From Andrew Fogg, Cambridge, UK
David Werdegar suggests we should redefine knowledge to include the non-language-based thought processes that are presumably used by animals but not, he supposes, by humans (Letters, 29 April). I suggest that the perception of thinking in language arises in humans simply because, from a very early age, we know we are likely to have to verbalise a thought to share it with someone else, and so the brain just does it automatically, all the time, giving the appearance of needing language to think.
I don't believe my personal stock of knowledge is affected by which language I'm speaking. I recall seeing some magnificent riveted girder-work and thinking, in German, since I'd been over there for some weeks, “that's a fine piece of… umm… er…” The concept was completely clear in my mind, in no language at all.
And a picture often is worth a thousand words.
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