Blog #34 - Selina Zheng - Period 9 - 5/13/2020

Selina Zheng 
05/13/20 
Period 9 
Sophomores 2020 
Blogger #35 

Aim I: How does language construct and impact thought? 

Do Now: 
     Our lesson began with the creation of two Shakespearean insults from a chart. It wasn’t very difficult, since we had the chart to reference, so it was like substituting values for a mathematical formula. It was more difficult to translate the insults than to create them. My insult was “thou a saucy, lily livered ruffian”, which is a sassy, cowardly trouble maker. My second insult was “thou a prating, sour-faced malkin”. Translated directly, prating is speaking in an annoying tone and sour-faced means ugly. However, I wasn’t completely sure what malkin could mean. Perhaps it comes from greymalkin, a grey cat that used to be called a witch’s familiar? I remember that was referenced in Hamlet, because of the weird sisters. I think that my understanding of the words in Shakespearean language to ensure my message is accurate is hugely important because since so many words have become antiquated. Like some other students in my class have expressed, I have had prior experience with deciphering Shakespearan, so it was easier for me, but I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been if I hadn’t had any prior knowledge. My ability to translate would have been severely hindered. Most of the words were straight forward or their meaning could be inferred, but some words were archaic and I couldn’t have possibly translated it. For example, as Russell said, who would understand what a “moldwarp” is in our modern times? To translate, I did have to use more simple words. I had to translate words directly instead of by phrase, which sometimes mangles the meaning of the sentence, but it couldn’t be avoided, since I am not an expert in Shakespearean language. I agreed with what Angie said - if you don’t know what you are saying, how can you really insult someone? 


The chart we used to create our Shakespearean insults.

Lesson Notes: 
     Next, we began to discuss our homework, Chapter 1, Part 1 of 1987. Angie told us the setting of the 1987, Oceania, where our protagonist Winston Smith, lives in London, in the province of Airstrip One, and Melanie explained that Newspeak was a simplified version of our English. Rusell explained how our warm up activity related to Newspeak - by forcing people to use simple words, they can only express simple, basic ideas, just like how we couldn’t articulate more nuanced, higher level concepts with Shakespearean English. This reminded me of how our protagonist was having trouble expressing himself in 1987 - he had so many emotions and complicated feelings he was unable to express, not only on paper, but even to himself, in his head. He doubted everything, even things we take for granted, like the certainty of knowing the date. 
     Then we watched a Ted-Ed by Lera Boroditsky on how language shapes reality, or the way we think. I enjoyed how Ms. Boroditsky referenced other people when she was trying to convey what she was saying, so we can visualize how widespread and old this “conversation” was, from indigenous people to Shakespeare to Charlemagne. What really helped me understand the point she was making was her examples from different languages, particularly how some cultures don’t have words for particular colors, or directions, or time. 


Lera Boroditsky's Ted-Talk

     Then we played Taboo with the word iPad, and we couldn’t use the words Apple, Device, Electronic, Tablet, or Toy, so I described it as big, Iphone, pencil, school, notability, because an ipad is a “big iphone” that we use with a “pencil” and the app “notability” for “school”. Arianna also said “bigger iphone”, Russell said, “large steve jobs phone”, and Nicole Reyblat said “digital notebook”. For the second round of Taboo, we had five words which were belief, equality, freedom, integrity, and pride. I chose to describe the word freedom with the words opposite of trapped, choice, will. I chose these words because freedom is “choice” or “will” and the “opposite of [being] trapped”. For me, it was a little more difficult to create descriptions for these words, but not that much more difficult. Christina said that concepts are more difficult to describe than physical things and I think that applies well here. 
     Then we watched a video on “Can You Think Complex Thoughts Without Language?”. The video went into how not having the word for something doesn’t prevent someone from understanding the concept or thing they were talking about, like how a language with two words only for light and dark colors could still distinguish between different colors. This shows how language is more representative of culture than knowledge. Some cultures don’t have words for certain concepts because they don’t need them, such as how the tribe from the rainforest didn’t need multiple words for green. I thought the theory of linguistic determinism was interesting, because it prompted me to think about our history, and how much more “developed” we are compared to our past. The video answered a question for me - since we have grown so much better compared to the past in terms of improving human rights and such, how could we have lived before we developed the words for these concepts? The answer was our thoughts, a separate language all on its own, which we translate into our respective languages. Even if we can’t express it, we can feel the oppression, and a new word will develop to fit what we need. When we need to be understood, we will adapt. 


