Use of English

Words and Thought

People often assume that language is simply a tool for expressing ideas that already exist in the mind. However, an increasing number of researchers argue that the words available to us may also shape the way we (0) VIEW the world. This does not necessarily mean that language completely determines thought, but it may well (1) .......... an influence on the categories we use and the distinctions we notice. For example, speakers of languages with many words for colour may become more (2) .......... to slight differences in shade. Likewise, if a language requires its speakers to mark direction at all times, they may develop an unusually strong sense of spatial (3) ........... Such findings have led some scientists to call (4) .......... the old assumption that all humans think in exactly the same way, regardless of the language they speak. At the same time, most experts are careful not to (5) .......... the case. Human beings are perfectly capable of understanding new concepts, even when their own language lacks a precise term for them. Still, the growing body of evidence does (6) .......... to the conclusion that language can guide attention and memory in subtle ways. Rather than acting as a prison, language may be better seen as a framework which we gradually build (7) .......... experience. In that sense, the words we inherit do not trap us, but they may quietly (8) .......... the paths our thoughts are most likely to follow.