“Language is not primarily about representing the world. It’s about managing social interaction.”
Nick Enfield is a professor of linguistics, renowned for his work on how language helps construct our reality. Challenging the dominant narrative that language is a transparent window into the world, Enfield’s book Language vs. Reality shows how language frames our perspectives and shapes how we relate to one another. According to Enfield, language is far better for persuasion than for objectively capturing facts.
In addition to his theoretical work, Enfield has conducted linguistics field work in mainland Southeast Asia, especially Laos. His popular writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Scientific American Mind, among other outlets.
“I am happy that Nick Enfield is a linguist because there are very few scientists in the world who can match him for insights into the cultural and social nature of human language." Daniel L. Everett, Trustee Professor of Cognitive Sciences, Bentley University
