Language Determines Thought: The Creation of Social

Language Determines Thought: The Creation of Social Worlds Through Language

As a set of symbols that has specific and shared meanings within society, language is perhaps the most dynamic and oft-used artifact and element of human culture. Through language, humans are able to express their thoughts and emotions, limiting or empowering an individual's thinking process. Language assumes numerous characteristics and functions, which potentially alters and at the same time, develop human thought and expression. As a set of man- made symbols, language is rule-governed, which means that language is uttered not for the mere act of speaking alone, but because there is purpose why a particular word, phrase, or statement is spoken. These rules may be created concerning the order of words, meanings, and manner in which the language is delivered by the communicator/individual. Lastly, language is subjective, which leads to various interpretations and creation of 'worlds' or realities as experienced and given meaning by the individual (Adler, 1998:137). With language being subjective and rule-governed, it goes without saying that language is often used as symbols through which people express and create conflicts and/or harmonious relationships with others.

Language as a way of experiencing social realities thus becomes a medium through which societies and cultures are formed. In effect, language, as a cultural and man-made artifact, transforms and creates cultures spontaneously. The way language alters social realities is especially illustrated in Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir's hypothesis on language and culture, called the Linguistic Relativity hypothesis. This hypothesis posits that "language determines the structure of thinking and shapes our basic ideas" (Santrock, 2001:277). Through this hypothesis, language helps creates cultures, i.e., social experiences, because it allows individuals to "think, make inferences, tackle difficult decisions, and solve problems" (278). People exposed to one culture, which may characteristically have a different language, may interpret their realities differently from another culture. That is, people of A language may have a different way of interpreting, solving conflicts, and relating with other people vis-a-vis people from another, which speaks a different language B.