Blog 35 - Hiba Ahmed - 5/12/20 - Period 3

Hiba Ahmed - 5/12/20 - Period 3 - Blog 02 - Sophomores 2020

Aim: How does language construct and impact thought?

Do Now: To start off the lesson, we had to create two shakespearean insults based on some words provided to us. After writing down our insults, we were to figure out the meaning of the insults based on our knowledge alone. 

Our reflection of the difficulty of this activity led us to believe that we have to really understand what the words meant in Shakespearean language in order to fully get across the message that you want to send. If one does not understand the language, the receiver might not understand what you meant and your message would have been pointless. Many of us thought that it was our limited knowledge that prevented us from saying what we truly wanted to say. 

We tied this activity to the novel “1984” and the language used in it; Newspeak. This language was used to limit free thought, due to its simplicity. This was said to be similar to our previous activity, because both were unable to get our message across with the words given. We decided to watch a Ted talk to see how language shapes the way we think, so as to connect our activity to our aim. 

After watching this Ted talk, our class partook in a game called Taboo--Twisted. There were two parts to this. In part one, we were given one word, iPad, and five other words that we couldn’t use to describe it. Then we were tasked to create 3-5 other words to describe the word. 

In part two, our class was given 5 main words, where we had to choose one to describe using 3-5 words. 

In the aftermath of this activity, we had a class discussion about these two parts. There were many different opinions of the difficulty of them. Some of our classmates thought that part two was harder because the words were abstract while the word in part one was materialistic. The words in part two had many things pertaining to them that it was somewhat difficult to describe. However, others said that it was that very reason that pat two was easier for them. Since the words had a wide variety of things to describe it with, the students were able to easily pick out a few words. Some others also agreed that part one was harder for them, but for the reason that they were restricted from describing the word using certain words. 

In the end, it was the general consensus that language constricted thought because a limited amount of words also limited the amount of thoughts based on those words. If only simple words existed, then it would be difficult for someone to think things beyond the words they know. 

My thoughts regarding the reading?

The first chapter of the first part of “1984” has so far turned out to be interesting. We were presented with a setting where privacy was nonexistent and where people couldn't even think in safety. This situation reminds me of the previous lesson, where we discussed how the rules a government can take in defense of their country. Not to mention the fact that people in the novel conform to public views not just williningly, but unwillingly, too. This also reminded me of the second aim of the previous lesson. 

What is it like working from home?

Working from home turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. However, there are some problems that occured because of it. Without having classes everyday, I had to put a lot more effort on my own to study for exams. Furthermore, working at home where there’s a two day gap before the next class depletes my motivation to do the work, and oftentimes I find myself procrastinating with my homework. Despite that, this gap does leave me with more time to understand the content of the lesson if I didn’t completely get it. 

My own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.

I’m less nervous about the virus right now than I was in the beginning. I no longer have to worry about my father since he isn't working right now, and the death toll is decreasing as well. But even with this, I’m not confident in going outside, and I probably never will be, until the virus is proved to be mostly gone. 

Reflection: 

In this lesson, I learned that thoughts can be controlled by other people. It turns out that language plays a large part in how people think and what they think about. This lesson was a way for us to get a better understanding of the themes of the novel because it allowed us, the readers, to become aware of what and why the characters were doing what they did. I will use what I learned in this lesson to see if what we discussed occurs in the novel.