It seems that it might be a disadvantage to be a learner of Danish as your first language because it is so difficult to pick up. But does that bring advantages later on in life in some ways, like the ability to read context more easily? That's a good question and it's one we haven't really tested experimentally but we have some ideas. One possibility is that Danes might develop sort of a more empathy. It could explain why Danes always end up as some of the happiest people in the world perhaps because they're actually paying more attention to what other people do. Wow that's a fascinating avenue for research. I've been very interested to see in recent years how big
Morten Christiansen is Professor of Psychology at Cornell University and Nick Chater is Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School. Together, they've written The Language Game, a new book which explores the science and psychology of language and some of its mysteries too. Hosting the discussion is journalist Christine Ro, whose work covers areas ranging from science and culture to international development.
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