Last week, Johnson took a look at some of the advantages of bilingualism. These include better performance at tasks involving "executive function" (which involve the brain's ability to plan and prioritise), better defence against dementia in old age and—the obvious—the ability to speak a second language. One purported advantage was not mentioned, though. Many multilinguals report different personalities, or even different worldviews, when they speak their different languages.
It’s an exciting notion, the idea that one’s very self could be broadened by the mastery of two or more languages. In obvious ways (exposure to new friends, literature and so forth) the self really is broadened. Yet it is different to claim—as many people do—to have a different personality when using a different language. A former Economist colleague, for example,reported being ruder in Hebrew than in English. So what is going on here?
Benjamin Lee Whorf, an American linguist who died in 1941, held that each language encodes a worldview that significantly influences its speakers. Often called “Whorfianism”, this idea has its sceptics, including The Economist, which hosted a debate on the subject in 2010. But there are still good reasons to believe language shapes thought.
This influence is not necessarily linked to the vocabulary or grammar of a second language. Significantly, most people are not symmetrically bilingual. Many have learned one language at home from parents, and another later in life, usually at school. So bilinguals usually have different strengths and weaknesses in their different languages—and they are not always best in their first language. For example, when tested in a foreign language, people are less likely to fall into a cognitive trap (answering a test question with an obvious-seeming but wrong answer) than when tested in their native language. In part this is because working in a second language slows down the thinking. No wonder people feel different when speaking them. And no wonder they feel looser, more spontaneous, perhaps more assertive or funnier or blunter, in the language they were reared in from childhood.
What of “crib” bilinguals, raised in two languages? Even they do not usually have perfectly symmetrical competence in their two languages. But even for a speaker whose two languages are very nearly the same in ability, there is another big reason that person will feel different in the two languages. This is because there is an important distinction between bilingualism and biculturalism.
Many bilinguals are not bicultural. But some are. And of those bicultural bilinguals, we should be little surprised that they feel different in their two languages. Experiments in psychology have shown the power of “priming”—small unnoticed factors that can affect behaviour in big ways. Asking people to tell a happy story, for example, will put them in a better mood. The choice between two languages is a huge prime. Speaking Spanish rather than English, for a bilingual and bicultural Puerto Rican in New York, might conjure feelings of family and home. Switching to English might prime the same person to think of school and work.
So there are two very good reasons (asymmetrical ability, and priming) that make people feel different speaking their different languages. We are still left with a third kind of argument, though. An economist recently interviewed here at Prospero, Athanasia Chalari, said for example that:
Greeks are very loud and they interrupt each other very often. The reason for that is the Greek grammar and syntax. When Greeks talk they begin their sentences with verbs and the form of the verb includes a lot of information so you already know what they are talking about after the first word and can interrupt more easily.
Is there something intrinsic to the Greek language that encourages Greeks to interrupt? Consider Johnson sceptical. People seem to enjoy telling tales about their languages' inherent properties, and how they influence their speakers. A group of French intellectual worthies once proposed, rather self-flatteringly, that French be the sole legal language of the EU, because of its supposedly unmatchable rigour and precision. Some Germans believe that frequently putting the verb at the end of a sentence makes the language especially logical. But language myths are not always self-flattering: many speakers think their languages are unusually illogical or difficult—witness the plethora of books along the lines of "Only in English do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway; English must be the craziest language in the world!" What such pop-Whorfian stories share is a (natural) tendency to exoticise languages. We also see some unsurprising overlap with national stereotypes and self-stereotypes: French, rigorous; German, logical; English, playful. Of course.
In this case, Ms Chalari, a scholar, at least proposed a specific and plausible line of causation from grammar to personality: in Greek, the verb comes first, and it carries a lot of information, hence easy interrupting. The problem is that many unrelated languages all around the world put the verb at the beginning of sentences. Many languages all around the world are heavily inflected, encoding lots of information in verbs. It would be a striking finding if all of these unrelated languages had speakers more prone to interrupting each other. Welsh, for example, is also both verb-first and about as heavily inflected as Greek, but the Welsh are not known as pushy conversationalists.
Neo-Whorfians continue to offer evidence and analysis that aims to prove that different languages push speakers to think differently. One such effort is forthcoming: “The Bilingual Mind” by Aneta Pavlenko, to be published in April. Ms Pavlenko speaks to François Grosjeanhere. Meanwhile, John McWhorter takes the opposite stance in "The Language Hoax", forthcoming in February. We'll return to this debate. But strong Whorfian arguments do not need to be valid for people to feel differently in their different languages.
