Jelena Djordjevic, MBA ’15: Language Shapes Us | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Language plays a crucial role in shaping our relationships and worldview, as it affects how we communicate our values and understand others.

Key Insights

• 🔨 Language is not just a tool for communication; it shapes our values, beliefs, and norms.
• ❓ Misunderstandings in relationships can occur when cultural nuances and values are overlooked in language.
• ❓ Language influences how we interpret events and assign agency, impacting our worldview.
• ❓ Learning more about different languages and their cultural associations can deepen relationships.
• 💁 Language has a significant role in forming connections across cultural boundaries in a globalized world.
• 🏛️ Understanding language's influence can help us build more meaningful relationships and bridge cultural gaps.
• 🤪 The importance of language goes beyond words; it carries our identity and shapes our perception of the world.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How does language influence our relationships?

Language shapes our relationships by carrying our values and norms. It affects how we communicate, understand others, and interpret events, influencing our worldview and connection with others.

Q: What happens when people communicate in a language that is not their own?

When non-native speakers communicate in a foreign language, a lot can be lost in translation. It goes beyond mere words, as cultural nuances, values, and beliefs may not be fully understood or conveyed, leading to misunderstandings and potential relationship challenges.

Q: How does language impact our perception of relationships with family?

Language influences how we describe and understand family connections. Different languages may have specific terms to differentiate between maternal and paternal sides, blood-relatives and relatives through marriage. Lack of adequate translation can lead to a loss of values embedded in these descriptions.

Q: How does language affect our interpretation of events?

The way we formulate sentences and describe events in our language can impact how we assign agency and remember details. It has been found that English speakers are more likely to remember who broke a glass in comparison to Spanish and Japanese speakers, even in cases of accidents.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Language is more than just words; it carries our values, beliefs, and norms, and influences how we see the world.

• Not fully appreciating the importance of language can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities in forming meaningful relationships.

• The way we describe and interpret events can vary based on our language, impacting how we assign agency and remember details.