Language, culture and identity; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This entry corresponds to level C1

Hi there!

In these weeks we've mainly been talking about culture and identity, and we've discussed identity icons that define us, our country, or other countries.

In one session we also talked about the relationship between language and identity, and in that sense I'd like you to know a little bit about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which holds that the structure of a language affects the perceptions of reality of its speakers and thus influences their thought patterns and worldviews.

Please, check the video below (it's only 6 minutes; the remaining 2 are for credits). If you open it on YouTube, you can activate the option of "subtitles". As you know, those subtitles are computer-generated, so you're going to find many mistakes. However, they can still help you to follow the main ideas.

In Unit 3 we've started talking about relationships, and I've asked you to read the short story "Imitations", by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

She's an Igbo writer from Nigeria. She has been labeled as the most prominent of a procession of acclaimed young anglophone authors that has succeeded in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature. Since she's settled in the US, some of her stories also show the cultural clash between the Western and African views of the world.

Listen to her on this very interesting talk about the power of stories. You'll find her extremely easy to understand due to her crystal-clear diction and her outstanding communicative skills.



If you want to read a little bit more about her life, and her writing career, check the document below. You can also visit her official website here. I strongly recommend you to read something else by her.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie by ana_uk877884



For Tuesday, remember you have to record a video about a day in your lives; on Thursday you have to hand in the second writing of the term.

Have a great Sunday!
Ana.