Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the relevance of the Whorfian Hypothesis (WH) - also referred to as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis - to language learning, in particular for the person who learned (or is learning) English as a second language. It looks at how there are conflicting views on the meaning of and application of WH - and on the value of this hypothesis about language. It reviews the available literature on the subject and offers value judgments on the significance of WH in various applications and learning environments.

From the Paper:

"The operating hypothesis put forward was that a movie created entirely by this group might reveal "aspects of cognition and values that may be inhibited, not observable, or not analyzable" when the process of investigation relies on "verbal exchange" conducted in the language of the investigator. Moreover, producing film images then sequencing those images by editing, cutting and pasting, just might help researchers understand better the WH. Another operating theory here is that by treating the visual as though it were a language, and then following up by comparing the two "linguistic structures" (visual and verbal) - believing that both make statements about cognition and culture "across two modes" - may provide a context in which the Whorfian manner comes clearer into focus. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adai, John; & Wort, Sol. (1967). The Navajo as Filmmaker: A Brief Report of Research in the Cross-Cultural Aspects of Film Communication. American Anthropologist, 69(1), 76-78.
• Bedau, Hugo A. (1957). Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf by John B. Carroll. Philosophy of Science, 24(3), 289-293.
• Bright, Jane O.; & Bright, William. (1965). Semantic Structures in Northwestern California andThe Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. American Anthropologist, 67(5), 249-258.
• Dante. (2006). Dante's Paradiso. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
• Erlich, Bruce. (1980). Insurance and the Whorfian Hypothesis, Current Anthropology, 21(3), 357-369.

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