Considering What You Have Learned Throughout This Chapter and Others

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The Answer is Ideal answers will identify that cognitive language is an instrument of our thought. Combining this idea with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, we would theorize that if we didn't label the things in our world, it would be difficult for us to think about and make sense of them. Additionally, without the process of labeling the things around us using linguistic symbols, it would be difficult or impossible for us to communicate about them with other people. Strong answers will connect these ideas with the functional competencies discussed in the chapter-we could not gain control/influence over others, share feelings, convey or gather information, imagine, or ritualize. The use of labels is limited, though, because the nature of symbols is that they are arbitrary. Using abstract labels may not communicate an appropriate level of clarity on the denotative level. One word may have multiple denotative meanings, and each person's connotation may be different. Finally, the use of labeling imposes an understanding of consistency on the thing that is being referenced-all items in that group will not be exactly the same, and so we are discouraged from considering each one's unique characteristics.

Considering What You Have Learned Throughout This Chapter and Others

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