'In the beginning was the
Word...'
Language and TOK
Language is powerful…
p  Watch
this short video entitled “El letrero”
to see the power of language.
Tyranny of language
p  One
of the most powerful aspects of
language is the way it is used to make
simple classifications: animals'; `courage';
`blue'
p  One
of the most dangerous aspects of
language is the way it is used to make
simplistic classifications: `Third World';
`fascist'; `terrorist';
Quotes…..
p  “I
n 
know more than I can say”
Michael Polanyi
thought can corrupt language,
language can also corrupt thought”
p  “If
n 
George Orwell
often misused words generate
misleading thoughts”
p  “How
n 
Herbert Spencer
p  “If
n 
you can’t say it you can’t know it”
Hans Reichenbach
Quotes……
p 
Language is not only the vehicle of thought, it is
a great and efficient instrument in thinking
n 
p 
The limits of my language stand for the limits of
my world.
n 
p 
Humphrey Davy
Ludwig Wittgenstein
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by
any other name would smell as sweet.
n 
William Shakespeare
How do we use language?
p  With
p  What
a partner, discuss this question:
is the process by which language
allows us to acquire knowledge?
Think about this….
p  What
do we use language for?
p  With your partner, see if you can come up
with a list of reasons why we use
language.
What do we use language for?
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
To
To
To
To
To
To
To
To
To
To
express emotion;
drown out silence;
establish a sense of belonging;
establish relationships;
enjoy the sound of language;
affect other’s emotions;
affect other’s behaviour;
convey information;
lie, to cheat, to confuse!
persuade, beg, plead
Language and Values
p  What
is the difference between a devout
believer and a fanatic?
p  What is the difference between a black
person, a person of colour, a coloured, a
non white and a nigger?
p  What is the difference between a freedom
fighter and a terrorist?
Connotations and Denotations
p  What
is the difference between
“Denotation” and “Connotation”?
The dictionary definitions:
p  Denotation
–the explicit or direct meaning
of a word or expression as distinguished
from the ideas or meanings associated
with it or suggested by it
p  Connotation-
the associated or secondary
meaning of a word or expression in
addition to its explicit or primary meaning
Connotations and Denotations
p  What
is
p  What is
“stud”?
p  What is
p  What is
“slut”?
the denotation of the word “stud”?
the connotation of the word
the denotation of the word “slut”?
the connotation of the word
Connotations…….
p 
Consider the following:
n 
n 
n 
p 
I am firm; you are stubborn; he is a pigheaded fool.
I am sparkling and witty; you are talking a lot; he is
jabbering on.
I daydream; you are an escapist; he is totally
delusional.
'Conjugate' the following in the same way:
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
I
I
I
I
I
am ambitious...
have a sense of humour...
love my country...
am generous….
am mature…..
Why do we need language?
p  Consider
these as possible reasons why
we have language:
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
We cannot carry every object or thing about which we need
to communicate
We need to be able to communicate about actions without
actually doing them
Abstract ideas which can only be expressed in language are
an essential part of human experience
We need to be able to communicate about emotions
beyond their mere expression
We need to be able to communicate with each other to
cooperate and prevent misunderstandings –this can only
occur with language
Why do we have language?
p  Watch
this TED talk by Mark Pagel for
another perspective on the origin of
language in human beings.
Language and Thought:
p  Does
the extent of our knowledge depend
on the extent of our language?
p  Read
the excerpt by George Orwell
Language and Thought
p  Can
we think without language?
p  How does an Western person and an Asian
person think about eg “family”
p  Why do some of my students continually
switch between Chinese and English in
conversations?
p  French is the language of love…….
p  I use English to talk to my dog.
Language and Thought
is the representation of the
experiences of the mind.” ARISTOTLE
p  “Man lives with the world about him,
principally, indeed exclusively, as
language presents it.” WILHELM VON
HUMBELDT
p  “We see and think as we do, mostly
because of our language community.”
BENJAMIN WHORF
p  “Speech
Literal versus actual meaning
p  It
is important to know what the words
actually mean rather than what the
dictionary says it means.
p  Think
of two phrases in which the same
word conveys completely different, even
contradictory meanings
Linguistic Determinism
p  The
languages we use determine what we
can think.
p  The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis suggests that
our thoughts are completely limited by our
language.
p  If your first language is not English though
you are completely bilingual, what
language do you think in?
p  How did George Orwell use this idea in
“1984” ?
Technical language
p  Can
a doctor actually be competent before
he learns the words associated with his
profession?
p  Could a mathematician solve complex
problems without employing the symbolic
language of algebra?
p  Can two computer experts converse
without “techie-speak”?
Language and thought….
p 
p 
p 
p 
Our mental world is far richer than our
vocabulary.
Can you think of any feelings or thoughts for
which there aren’t any words in your first
language
If you are multilingual are there any words in one
of your languages which do not exist in your
other language?
Identify some mental concepts for which there
should be words. Why is this difficult to do? What
implications does this have for the relationship
between language and thought?
The meaning of Liff – Douglas Adams
p 
p 
p 
CORRIEARKLET (n) The moment at which two
people approaching from opposite ends of a long
passageway, recognise each other and
immediately pretend they haven't. This is to
avoid the ghastly embarrassment of having to
continue recognising each other the whole length
of the corridor.