The theory of linguistic determinism
     
     Finally, we had a whole class discussion where we talked about the takeaways from today’s lesson - namely that complicated concepts require complicated language. It’s hard to convey thoughts when your method of conveyance, words, are shut off. Returning to our homework and the beginning of the lesson, language constructs and impacts thought because it is what allows us to communicate these concepts, not just to other people, but ourselves. Winston, alone in his room, struggles to understand what he is feeling, even though he is not trying to convey it to other people. Without the words to communicate what we mean, we end up confused and helpless, easily manipulated because we have no ideas of our own. It’s like what we learned in Animal Farm - ignorance allows for abuse without resistance. I’d like to summarize with a quote from George Orwell himself that explores how contradictory and manipulative language can be - “...language...makes lies sound truthful and murder respectable, to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”

Write about your thoughts regarding the reading.
     I like George Orwell’s writing, but I dislike the protagonist of 1987, Winston Smith. In the beginning, I was intrigued by the world building and questions left unanswered. George Orwell always amazes me with how much information he is able to reveal about the world in the span of a few pages, and how easily he sets the tone and pace of the story. In the scene where Smith struggles through writing in his diary, I felt sympathetic for him, alone in his apartment except for the watchful eyes of Big Brother and his uncertainty in his own mind. It must be lonely to not be able to trust anything and anyone, not even your own thoughts. I really wanted to know why he wanted to communicate with the future, to risk his life to write. However, I was incredibly disgusted by his attitude towards the dark haired woman in his office. It was jarring to read about this dystopian landscape and the propaganda of the government, then to be suddenly thrown, without transition, into his sick fantasies about hurting her. 


What is it like working from home? 
     I like and dislike working from home. It’s very comfortable to work from home since I control my environment. I infinitely prefer my room, my desk, and my chair to school, and I like being able to have snacks or water nearby without worrying about interrupting class or triggering someone’s allergies. And of course, I love not having to waste time commuting to school. Mr. Erlenwein’s new college based schedule works well for me, too - I love having three double period a day. I don’t face the problems most of my friends have been telling me about. Since I’m keeping to roughly the same schedule and applying all the study habits that we have learned, I haven’t noticed a drop in my productivity. Still, I miss school. I miss seeing my friends, my teachers, and Sheldon. I miss all my after school activities and clubs, and I worry more about everyone’s health and safety now. I also feel very trapped in my house - now I feel extremely sympathetic for animals at the zoo. There are some assignments that are more difficult to complete now, as I’m sure everyone has noticed. In the past week I had to giver several presentations, which was more difficult remotely than it would have been in person. I make the best of working at home, but I hope we can be back in school soon. 

Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now. 
     I am personally very upset by how the world has turned on Asians and Asian Americans. It’s very difficult to see how many attacks are being made on Asian-Americans across the country because people blame them for a virus. In a time when we should come together to support and protect one another, seeing the divide between Asian Americans and the rest of America has become unbearable. An image that really resonated with me was an Asian American nurse standing in front of a truck to while a woman protested to open the country. I find it difficult to understand how some people are willing to risk the lives of others so easily, while others, like our nurses, janitors, and grocery store staff endanger themselves every day to save lives. Even though some days I wake up disappointed, good news still prevails. Everyday I am thankful for all our essential workers that are keeping us safe. 


Student reflection of the day's lesson: 
What did I learn? 
Today I learned about how language shapes the way we think and express ourselves. I liked how the videos were incorporated into the lesson - it was very helpful to gain a basic understanding in class, than be able to supplement it with scientific reasoning and evidence from the videos. I have noticed how in most lessons, Mrs. Peterson will add a video with a scientific background, like the one about experiments in a previous lesson. Like how simulations in AP World History give us the experience of that time period or person, playing the game of Taboo helped us experience how frustrating it would be to live in a world like that of 1987, with a limited vocabulary. We had to get more creative to be able to communicate, and that took more time, just like how in the video it explained how we can still understand the concept, but we would have to come up with a new word to express it. 
Why did I learn it? 
 reason we learned this is not only so we can better understand 1987 and George Orwell’s lesson for us, but because it is applicable to life. Orwell’s works are usually cautionary tales. Winston’s limited vocabulary and education prevents him from expressing himself under a repressive government. We, who have the freedom to think and speak however we like, must be careful to guard our underappreciated privileges. Our English class is about communication even past time and cultural boundaries. We read Shakespeare and Orwell’s works because they transcend time and give us valuable lessons. Sophomore English is about exploring what a dark place the world can be, and what we can do to combat it. We learn about rebellions in a world where the government is repressive, hope in dystopian landscapes, and justice in the face of corruption and evil. I am confident that, like all the other novels we have read before it, 1987 will explore how we each can make a difference in a dark world. 
How will I use what I learned? 
I will use what I learned to make wiser decisions. It’s easy, as students, to become jaded and complain about the gift we have been given in our education, but seeing Winston’ struggles makes our own privilege clear. I want to take advantage of the chances I have to learn new things every day, and expand my own knowledge so that I can express myself and understand what Winston can’t. We must be more careful about who and what we blindly trust. We should do our own research and always be careful about being given false information. This is especially applicable to these dangerous times. Rather than trusting manipulative information, I would rather make sure I can corroborate it, especially now that we have seen how dangerous, misleading, and omnipresent propaganda can be, even in our daily lives.