Does an individual’s language affect his thought? This question is extremely pertinent to AHS, as the student body collectively speaks over 50 languages. Does this diversity make it difficult for students to communicate with each other, not only because of the language barrier, but also because the different languages cause them to think differently?
Language is, by definition, a way of communicating thoughts and emotions. In one language, a concept may be conveyed in one or two syllables, whereas in another it may take sentences or it may not be able to be expressed at all. It is not to say that one could not experience that concept without knowledge of that word, but it is arguable that he may not be entirely aware of that feeling.
Being aware of something such as an emotion has the potential to greatly affect one’s related thought process. Schadenfreude is a German word that is defined as the pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. It is most likely that everyone has experienced this feeling at one point in their life, whether or not they had a name for it. Does not having that name somehow detract from the emotion’s complexity? Does it merely make the experience different? Does it make a difference at all?
Different languages also use different syntax; that is, the arrangement of words in a sentence. In English, adjectives are normally placed before the noun it is describing, whereas in Spanish, the descriptor may appear after the noun. This is a minimal difference, as both languages are derived from the same base: Latin. There are more drastic differentiations between English and say, German. If you were to ask, “May I sharpen my pencil?” in German, the words would be arranged, “May I, my pencil, sharpen?” While such differences may seem insignificant, I believe there is a possibility these differences have a profound effect on the thought.
Depending on your language’s syntax, you might place priority on verbs or nouns, subjects or actions. This may, in fact, influence whether a society is more focused on production or quality of life. It is even possible that people who speak languages with gender-specific nouns and verb conjugations would be more cognizant of the proposed association between production and living with masculinity and femininity, therefore categorizing their society as male-dominant or female-dominant.
A perfect example of a large discrepancy between languages is the subjunctive mood in Spanish vs. English. Normally, one would use the indicative to present fact, certainty, and objectivity. The subjunctive mood is used to express uncertainty or subjectivity and is rarely used in English anymore. One instance that it is still used in English is in hypothetical situations, such as: “If I were younger, I would look better.” With relation to uncertainty, “the doctor recommends he take two pills a day.” There is no way of knowing whether or not he actually will take the doctor’s advice.
Now, let’s translate the subjunctive into Spanish. Take, for example, the following sentence: “Va a llover” (it is going to rain). This sentence is simply stating the fact that it will rain, so it uses the indicative mood. The next sentence, “No dudo que va a llover” (I don’t doubt that it is going to rain), also uses the indicative, as it expresses certainty.
However, introduce doubt… “Dudo que vaya a llover” (I doubt that it is going to rain), and the subjunctive will be used. This is because the speaker (subjectively) does not believe that it will rain and it has not yet begun to rain, so there is no way to be certain of the outcome. The subjunctive also has the capability to express how the speaker feels about the topic. “Conduzco en el tráfico cada día” (I drive in traffic every day) is factual. “Enojo que conduzca en el tráfico cada día” (it angers me that I drive in traffic every day) expresses the speaker’s emotions.
Does the use of the subjunctive mood cause the user to be more aware of the difference between subjectivity and objectivity? Would this allow them to understand the subjectivity of culture and allow them to interact with a more diverse community more easily?
As a student, you may be exposed to this variety of thought every day. Imagine how this may shape you as a person, and take full advantage; most high schools do not present this great opportunity.
