HOW LEARNING ENGLISH AFFECTS THE WAY WE THINK

ABSTRACT

This research explains the influence of the English language on human thinking. It focuses on how grammatical structures in English—such as the verb "to be," the construction "used to," perfect tenses and others —shape different perceptions of the world, time, and actions. The theoretical part is based on ideas and hypotheses from respected scholars, cognitive linguistics, simple grammar and current English idioms. The practical part involves conducting a test among students who study English frequently to determine whether mastery of grammatical structures influences their thinking. The results of the study confirm that systematic study of English promotes cognitive habit change and expands ways of thinking differently.

Keywords: cognitive linguistics, hypotheses, grammatical structures, influence of English, human thinking.

The topic of this research is highly relevant, as it involves human thinking, which changes depending on various factors, and the English language, which is currently in demand and widespread worldwide.

The English language is vast and contains various types of grammatical bases, articles, slang, and abbreviations among the younger generation. According to the theory of many scholars, the English language has begun to influence people more than we expected, specifically their cognitive system. The cognitive system helps us understand the workings of linguistic consciousness and is closely related to this topic. Recently, young people have begun frequently incorporate English words into their speech. Let's be honest, people learning English or speaking English at a B2 level often incorporate various grammatical structures into Russian or Kazakh speech, even if this contradicts the grammatical and spelling norms of these languages. At this point, one wonders whether a person truly thinks in English and its structure, to the point of unwittingly introducing errors into Russian or Kazakh speech.

The connection between the English language and thought is a central and fundamental topic in linguistics, philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science. Language is viewed not only as a means of communication but also as a tool for shaping human consciousness, especially a language as versatile as English.

In modern cognitive linguistics, the most basic and accessible research and theory is the theory of linguistic relativity [1]. We will consider and take as an instance the theory of two scholars — Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, who explored this area very thoroughly. They arrived at the conclusion, widely accepted by the community, that language structure influences thinking and the perception of reality [2]. Thus, we can state that the English language clearly influences people's thought processes. What structures? We'll explore further.

The study of grammatical structures allows us to understand how language influences the perception of reality and the formation of cognitive patterns.

The verb "to be" functions as a copula, expressing the state or belonging of a specific or non-specific object to a certain category: "I am a student." In English, this copula is obligatory in the present tense, whereas in Russian it is omitted and meaningless. This difference demonstrates peculiarities in how we perceive the world: in English thought, the existence and state of an object are fixed and explicitly demonstrated grammatically, whereas in Russian, it is only implied. This may indicate a more precise understanding of identity in English, where every situation or instance requires a grammatical assertion.

Perfect tenses. Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Perfect—express the completion of an action and its connection to another fragment of time. For instance, "I can’t get in. I’ve lost my key." indicates not only the fact of completion but also the relevance of the result in the present. In Russian, a similar connection is expressed through special verb types and context, without a separate grammatical system. This distinction influences the perception of time: English speakers tend to be aware of past events and their consequences. [4] This promotes the development of more critical thinking, where not only the sequence but also the results of certain actions are important.

Modal verbs. Modal verbs are a special group of auxiliary verbs that express the speaker's attitude toward an action: possibility, necessity, confidence or the speaker's own assumptions about a situation or action. The main modal verbs in English include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would. They serve not only a grammatical but also a cognitive function—they help people evaluate events and express confidence and assumptions. For example, the difference between "Karina must be at home" and "Karina may be at home" reflects the ability to think logically and analyze probabilities.

References:

1. Z.D. Popova, I.A. Sternin “Cognitive Linguistics” https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197799871.003.0003
2. Raymond Murphy with William R. Smalzer and Joseph Chapple “Basic grammar in use”, Fourth edition. https://assets.cambridge.org/97813166/46731/excerpt/9781316646731_excerpt.pdf
3. Raymond Murphy “Grammar in use”, Fifth edition.  https://uomus.edu.iq/img/lectures21/MUCLecture_2022_5217521.pdf