Every day we use language to express our thoughts and emotions, but what role do the languages we speak play in shaping those thoughts and emotions? Just how much of our culture and worldview is based on the concepts expressed in the languages we speak? Do bilinguals really have access to a broader understanding of the world because of the nuances which can be expressed in each of their languages? This question is not a new one, but every once in a while a new article is published that makes me reconsider the impact that speaking more than one language has on the very way we think and see the world.

According to this new article by Lera Boroditsky, a psychology professor at Stanford University, a great deal of new research has been published which firmly backs the theory that language does, in fact, influence the way we see the world. The article cites several studies carried out in a wide variety of languages which showcase how language affects our worldview, but I think most bilinguals are already aware of this to some extent. Speaking more than one language not only allows us to communicate with more people across the globe, but it also gives us the great priveledge of understanding the very way people from other cultures view and understand the world. This is one of the most precious gifts a parent can give a child.