linguistic processes are pervasive in most fundamental domains of thought, unconsciously shaping us from the nuts and bolts of cognition and perception to our loftiest abstract notions and major life decisions. Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak profoundly shape the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives.

Does learning new languages change the way you think?

Do people who speak different languages think differently simply because they speak different languages?

These questions touch on nearly all of the major controversies in the study of mind

very little empirical work was done on these questions until recently

What we have learned is that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even flukes of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world.

Language is a uniquely human gift, central to our experience of being human

Appreciating its role

brings us one step closer to understanding