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The relationship between language, perception and cognition has been on the mind of linguists for some time, and several hypotheses have been put forward concerning various aspects of this relationship. For instance, is it sheer lunacy to think that language can influence thought and that speakers of different languages perceive the world differently? Is linguistics a serious science or science fiction if it says that people have a device built in their brains, containing underlying, universal principles shared by all human languages, which is only activated under favourable conditions? In this module, we will begin by examining the ways in which language may be acquired, be it one’s mother tongue or a foreign language, and we will delve a bit deeper into the intricate relationship between language and mind by looking at some more vexing questions concerning the relationship between language and thought. The module is primarily recommended to students interested in languages, linguistics and the psychology of language, but students with a broader interest in the natural and social sciences are also welcome to attend.
Module leader: Sopronyi Gréta