It’s an exciting notion, the idea that one’s very self could be broadened by the mastery of two or more languages. In obvious ways (exposure to new friends, literature and so forth) the self really is broadened. Yet it is different to claim—as many people do—to have a different personality when using a different language. A former Economist colleague, for example,reported being ruder in Hebrew than in English. So what is going on here?
Benjamin Lee Whorf, an American linguist who died in 1941, held that each language encodes a worldview that significantly influences its speakers. Often called “Whorfianism”, this idea has its sceptics, including The Economist, which hosted a debate on the subject in 2010. But there are still good reasons to believe language shapes thought.
This influence is not necessarily linked to the vocabulary or grammar of a second language. Significantly, most people are not symmetrically bilingual. Many have learned one language at home from parents, and another later in life, usually at school. So bilinguals usually have different strengths and weaknesses in their different languages—and they are not always best in their first language. For example, when tested in a foreign language, people are less likely to fall into a cognitive trap (answering a test question with an obvious-seeming but wrong answer) than when tested in their native language. In part this is because working in a second language slows down the thinking. No wonder people feel different when speaking them. And no wonder they feel looser, more spontaneous, perhaps more assertive or funnier or blunter, in the language they were reared in from childhood.
What of “crib” bilinguals, raised in two languages? Even they do not usually have perfectly symmetrical competence in their two languages. But even for a speaker whose two languages are very nearly the same in ability, there is another big reason that person will feel different in the two languages. This is because there is an important distinction between bilingualism and biculturalism.
Many bilinguals are not bicultural. But some are. And of those bicultural bilinguals, we should be little surprised that they feel different in their two languages. Experiments in psychology have shown the power of “priming”—small unnoticed factors that can affect behaviour in big ways. Asking people to tell a happy story, for example, will put them in a better mood. The choice between two languages is a huge prime. Speaking Spanish rather than English, for a bilingual and bicultural Puerto Rican in New York, might conjure feelings of family and home. Switching to English might prime the same person to think of school and work.
So there are two very good reasons (asymmetrical ability, and priming) that make people feel different speaking their different languages. We are still left with a third kind of argument, though. An economist recently interviewed here at Prospero, Athanasia Chalari, said for example that:
Greeks are very loud and they interrupt each other very often. The reason for that is the Greek grammar and syntax. When Greeks talk they begin their sentences with verbs and the form of the verb includes a lot of information so you already know what they are talking about after the first word and can interrupt more easily.
Is there something intrinsic to the Greek language that encourages Greeks to interrupt? Consider Johnson sceptical. People seem to enjoy telling tales about their languages' inherent properties, and how they influence their speakers. A group of French intellectual worthies once proposed, rather self-flatteringly, that French be the sole legal language of the EU, because of its supposedly unmatchable rigour and precision. Some Germans believe that frequently putting the verb at the end of a sentence makes the language especially logical. But language myths are not always self-flattering: many speakers think their languages are unusually illogical or difficult—witness the plethora of books along the lines of "Only in English do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway; English must be the craziest language in the world!" What such pop-Whorfian stories share is a (natural) tendency to exoticise languages. We also see some unsurprising overlap with national stereotypes and self-stereotypes: French, rigorous; German, logical; English, playful. Of course.
In this case, Ms Chalari, a scholar, at least proposed a specific and plausible line of causation from grammar to personality: in Greek, the verb comes first, and it carries a lot of information, hence easy interrupting. The problem is that many unrelated languages all around the world put the verb at the beginning of sentences. Many languages all around the world are heavily inflected, encoding lots of information in verbs. It would be a striking finding if all of these unrelated languages had speakers more prone to interrupting each other. Welsh, for example, is also both verb-first and about as heavily inflected as Greek, but the Welsh are not known as pushy conversationalists.
Neo-Whorfians continue to offer evidence and analysis that aims to prove that different languages push speakers to think differently. One such effort is forthcoming: “The Bilingual Mind” by Aneta Pavlenko, to be published in April. Ms Pavlenko speaks to François Grosjeanhere. Meanwhile, John McWhorter takes the opposite stance in "The Language Hoax", forthcoming in February. We'll return to this debate. But strong Whorfian arguments do not need to be valid for people to feel differently in their different languages.
