Humans, chimps, and dogs alike notice and make sense of similarities in their experience of the world. Some things can be eaten, others can be sat upon, still others afford walking upon, past, or through, or even talking to. Apparently only humans give names to these noticeable similarities. One might think that the things named are those most important to human thought. Yet languages differ from one to the other in this respect, they do not carve up the world in the same way. In English we call some colors blue and other colors purple, but other languages have a single name to cover both. The extents to which languages are alike or different tell us much about human thought and how people come to understand their language. With NSF support, Dr. Barbara Malt and Dr. Phillip Wolff will bring together psychologists, linguists, and anthropologists to share data about these similarities and differences across languages. These scientists will explore how words capture human experience and discuss together the implications for understanding thought and language. The broader impacts of this workshop include the inherent multi-cultural and multi-linguistic dimensions of the problem. The participants come from different disciplines and diverse parts of the world. Consequently the workshop will foster new international and inter-disciplinary collaborations, highlight the importance of cross-linguistic and cross-cultural research, and recruit graduate students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The knowledge gained will improve understanding of how people from different cultures talk and think. Practical spin-offs of this work include improved understanding of obstacles in the path of second language learning, automated translation software, and natural language interfaces for computers.
