Reading Club: Do Linguistic Habits Affect Our Thinking?

The AURAK Reading Club this week hosted another lecture and more discussion on a wide range of issues, which saw active participation from faculty, staff and students.

The main lecture of the session was from Dr. Imed Louhichi, assistant professor of English language from AURAK’s Department of Languages and Literature. His talk focused on the idea that our native language can influence the way in which we think and construct ideas.

Dr. Louhichi’s research “compares the verbal performance of thirteen ‘advanced’ speakers of English whose first language is Arabic with thirteen native speakers of English in how they express motion in space.” He also presented his findings, which “provide a strong platform for a re-consideration of the relationship between language and conceptualization, on the one hand, and that of first languages to second languages, on the other.”

Prof. Abdel Kamal also discussed this week’s reading topic which examined our feelings of identity and belonging, while a student, Hind Abdulaziz, presented her thoughts on Taha Hussein’s ‘Love Story’.