Personalities in different languages

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jacquemarie
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Personalities in different languages

Postby jacquemarie » Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:19 pm

When you speak/write in different languages, does your personality change? I've noticed it does for mine!

English (native): talkative and bold
Hindi (A2/B1): shy. Mostly ask questions or respond to questions. When I sit down to write a journal entry, my mind is blank and it can take me an hour to get down 3 things.
Spanish (A1): very talkative, can drum up paragraphs in 15-30 min. Confident.

I have no clue why I'm so shy in Hindi, perhaps some expectation I've put on myself to be perfect as it is my in-laws only language? Spanish grammar is very close to English and I previously studied Italian to a conversational level, not to mention just being exposed to it my entire life as there was a huge amount of Spanish speakers in my schools growing up. So maybe since it is more familiar to me I am progressing faster and feel more confident?
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:56 pm

Related topic:
Being Bilingual

DarrenDaka wrote:What does it actually feel like though? Do you "become" a different person when you speak a different language? Do you use cultural references , idioms and proverbs just as you would if you only had one native language?
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby tomos1729 » Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:57 pm

If you learn language A and langusge B at different points in your life then quite clearly you will be different people in those languages, since any (healthy, self-aware) individual is constantly growing/changing.
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Carl
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby Carl » Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:00 pm

During my five months in Japan, I didn't learn huge amounts of Japanese, but one day I noticed my family was laughing at me as I spoke half in Japanese and half in English on the phone. After I hung up, they told me I'd been bowing and using other Japanese body language on the phone. I had no awareness of having done so. So to that extent, yes.

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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby cjareck » Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:10 pm

I didn't noticed any change. I speak a lot in all languages, even if I don't know them well enough for a conversation. Any changes are due to awareness about cultural differences and that is all. That is at least my observation of the usage of Polish, English, German and Hebrew. I spoke even Russian when I was in Moscow. Of cource, it was a Polish-Russian mixture ;) I used Arabic only during LEs and my knowledge is too basic.
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby Iversen » Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:39 pm

I think I'm the same person in all my languages, and insofar I have the skills I try also to write in the same style. There are of course cases where my learning history or the state of a language plays a role, like when I use bookish verbal forms and constructions in French - but heck, my stylistic framework is written French rather than Spoken French, and it is not my fault that spoken and written French have become so different - I just prefer using the kind of French I'm most in tune with and spends most time with. On the other hand I haven't got any special historical knowledge about Scots or read much literature in Scots so there my framework is somewhat less formal. But despite such minor differences I try to keep the same slightly nerdish and ironical style in any language, including my own native Danish, because that's how I see myself (and have seen myself at least since I was five years old).
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby sporedandroid » Sat Nov 14, 2020 6:03 am

I haven’t had the chance to really speak any of my target languages, so I’m not sure if my personality would be any different. I think when I spoke Spanish, my personality is about the same as English. That’s probably because Spanish is my heritage language. What I do notice is that different languages just have different vibes to me. Since I feel different when I speak different languages, I’ll probably act differently as well. I do notice I act different when I travel to other countries.
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby lavengro » Sat Nov 14, 2020 6:36 am

I find that when communicating in Tlön, I become more speculative....
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby El Forastero » Sat Nov 14, 2020 6:55 pm

In portuguese, I am extremely extroverted, friendly and joyful. I'm not shy at all. I remembered having talked to unknown brazilian people with confidence and easiness. That's why I found Portuguese people so cold and distant when I lived there.

In english, I am sort of pretentious. Not as much as I probably could be (I'm C1) but definitely my vocabulary and grammar complexity is above the average and in real conversations I try to use an upper register even though it's not necessary at all. I'm reluctant to use informal contractions, some idioms, but enjoy a lot using obscure, latin-based, abstruse vocabulary, just for fun.

In french, I am very talkative, but not as extroverted as in portugues (For instance, I've never been to a french party, it's not appealing for me). In this language I really enjoy explaining some non-language related topics.

In Italian, even though I have a C1 certificate, I have never had much opportunities to speak with natives or other learners. I selfstudy it 100% without any kind of human contact :D . I suppose I would be similar as in portuguese in familiar topics like professional cycling (One of the reasons why I studied it).

Finally in spanish, my mother tongue, I'm very curmudgeon, I guess. I'm very reluctant to speak with strangers, even through social media. I'm not shy, I'm rather not interested.

Besides this, what I consider curious is that my voice tone changes according to the languages: In Portuguese I'm deeper and in Italian I'm higher-pitched
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Re: Personalities in different languages

Postby tarvos » Sun Nov 15, 2020 3:23 pm

I'm the same idiot in every language :)
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