By R.L.G.
Source: www.economist.com
How many licks does it take to get to the bottom of a digital lollipop? That’s the question you could soon be asking yourself thanks to a team of researchers at the National University of Singapore who are trying to build a digital lollipop that can simulate taste.
While it might sound complicated, the technology is relatively simple. When the lollipop, which is made of a silver electrode, touches the tip of the tongue it reproduces four well-known tastes: salty, sweet, sour or bitter. Together these flavors can create different simulations close to the real thing.
The research is being led by Nimesha Ranasinghe, a Ph.D. research scholar in the university’s department of electrical and computer engineering. He hopes that people will one day be able to lick their television or smartphone to taste virtual things.
Mr. Ranasinghe told New Scientist this week that a person’s taste receptors are fooled by varying the alternating current from the lollipop and slight but rapid changes in temperature. While the project has been in the works for over a year, it was presented in its latest iteration at the ACM Multimedia conference in Spain last month.
You won’t be able to lick your iPhone to taste some strawberry ice cream or a bar of chocolate just yet. The researchers still need to add a number of simulated tastes, including more sweet and sugary flavors, and add smell and texture, which would help fool the brain into believing a taste is real.
If this experimental work ever makes its way to the commercial world — assuming it’s not too expensive to produce — you could imagine a number of scenarios where it could be used.
Advertisers might include the taste of a product in an add on your computer or television. Movies could become more interactive, allowing people to taste the food an actor is eating. And the technology could even have medical applications, allowing people with diabetes, for example, to taste sugar without harming their actual blood sugar levels.
“In a gaming environment we could come up with a new reward system based on taste sensations,” Mr. Ranasinghe told New Scientist. “For example, if you complete a game task successfully, or complete a level, we can give a sweet, minty or sour reward. If you fail we can deliver a bitter message.”
While it might sound complicated, the technology is relatively simple. When the lollipop, which is made of a silver electrode, touches the tip of the tongue it reproduces four well-known tastes: salty, sweet, sour or bitter. Together these flavors can create different simulations close to the real thing.
The research is being led by Nimesha Ranasinghe, a Ph.D. research scholar in the university’s department of electrical and computer engineering. He hopes that people will one day be able to lick their television or smartphone to taste virtual things.
Mr. Ranasinghe told New Scientist this week that a person’s taste receptors are fooled by varying the alternating current from the lollipop and slight but rapid changes in temperature. While the project has been in the works for over a year, it was presented in its latest iteration at the ACM Multimedia conference in Spain last month.
You won’t be able to lick your iPhone to taste some strawberry ice cream or a bar of chocolate just yet. The researchers still need to add a number of simulated tastes, including more sweet and sugary flavors, and add smell and texture, which would help fool the brain into believing a taste is real.
If this experimental work ever makes its way to the commercial world — assuming it’s not too expensive to produce — you could imagine a number of scenarios where it could be used.
Advertisers might include the taste of a product in an add on your computer or television. Movies could become more interactive, allowing people to taste the food an actor is eating. And the technology could even have medical applications, allowing people with diabetes, for example, to taste sugar without harming their actual blood sugar levels.
“In a gaming environment we could come up with a new reward system based on taste sensations,” Mr. Ranasinghe told New Scientist. “For example, if you complete a game task successfully, or complete a level, we can give a sweet, minty or sour reward. If you fail we can deliver a bitter message.”
By Nick Bilton
Source: bits.blogs.nytimes.com
You like to paint and do public relations and plan awesome parties, too. But if you think it’s impossible to combine all your passions into one career, think again. There are many strategies you can employ in order to be, well, gainfully employed doing what you love. Here’s how to combine (almost) all of your passions into one career.
Determine what you really love. If you’re like most people, you probably have multiple interests. But it’s crucial to determine what is a hobby and what is something you’d like to do as a career. Maybe your toy train obsession is simply something that you would like to do leisurely on the weekends, but not on a professional basis. So focus on the things that you’d like to earn a living from, and that would bring you joy in a job.
Seek broader job categories. Today, almost all jobs require you to have multiple skills, but not necessarily performing tasks that you love. Once you’ve narrowed down the two or three passions you’d like to turn into profit, start looking for industries that encompass those areas of interest. For example, let’s say that you love photography, writing and design. A career in magazines or even film making can be possible interdisciplinary fields that will allow you to earn a living in a job that you’re truly passionate about.
