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Linguistic relativity and second language acquisition

Athanasopoulos, Panos LU (2012)
Abstract
The principle of linguistic relativity was formulated by Benjamin Lee Whorf (1940/1956), but it is also often referred to as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis in reference to Whorf's mentor at Yale University, Edward Sapir. Whorf contended that while we all see the same objective reality, we nonetheless interpret and classify it differently, based on the categories made available in our language. Therefore, according to Whorf, speakers of different languages think and reason about the perceived world differently. For example, speakers of a language that uses one term to refer to the colors blue and green (a so-called grue term) evaluate the perceptual difference between blue and green stimuli as less significant than speakers of a language with... (More)
The principle of linguistic relativity was formulated by Benjamin Lee Whorf (1940/1956), but it is also often referred to as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis in reference to Whorf's mentor at Yale University, Edward Sapir. Whorf contended that while we all see the same objective reality, we nonetheless interpret and classify it differently, based on the categories made available in our language. Therefore, according to Whorf, speakers of different languages think and reason about the perceived world differently. For example, speakers of a language that uses one term to refer to the colors blue and green (a so-called grue term) evaluate the perceptual difference between blue and green stimuli as less significant than speakers of a language with distinct terms for blue and green (Kay & Kempton, 1984). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
The encyclopedia of applied linguistics
editor
Chapelle, Carol A.
pages
6 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
ISBN
9781405194730
9781405198431
DOI
10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0722
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
08bb7b0b-d642-4013-ae7e-318105942ffc
date added to LUP
2024-05-17 14:08:28
date last changed
2025-04-04 13:57:59
@inbook{08bb7b0b-d642-4013-ae7e-318105942ffc,
  abstract     = {{The principle of linguistic relativity was formulated by Benjamin Lee Whorf (1940/1956), but it is also often referred to as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis in reference to Whorf's mentor at Yale University, Edward Sapir. Whorf contended that while we all see the same objective reality, we nonetheless interpret and classify it differently, based on the categories made available in our language. Therefore, according to Whorf, speakers of different languages think and reason about the perceived world differently. For example, speakers of a language that uses one term to refer to the colors blue and green (a so-called grue term) evaluate the perceptual difference between blue and green stimuli as less significant than speakers of a language with distinct terms for blue and green (Kay & Kempton, 1984).}},
  author       = {{Athanasopoulos, Panos}},
  booktitle    = {{The encyclopedia of applied linguistics}},
  editor       = {{Chapelle, Carol A.}},
  isbn         = {{9781405194730}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  title        = {{Linguistic relativity and second language acquisition}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0722}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0722}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}