Personality Changes When Speaking Multiple Languages

I recently read an interesting article called “The multiple personalities of multilinguals” that inspired me to write this blog post. In a nutshell, the article talks about how some people can express themselves more freely in some languages than in others, and how our personalities change depending on which language we use. I can attest to this statement, because I have personally experienced this first-hand. Ever since I was three, I have been able to communicate in three languages, which has helped me have a strong foundation for my love of language-learning.

There have been many times in which I have been talking to friends, and have decided to call my mom on the phone. Since I am Colombian-American, every time that I pick up the phone, I talk to my mother in Spanish. What has been interesting is that my friends have said several times “You have a very high voice when you speak Spanish”, or “You talk so much faster when you speak Spanish.” These are two very interesting observations. I have noticed that, depending on the language in which I am speaking, I feel more comfortable talking about certain topics, or can more elaborately describe something that I find interesting.

For example, when I speak Spanish, my voice is much higher than my lower, and more monotone voice in English. The main reason why I think that this is the case is, because I believe that out of all of the languages that I speak, English is the most monotone-sounding. Languages such as Spanish, and Italian allow your voice to have different rhythms, speeds, and tones. In my opinion, I can tell more easily when somebody is happy, sad, or upset when he, or she is speaking Spanish, or any of the other Romance languages that I speak. Because of the way that English is spoken, there is little room for free expression. What I mean by this is that there are only so many sounds, and so many ways that you can move your tongue, or your mouth to produce a different sound in English. In languages like French, you use your throat more, so there are certain sounds that native English speakers find difficult to make.

When I speak French or Italian, I instantly feel happy, even if I am talking about something that is sad. The way in which I have to produce the sounds of these languages allows me to use gestures, and mannerisms that are not necessarily needed, or that are less common in English. In this way, I can use my hands to emphasize a certain point, or move my arms in such a way that make my points more valuable, or more complete. When I speak German, I can play with my choice of words, and with word order more than I can with English. This is, because German word order is more rigid, yet more intricate, allowing my brain to think ahead before completing my thoughts. When I speak Russian, I can also play around with word order, but in a different way, since it tends to be more flexible. For example, you can say “I like to eat often”, or “I often like to eat”, and you can be understood.

Everything that I have mentioned above are the mechanisms that build up a language, and what give each language character, and personality. I love the way in which I feel when I switch from one language to another, because I prefer to speak in a specific language depending on with whom I am talking, about what I am talking, my mood, and where I am.

I hope that this blog post inspired you to speak another language well other than your native tongue to experience personality changes. It is truly an amazing feeling that is indescribable unless you go through it yourself.