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Jenna Zeigen: The Linguistic Relativity of Programming Languages | JSConf EU 2014

3,022 views · Published 24 November 2014 · 22:22 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: JSConf · 2014 · Science & Technology

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The hypothesis of linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, says that the languages we speak influence the way we think. I argue that this applies to programming languages as well. However, key differences between spoken languages and programming languages enable us to adapt and shift our ways of thinking more fluidly as we learn new programming languages than as we learn new spoken languages. It is these same differences that we can and should leverage to both grow individually as programmers and further advance our favorite programming languages. JavaScript is in a particularly ripe place to take advantage of these differences, as it is such a popular and dynamic (literally) language with a strong culture of libraries, evolution, ease of learning, and community.

Transcript & slides: http://2014.jsconf.eu/speakers/jenna-zeigen-the-linguistic-relativity-of-programming-languages.html

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