ELBONICS (n) The actions of two people
manoeuvring for an armrest in a cinema.
ELECELLERATION (n) The mistaken notion that
the more often, or the harder, you press an
elevator button, the faster it will arrive.
More meanings of liff….
p 
p 
p 
p 
OUGHTERBY (n) Someone you don't want to
invite to a party but whom you know you have to
as a matter of duty.
SCONSER (n) A person who looks around when
talking to you, to see if there's anyone more
interesting about.
SCAPTOFT (n) The absurd flap of hair a vain
and balding man grows long above one ear to
comb it to the other ear.
SHOEBURYNESS (n) The vague uncomfortable
feeling you get when sitting on a seat which is
still warm from somebody else's bottom.
Unnamed thoughts
p  Again,
all these words are probably
naming things with which you are already
familiar, but which are unnamed. It can be
interesting to discuss these ideas with
speakers of other languages and to find
concepts which have no direct translation
Conclusion
p  So,
to what extent does thought rely on
language?
p  Linguistic
Determinism: the view that our
thought, and therefore our knowledge, is
determined and limited by our language.
p  Linguistic
Realism: the view that our
language is determined by our needs and
by the world we experience around us.
Language as a
means of
Miscommunication
Fallacy of Ambiguity
p 
A In the following sentences, analyse the
different ways in which the bold words are used.
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
Speeding is against the law.
Things fall according to the law of gravity.
It's an unwritten law that to get big business deals you
need to bribe officials.
If you persistently speed, the law of averages says that
sooner or, later you'll be caught.
The laws of grammar dictate that you should not split
infinitives.
It is the truth that a triangle has three sides.
'There is ice at the North Pole' is the truth.
There is real truth in that painting.
'Ain't that the truth!'
Sentence Structure
p 
Each of the following sentences asserts that
certain material objects possess certain qualities.
In which cases are the qualities properties of the
mind, and in which cases are they properties of
the objects?
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
p 
The drink is sweet.
This curry is hot
This knife is sharp.
It is a hot day.
We are in love.
That is an excellent film
Here is a hard chair.
He is intelligent
He is as sharp as a knife.
She is so sweet.
The drink is fizzy.
This is a hard exam.
If you found any of the qualities to be in the
mind, explain the meanings of the sentences.
Renaming the problem…..
p 
A identify the problem with the following
explanations:
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
The bird found its way home by its homing instinct.
He seems nervous; perhaps he has lost his confidence.
Everyone listens to her - she has real presence.
She seems so relaxed, as if she has found a new serenity.
He fell to the ground, senseless. He must have lost
consciousness.
It fell because of gravity.
He did well on the test because he has such a high IQ.
Language and Meaning
p 
'Bite the wax tadpole.'
n 
p 
'Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the
grave.'
n 
p 
('Pepsi Comes Alive' as originally translated into
Chinese.)
'You are invited to take advantage of the
chambermaid.'
n 
p 
('Coca-Cola' as originally translated into Chinese.)
(In a Japanese hotel.)
'Drop your trousers here for best results.'
n 
(In a Bangkok dry cleaner's.)
Language and Meaning (2)
p 
'I am amazingly diverted by your entreaty for a room. I can
offer you a commodious chamber with balcony imminent to
the romantic gorge, and I hope that you want to drop in. A
vivacious stream washes my doorsteps, so do not concern
yourself that I am not too good in bath, I am superb in
bed.'
n 
p 
Press the button of your desire
n 
p 
Instruction in a Bangkok lift
We shall be coming on Tuesday to pester your room
n 
p 
From a response to an inquiry about accommodation.
Pest control at Bangkok Garden Apartments
All bicycles that are not removed from the car park will be
exterminated
n 
Instruction to tenants at Bangkok Garden Apartments
Language and Meaning (3)
p 
It is forbidden to enter a woman, even a foreigner, if
dressed as a man
n 
p 
Sign at a Bangkok Temple
Would you like to ride on your own ass?
n 
Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand
Got a flat Tyre?
p 
Its pouring with rain and you are changing a flat tyre when
you hear a stranger say: “Got a flat Tyre?”
p 
What is the psychological meaning here?
p 
Hello. I can see that you have a flat tyre and that you are
changing it. It is not good weather to be doing a job like
that - I wouldn't want to be doing it by myself! And so
perhaps, even though I do not know you, I can help. But I
don't really know you well enough just to offer - and I do
not wish to be embarrassed by a rejection. Are you
approachable and friendly? This is my voice - you can see I
am trustworthy. How about you? Will you give me a sign as
to whether or not you wish for help?
You need to……………
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
p 
appreciate that language is an incredibly rich and complex
thing, and that it can be non-spoken
appreciate the distinction between language as a neutral,
transparent tool for communication and language as a value
laden system of persuasion and implication
understand that language may not map perfectly to the “real
world” and that this can mask a poor understanding of the
“real world”
understand the arguments for and against the position that
language can affect thought
be informed about some of the issues raised by the existence
of several languages
begin to appreciate the subtleties and difficulties associated
with the concept of meaning
begin to appreciate possible links between language,
experience and identity.