Changes

"Sapir believed that language shapes human perception and directs human behavior. From his view, understanding a culture was impossible without understanding the historical development of that culture’s language."<ref> [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Edward_Sapir?oldid=687648 "Edward Sapir,"] New World Encyclopedia, (accessed February 25, 2009). </ref> An example of Sapir's beliefs can be found in [[George Orwell]]'s book "[[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]". Here, "Newspeak" has been created to alter the way people thought about the government. The new vocabulary was a method of mind control, since the population could not think of things that were not included in the vocabulary. In essence, they were prisoners of their own language.  

"Sapir believed that language shapes human perception and directs human behavior. From his view, understanding a culture was impossible without understanding the historical development of that culture’s language."<ref> [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Edward_Sapir?oldid=687648 "Edward Sapir,"] New World Encyclopedia, (accessed February 25, 2009). </ref> An example of Sapir's beliefs can be found in [[George Orwell]]'s book "[[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]". Here, "Newspeak" has been created to alter the way people thought about the government. The new vocabulary was a method of mind control, since the population could not think of things that were not included in the vocabulary. In essence, they were prisoners of their own language.  

==Theories==

==Related heories==

There are two opposing theories regarding the the relationship between language and thought. These are referred to as "mould theories" and "cloak theories". '''Mould theories''' see language as a "mould", used to cast various thought categories. '''Cloak theories''', by contrast, represent the view that language is a "cloak" that conforms to the customary thought categories of a language's speakers. However, behaviourists believe that language and thought are identical and that thinking is entirely linguistic. Non-verbal thought does not exist and there is no translation from thought to language.<ref>Bruner, J. S., J. S. Goodnow & G. A. Austin ([1956] 1962): A Study of Thinking. New York: Wiley</ref>

There are two opposing theories regarding the the relationship between language and thought. These are referred to as "mould theories" and "cloak theories". '''Mould theories''' see language as a "mould", used to cast various thought categories. '''Cloak theories''', by contrast, represent the view that language is a "cloak" that conforms to the customary thought categories of a language's speakers. However, behaviourists believe that language and thought are identical and that thinking is entirely linguistic. Non-verbal thought does not exist and there is no translation from thought to language.<ref>Bruner, J. S., J. S. Goodnow & G. A. Austin ([1956] 1962): A Study of Thinking. New York: Wiley</ref>