Reflection # 6
Re the Whorfian hypothesis: Are there concepts or ways of saying things in one of the languages that you speak that can not be said or expressed or the meaning changes in another of your languages?
Re the Whorfian hypothesis: Are there concepts or ways of saying things in one of the languages that you speak that can not be said or expressed or the meaning changes in another of your languages?
Whorf's hypothesis was extensively addressed in the undergrad Linguistics course offered by Dr. Drinka. Does language influence thought and perception, or vice-versa? The best example of the former (Whorf) that I came across are the words for green and blue in Japanese. In Bonjinsha's Japanese English Dictionary (1992), "ao" is translated as blue, green. "Let's cross the street when the light turns green. with a note, "Although it usually means 'blue,' ao is sometimes used for 'green' as in aosingo (a green light) and aoba (green leaves)."
Under "midori," the translation is given as green, with the example," The green of the trees and grass is pretty in May." If there is a difference, it is almost indistinguishable from these definitions, unless it means green with a tinge of yellow. Do the Japanese see colors differently because of these words? Wakanaiyo!
How do you address culture in your classrooms? Do you go beyond the "holiday" model of culture?
At Hitachi, we had a cultural consultant present a seminar. We looked at the values held in esteem in Japanese and German cultures; for example, group work in Japan, versus rugged individualism in Germany. We then shared why we felt these values were important, and learned to better understand the drivers behind the behaviors of the groups. By the way, our definition of culture was, "It's the way we do things around here." Cultural adaptation and respect is one of the keys to success in working with people.
