The Influence of Language on Perception of Time and Space
The connection between language and perception extends beyond mere communication; it profoundly influences how we perceive the concepts of time and space. Consider envisioning the stages of life in a flowchart—from infancy to old age. Most visualize the oldest on the right and the youngest on the left, but this isn't universal.
Studies indicate that the direction of writing in a language significantly influences how individuals conceptualize time and space. Languages with right-to-left scripts like Arabic or Hebrew often correlate time from right to left, while left-to-right scripts like English tend to conceptualize time from left to right when thinking abstractly.
Furthermore, diverse languages depict time and space uniquely. For instance, the remote Aboriginal community of Pormpuraaw in Australia uses cardinal directions instead of "left" or "right." Their time concept varies: facing south, time flows from left to right, altering with different directions.
Psycholinguists argue that language shapes, if not entirely determines, our conceptualization of time. The movie "Arrival" (2016) explores similar ideas as humans encounter aliens with non-linear time perception, illustrating the influence of language on time comprehension.
Moreover, linguistic nuances impact how we perceive time-related expressions. Ambiguous phrases like "Wednesday's meeting moved forward two days" elicit different interpretations based on how individuals conceive time's movement or their movement through time.
A 2017 study highlights how multilingual speakers perceive time differently across languages. Languages like Swedish or English express time as distance ("long holiday"), while Greek or Spanish quantify time as volume ("big holiday"). Bilinguals navigate distinct time perceptions based on the language they use, effortlessly switching between these diverse conceptions.
Professor Panos Athanasopoulos from Lancaster University, in a study on bilingual speakers, emphasized how acquiring a new language brings previously unknown perceptual qualities. This phenomenon aligns with linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, suggesting that language shapes cognitive processes and perception of the world.
Linguistic relativity sparks debates, but contemplating these ideas encourages revisiting assumptions, and acknowledging the fluidity of our worldviews.
Explore how language influences perception, challenges assumptions, and opens doors to a broader understanding of our cognitive framework.
https://thebablebuzzfeed.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-influence-of-language-on-perception.html
