La relatividad lingüística: ¿Se puede pensar en español sin vivir en un contexto de habla hispana?

Languages are used to communicate and to perceive the environment. Therefore, they are related to the way in which human beings think and conceptualize the world. Consequently, learning a new language entails cognitive changes that go beyond the purely linguistic use and mastery of it. Thus, not only new forms are learned, but also new ways of describing and perceiving the world are acquired, since language is not an independent skill from other cognitive processes. This chapter presents a review of studies on the different consequences of learning other languages such as changes in the perception of objects, conception of grammatical categories, colours, actions, the time, etc., with special emphasis on those where examples are taken from Spanish. Finally, the special relevance of exposure to the target language is manifested and highly effective pedagogical tools for learning such as the use of audiovisual media are highlighted.