Conceptualization is not always an advantage. English numerals like twelve
and twenty more clearly represent individual concepts than Japanese numerals like
ten-two (ju1-ni) and two-ten (ni-ju1). But this is exactly the reason why the Japanese
numerals are so transparent. The decimal number system is more strongly built into
the form of Japanese numerals, and this may be one of the reasons why Japanese
children perform so well in mathematics tests.
Language is, of course, not the only factor influencing habitual thinking. We
saw that while Navaho-speaking children were prompted by their language to classify
objects on the basis of shape/form, English-speaking middle-class children in Boston
did the same, although they were not prompted by their language to do so. Language
does seem to have a certain effect on the way we think, but the effect may often be
overruled by other factors.