In this linguistics assignment we will focus on the Weaker Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Imagine that somebody you know firmly believes that the strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is correct.

Weaker Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

Paper details In this assignment you will engage with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Imagine that somebody you know firmly believes that the strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is correct. Your job is to convince this person that the weaker version of the hypothesis better explains the relationship between language, thought and culture. Your essay should be 3-4 pages (double spaced) and should be structured as follows: 1) Introduction: In 1 paragraph, define the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. You should explain both the strong and weak versions of the hypothesis, giving at least one illustration / example of each.

Weaker Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

At the end of the paragraph, include a thesis statement where you explicitly state your position. (5 points) 2) 3 body paragraphs: Argue that the weaker version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is a more accurate representation of the relationship between language, culture and thought than the stronger version. To support your argument, list and analyze 3 examples (1 per paragraph) of specific languages or linguistic phenomena that we have seen in class or from your own experiences as a language speaker and/or learner. Here, you may use examples from your daily life and/or draw from class readings, lectures, and asynchronous content.

Weaker Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to: cognitive effects, bilingualism, colors, semantic domains/vocabulary (e.g. “Eskimo” words for snow), spatial referencing, grammatical gender, etc. (5 points / example = 15 points) **Note on citation** In your essay, you should mention where you are drawing your examples from. You should mention the actual source from which this information is obtained. For instance, if you use examples from readings or asynchronous content, you could cite them as follows: “Lera Boroditsky’s TedTalk ‘How language shapes the way we think’ illustrates that…”, “In an experiment conducted by Bice & Kroll (2019), they found that…” “As discussed in the Lingthusiasm podcast ‘Talking and thinking about time…”

Weaker Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

3) Conclusion: 1 brief paragraph summing up your points and providing a concluding takeaway point. (3 points) 4) References: Add a list of APA-formatted references, ordered alphabetically by author’s last name. (2 points) Assessment: Your essay will be evaluated on the degree to which you: -Accurately define, describe and provide examples of the two versions of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis -Demonstrate your ability to bring examples from other sources to construct a coherent argument -Provide accurate citations for the evidence you use to make your arguments -Provide a coherent narrative or structure (as suggested above) for your essay. https://youtu.be/NAy-qkRP-vo

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