This morning at 8 AM (having finished work at 7.15, been home to get my books, and walked to the faculty) was the introductionary lecture in Translation to English. I was quite impressed by the lecturer, she is firm, yet patient.

Two of the questions she asked us to consider today is:

What are the different views of the relationship between language and thought?

What are the different ways in which a culture is imbedded in language?

The first question could be asked like this: If I am proficient in two languages, do I then think differently when I speak the one language or the other? My girlfriend, Nicole, has cantonese (a Chinese dialect spoken mainly in Hong Kong, Macau and Canton) as her mother tongue, and English is her second language. English is, naturally, also my own second language. When we then communicate, we have Cantonese and Norwegian respectively in our innate thinking, yet we express the words in English. What is lost in the processes of translation going on there? If I am fluent in say Norwegian, English and Spanish, how would the language affect my thinking?

Having lived in Denmark for six years (aged 13-19), I can relate to this question somewhat. When I am in Denmark, talking in Danish with old friends, my thinking is much more free in one way than when I speak in Norwegian.

But how close is the link between language and thinking? This online article bluntly states that "In a human brain, the function of thinking and language is inseparable." Of course, I am not currently in a position to refute or accept that totally. I have not thought enough about this. But during this autumn semester I hope to gain more certainty of my own position (if any such develops) as I reflect more on this issue and gain knowledge of other theories out there.

The second question, What are the different ways in which a culture is imbedded in language?, is less interesting to me. Perhaps this is because to me it is obvious that culture and language are not only inseparable, but because .. for instance, I guess we have all noticed how some words or concepts in our own language simply cannot be translated to, for instance, English. Like the Norwegian word "pålegg", which is a word for whatever things you have On your bread/sandwich. Is there an English word for that? So far I have not found any.