Critical Thinking and Language - Essay Example

Critical Thinking and Language Essay Part I My home is a barren cave. For a place that is supposed to be so warm and welcoming to the individualswho choose to dwell inside, it is disappointingly empty. Although the structure is filled with furniture and accessories, the atmosphere is a smoldering experience. At night, a trip down the stairs will leave one frozen with fear, as the big, dark, empty space beneath is filled with uncertainty. It is surprising that the space has this effect on an individual, as the textures of the items within the house are velvety and smooth. One would think that a dwelling filled with such items would be soft and silken, even to the soul. Instead, just a few moments inside the house will leave even the happiest person feeling blue. There is hope for the space, however. There is a spectrum of possibilities for changing the mood of the environment. Perhaps a few simple color and texture changes would light up the entire scene. An advisor with a great taste in decorating and furniture would be ideal to assist in transforming this space into one that is inviting and comfortable. Part II What role does language and language diversity play in the critical thinking process? Language and language diversity play tremendous roles in the critical thinking process. In order to understand this concept, it is first essential to understand the full extent of what the term ‘language’ means. According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2008, pg. 1), language means “the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community; audible, articulate, meaningful sound as produced by the action of the vocal organ; a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings; the suggestion by objects, actions, or conditions of associated ideas or feelings; the means by which animals communicate; a formal system of signs and symbols including rules for the formation and transformation of admissible expressions; machine language; form or manner of verbal expression; specifically : style; the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or a department of knowledge; profanity; the study of language especially as a school subject; or specific words especially in a law or regulation.” As one can easily see from the definition above, the term ‘language’ encompasses a world of concepts. The very way that humans communicate depends on their language. The way that humans think depends on their language. Since different languages can have vastly different terms, one’s critical thinking skills can be limited by a lack of knowledge when translating or attempting to think across two or more languages. Thinking in terms of the English language, for instance, there is a vast array of words available to describe pretty much anything a person could think, feel, describe, or want to express. Some other languages do not have terms that are equivalent to certain terms from the English language. This is also true for the large number of other languages that exist throughout the world. This lack of term equivalency can affect one’s critical thinking ability, or it can enhance it if the person is knowledgeable in the different languages and exhibits language diversity. How does language empower or limit the expression of our thoughts? Languages are full of vocabulary terms that can allow an individual to express thoughts, desires, or feelings. The particular language in question will determine what terms are available to express these thoughts or emotions. That said, the number of terms available in a particular language will determine whether that particular language empowers or limits the ability of an individual to express his or her thoughts or feelings effectively. In the English language, for example, there are many adjectives and adverbs that allow an individual to express his or her thoughts effectively. A person’s vocabulary knowledge can either help or hinder how that individual is able to express his or her thoughts, feelings, or desires. Naturally, a person who knows more vocabulary terms can more effectively express those thoughts while a person with a more limited knowledge of the different vocabulary terms in a language will have a much harder time expressing him or herself. What is the role of critical thinking in persuasion? Critical thinking plays quite a powerful role in the process of persuasion. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2008, pg. 1) defines persuasion as “the act or process or an instance of persuading; a persuading argument; the ability to persuade : persuasiveness; the condition of being persuaded; an opinion held with complete assurance; a system of religious beliefs; also : a group adhering to a particular system of beliefs; or kind, sort.” ‘Critical thinking’ is a complex term that can best be defined as “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness” (Scriven & Paul, 2008, pg. 1). As one can easily see from the definitions given above, critical thinking can influence persuasion in a very profound manner. Persuading an individual takes skill. It takes thinking skills; specifically, critical thinking skills. For example, selling somebody a car often takes persuasion. The person selling the car must be able to determine a wealth of information about the prospective buyer in order to convince him or her to purchase the automobile. This information can include items such as needs, desires, abilities, and the like. It takes critical thinking to know how to pull this particular type of information out of a person. Oftentimes, a person who must be persuaded is not merely undecided on an issue, but has already made up his or her mind towards a concept opposite of what the persuader is trying to convince him or her of. In order to say the right words to convince the individual with the opposite desires or beliefs to come to the persuaders side, it once again takes those critical thinking skills. The person who is being persuaded will undoubtedly be full of questions, and the persuader must be able to think of those questions ahead of time, along with having answers readily available to those questions before they are even brought up. References Language. (2008). Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved June 7, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language Persuasion. (2008). Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved June 7, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persuasion Scriven, M. & R. Paul. (2008). Defining critical thinking. National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking Instruction. Retrieved June 7, 2008, from http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.cfm Read More