The Internalization of Ethnotheories through Language : An Inquiry into the Sensitivity of Caregivers in the Socialization of Bilingual Children

There has been research by linguists, psychologists, and anthropologists alike on the mechanisms of language acquisition and the relationship of thought, language, and culture. While the degree to which language shapes thought and thought shapes language is still debated, there is support that language and thought influence each other and that both play a role in conveying and enforcing a culture's ethnotheories-its commonly held attitudes, values and beliefs. When children learn two languages they are influenced by differing and sometimes contradictory ethnotheories. Caregivers of bilingual children need to become more sensitive to the relationship between language, culture and thought in order that they may gain a greater awareness of the influence their language has on children's socialization.10KJ00004766778departmental bulletin pape