Language & Thought

Language and Thought

The language of the pandemic surrounds us. This theme asked students to look into the metaphors that predominate the global dialogue. How has the language of war—“We’re battling/combatting/fighting the virus"—affected how we understand the pandemic? How has rhetoric been used to create racial and global tensions? Students considered new expressions such as “shelter-in-place” and “social distancing” and compared it to the language used in past pandemics as well as considering how different languages and cultures talk about Covid-19. Students were encouraged to explore how language can be a powerful tool in this time of crisis.

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