate language and culture, and the theories of speech and study can be classified from weak to vigorous (Behr, 2018). The fourth is that language theories have to be trivial. The fact remains, however, that language may have some influence on thought and culture.
Language and Thinking in South African Schools.
From the above theories, one view that is constant throughout is the influence of language on the thought process. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, for instance, has studies that prove the native language of someone influences their cognitive ability. In a poll conducted by the South African Social Attitudes Survey, people were asked whether they preferred their children taught in their home language or English (Regier & Xu, 2017). Over 65% of the poll results in 2018 showed a preference for English; despite researchers recommending using the home language at least in the first few years of school and then gradually switching to English.
Children coming from homes that use native South African languages find it difficult to engage with the school curriculum taught in English entirely. According to Regier & Xu (2017), the Language-in-Education-Policy (LiEP) dictates that each school teaches two official languages, including a home language and an international one. However, this is not the case in most schools. In Eastern Cape Province, children use isiXhosa in and out of class but are expected to take their exams in English (Rani, 2016). Following the influence of language on thought, it can be inferred that the language used affects how students perceive ideas and, therefore, the results they get from school.
From the language of thought view, which as mentioned argues that languages have universal implications with a common mental language being used for thoughts, one can say that it does not matter what language a child is taught. South African schools could teach in either of the eleven official languages. Therefore, provided the children understand the language, they could perceive what is being taught. However, adopting such a policy from a young child’s age would give them difficulties expressing themselves (Rani, 2016). The difficulties arise because the child is incapable of translating the mental language of their thoughts into a coherent string of words that others can understand.
Conclusion
Different theories on thinking and language have been proposed since the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, from ideas that relate language and thought as coupled entities to the Language of Thought theory hypothesizes the existence of a universal mental language used for thinking. One commonality in all these theories is that thought and language influence a person’s cognitive level, as seen from South African children’s level of understanding in schools that use English for teaching. There is a need to actively incorporate the home languages of South African students in school so as to improve their level of understanding of concepts taught in school.
References
Behr, D. (2018). Surveying the Migrant Population: Consideration of Linguistic and Cultural Issues. In GESIS Symposium on” Surveying the Migrant Population: Consideration of Linguistic and Cultural Aspects” (Vol. 19, p. 108). DEU.
Camp, E. (2020). Pssriorities and Diversities in Language and Thought. In Language and Reality from a Naturalistic Perspective (pp. 45-66). Springer, Cham.
Mihalic, M. (2017). Cultural Understandings Through the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. Memorial Undergraduate, 166.
Rani, N. J. (2016). The place of language policy in education in teaching and learning: a case study of two primary schools in the Eastern Cape Province.
Regier, T., & Xu, Y. (2017). The Sapir‐Whorf hypothesis and inference under uncertainty. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 8(6), e1440.