Lesson 2

• What did Sapir and Whorf believe about the relationship between language and thought?

  Language comes first and thought follows
• According to Sapir and Whorf, what does our language affect?

  Our memory, perception and thinking
• What does the weak version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis say?

  that language influences thought
• Which version of the hypothesis did Safir and Whorf agree with more?

  The weak version
• What did the strong version of the safir-whorf hypothesis say?

  That language determines thought
• The strong version of the hypothesis said that it is not possible to think about things unless what?

  Unless someone already knows the word for it
• What was the research of the hypothesis based on?

  Research of indigenous (native) languages
• Which languages did Whorf contrast in his research?

  Native American languages with English
• What did he claim supported his ideas in terms of language?

  The Eskimos' use of many different words for snow
• What does the Safir-Whorf hypothesis assume?

  Some things that are not entirely true, for example, there actually seems to be little difference between the number of words Eskimos and English people have for snow
• If a group of people have more words for something, what does this not necessarily mean?

  It does not mean that the words came first
• What is a more likely exclamation for the development of language?

  That the words developed as a result of their being a need to think about and communicate about something in the situation these people were experiencing
• What is an everyday example that does not fit with the hypothesis?

  The fact that a book translated from one language to another retains the same meaning
• What is one strength of the hypothesis in terms of research?

  It offers an explanation for the link between language and intelligence/education level that has been found by researchers
• What are some examples of research that supports the hypothesis?

  Studies on the variation and recognition of colors and the variation in recall of events across cultures