Linguistic diversity marks social groups and facilitates interpersonal communication

old_uid15758
titleLinguistic diversity marks social groups and facilitates interpersonal communication
start_date2015/06/08
schedule14h-16h
onlineno
summaryBeyond the literal content it provides, language conveys social meaning. My research explores the developmental origins of humans’ thinking about language as a social category. Beginning remarkably early in life, attention to linguistic diversity influences children’s social evaluations of others, as well as their reasoning about other’s social relationships and identities over time. In several cases, early social attention to language and accent can surpass attention to race. Yet, while linguistic diversity may cause social divisions, it can also facilitate social understanding: children exposed to diverse linguistic environments exhibit more effective social communication skills than children in monolingual environments. I conclude by situating this research within a broader framework that aims to understand the origins and development of cultural cognition.
responsiblesJacob