environment than its parents. If so, could the current century's increasing focus on.
environmental consciousness already be having an impact on young generations? – a.
trend we hope continues.
Introduction.
In studies correlating language and culture, a salient and persistent debate concerns the.
influence of language on culture. Often conceived of as the classic "chicken and egg".
question, theorists and educators continue to postulate hypotheses concerning this link,.
namely, the extent to which language simultaneously reflects and encodes world views.
Of particular importance in this debate is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis which argues that.
linguistic choices can indeed have an effect on societal attitudes and behavior. The best.
analogy for this linguistic influence is: "putting on a special pair of glasses that heighten.
some aspects of the physical and mental world while dimming others" (Mesthrie, Swann,.
Deumert and Leap, 2000, p.7). While the hypothesis in its strong form, complete.
linguistic determinism, has been severely critiqued (Salzman, 2007, p 56), the hypothesis.
in its weak form which argues for a mere influencing of linguistic choices on concomitant.
world views – often labeled linguistic relativity has seen a recent resurfacing in academic.
discussions of political correctness (Lakoff, 2000). It is arguable that the 21st century in Western culture is the century of environmental.
concern. It is no surprise therefore that even popular cultural arenas such as the Academy.
of the Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences in its 2007 Oscar Awards declaratively went.
"green" (Milliken, 2007), with more thematic foci on environmental issues emerging in.
recent adolescent Newbury winners like Hoot (Hiassen, 2003) and its subsequent 2006.
motion picture adaptation (Shriner, 2006) bearing the same title. What is important to.
ask at this point is whether lexicalizations about environmental preservation are the first.