Find companies that will appreciate your interests. Some companies just want to hire a PR person. Period. They aren't interested in discovering what your other skills or talents are, unless they relate to the job you were hired for. That’s a shame, since utilizing the skills — and yes, the passions — of its employees is a win/win for companies. Not only is it a sure fire way to increase employees’ engagement in their jobs but it also positively benefits a company’s bottom line as well. So as a potential employee, look for companies that can appreciate your diverse background and interests — and are interested in harnessing them to both your and their advantage.
Search for opportunities — or make your own. Sure, you were hired for your previous work experience as a marketing maven. But now that you ’ve been with the company for a while, you’re eager to flex your sales skills, too. Show your worth doing the job you were hired for, and then volunteer to participate in additional projects that will allow you to pursue your other passions. Better yet, you can even approach your boss with a pitch for a new project that will let you do what you love to do and be beneficial for the company, too.
Look at the bigger picture. If you look for a job within a company that specifically does one thing or produces one type of product, the chances of you being able to do all the things you love are slim. Instead, look for companies and positions that are not skill specific and not so focused on one single set goal. You can opt instead to look for a job that concentrates more on the overall benefit of the company and its subsequent benefit to society as way to merge your passions into one career.
You never have to sacrifice one passion for another when you’re job hunting. Simply look for an industry and career fields that encompass what you love, and you ’ll soon find a job that allows you to pursue all your passions — professionally.
Determine what you really love. If you’re like most people, you probably have multiple interests. But it’s crucial to determine what is a hobby and what is something you’d like to do as a career. Maybe your toy train obsession is simply something that you would like to do leisurely on the weekends, but not on a professional basis. So focus on the things that you’d like to earn a living from, and that would bring you joy in a job.
Seek broader job categories. Today, almost all jobs require you to have multiple skills, but not necessarily performing tasks that you love. Once you’ve narrowed down the two or three passions you’d like to turn into profit, start looking for industries that encompass those areas of interest. For example, let’s say that you love photography, writing and design. A career in magazines or even film making can be possible interdisciplinary fields that will allow you to earn a living in a job that you’re truly passionate about.
Find companies that will appreciate your interests. Some companies just want to hire a PR person. Period. They aren't interested in discovering what your other skills or talents are, unless they relate to the job you were hired for. That’s a shame, since utilizing the skills — and yes, the passions — of its employees is a win/win for companies. Not only is it a sure fire way to increase employees’ engagement in their jobs but it also positively benefits a company’s bottom line as well. So as a potential employee, look for companies that can appreciate your diverse background and interests — and are interested in harnessing them to both your and their advantage.
Search for opportunities — or make your own. Sure, you were hired for your previous work experience as a marketing maven. But now that you ’ve been with the company for a while, you’re eager to flex your sales skills, too. Show your worth doing the job you were hired for, and then volunteer to participate in additional projects that will allow you to pursue your other passions. Better yet, you can even approach your boss with a pitch for a new project that will let you do what you love to do and be beneficial for the company, too.
Look at the bigger picture. If you look for a job within a company that specifically does one thing or produces one type of product, the chances of you being able to do all the things you love are slim. Instead, look for companies and positions that are not skill specific and not so focused on one single set goal. You can opt instead to look for a job that concentrates more on the overall benefit of the company and its subsequent benefit to society as way to merge your passions into one career.
You never have to sacrifice one passion for another when you’re job hunting. Simply look for an industry and career fields that encompass what you love, and you ’ll soon find a job that allows you to pursue all your passions — professionally.
By Jennifer Parris
Source: mashable.com
Source: mashable.com
We're no stranger to digital billboards -- Engadget made its own big-screen debut in Times Square back in 2011 -- but British Airways' latest endeavor is unlike any we've seen before. According to The Drum, the new advertisement, installed front and center at London's Piccadilly Circus, uses "custom-built surveillance technology" to track incoming BA aircraft, prompting the screen to display a child pointing directly at the plane as it passes overhead. The adjacent text offers up the flight number and its origin or destination, along with a custom message, such as the lowest fare for that route or the current weather where that plane is headed. The airline's new #lookup campaign is marketing at its best -- see for yourself in the video after the break.
Source: www.engadget.com
Source: www.engadget.com
