Language & Culture

How does language influence culture, and vice versa? What are the theories of language acquisition we have discussed? What is the difference between linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism?

            Language consists of verbal symbols that represent common ideas, allowing human beings to exchange those ideas with little difficulty. It allows people to communicate and to retain their cultures through the transmission of culture from one generation to the next. Culture and language heavily influence one another through this transmission and the adaptations of the culture itself. For example, the Inuits have several words for “snow,” the Sami people have several words for “family,” and Americans have several words for “money,” indicating that the language has been influenced by the importance of those ideas in those particular cultures. Similarly, language influences cultures in how we use language to teach children traditions, rules of society, social roles, etc;.

            Throughout the years, several different theories of language acquisition have come into being. John Locke proposed the Blank Slate theory, which states that humans are born with the capability to receive and process complex content and use language, but only after we are exposed to it. Locke believed that we literally were blank slates without language until exposure to it occurred. On the other hand, B.F. Skinner proposed the theory of Operational Conditioning. He said that infants learn language through positive and negative feedback, reinforcing the use or non-use of language through rewards and consequences. Finally, Noam Chompsky proposed Pre-Wiring of the Brain, saying that humans are pre-wired to acquire language skills, effectively developing language regardless of exposure or feedback. For example, some twins have developed their own personal languages, and this data only supports Chompsky’s theory. He also said that languages change and modify between the generations, resulting in colloquialisms, turns of phrase, etc;.

            Language operates through linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism, two very different mechanisms used to understand language in culture. Linguistic relativism refers to how relevant the language is to the culture. This explains why Inuits have so many words for “snow” – because it’s incredibly relevant to their culture! On the other hand, linguistic determinism refers to how the language that we use determines the way in which we view and think about the world. Our thoughts, in essence, are influenced by our language. This explains why native English speakers are often confused by ideas that are expressed in other languages, especially when those ideas do not lend themselves to translation into English.