Name: New Language = New Personality
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New Language = New Personality

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Have you ever felt like a different person when speaking a second (or third) language? It’s a sentiment many language learners can relate to. The words may mean the same thing, but somehow, it feels like you’re not quite yourself. In this exploration of the relationship between language and personality, we’ll delve into how words shape who we are.
Psychologists often say that our personality plays an important role in determining our behaviour, but could the reverse also be true? Is it possible that the languages we speak influence the very essence of our being? Let’s embark on this linguistic journey to uncover the surprising ways in which languages can form and transform our personalities.
ContentsDo you know who you are in your first language?Can language actually affect your personality?“I am much funnier in English!”Video : Listening Practice! Speaking Practice!Extra reading!References:Recommendations Disclaimer
All psychologists agree that our personality helps to determine our behaviour, but then does that mean that our behaviour also changes when we speak another language? How can we define personality? 
Personality: The type of person you are, shown by the way you behave, feel and think.
Cambridge Dictionary
That’s what the Cambridge Dictionary tells us, but what if there’s more? And how do we measure this? Over time, psychologists have developed many ways to categorise personality too. You might have heard of the 16Personalities test that you can take to find out your exact personality type and more, such as whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, creative or logical etc. It’s free and you might be surprised by your results!
So if personality is defined by the way we behave, feel and think, this must mean that it could be changeable, right? Recent research says so but that its not easy at all. A paper published in an issue of American Psychologist provides an insight into how our personality can be a decider for our success or failure in society.  
Teachers and parents have been trying to change personalities for decades while trying to form ‘good people’, and they don’t necessarily always get through. It still remains that it’s relatively hard to CHANGE a personality. 
However, another study asked people to take a personality test in one language (English) and then in another (Spanish). They found that the results of the two tests were different each time, causing experts to question whether it is the language itself that causes this change.  Speaking other languages can easily bring about changes in the way we behave, the way we feel and the way we think. There are actually very few studies that look into whether bilingualism changes who we are in any way, but on following our Cambridge definition of personality, cultural differences can highly likely change the way we behave. 
Speaking in another language might also cause us to be less confident and that could change the way we feel, causing us to be more self-conscious or anxious than we would be in our native tongue. Additionally being forced to use different grammatical structures, ways of expressing ourselves and accepting cultural values that differ from our own could force us to think in a different way, and therefore change the ways we express oursleves. 
The answer is POSSIBLY! Quite often, learning another language means immersing yourself and taking on other cultural habits, especially linguistic ones like gestures, tone, how loud you speak and so on! 
Usually, when we speak our first language, we do all of these things to express ourself better, but they might not be as common in other cultures, which forces us to feel as though we can’t express ourselves as clearly. 
Overall, when we speak different languages, our personality can be influenced in various ways. Here are some ways in which speaking different languages can affect your personality:
Cultural Adaptation: Language and culture are deeply intertwined. When learning and speaking a new language, we often immerse ourselves in a different cultural context. This exposure to a new culture can lead to the adoption of new behaviours, values, and social norms that are reflected in our personality. For example, if you learn Spanish and immerse yourself in a Spanish-speaking community, you might adopt a more expressive and passionate communication style, which can influence your overall personality.
Emotional Expression: Languages have their own unique ways of expressing emotions. When speaking a new language, we might find that certain emotions are easier or more difficult to convey. This can impact how we express ourselves and how others perceive us. For instance, if you speak a language that has a rich vocabulary for expressing emotions, you might become more skilled at articulating your feelings, which can contribute to a more emotionally expressive personality.
Self-confidence and Identity:
Speaking a different language can sometimes affect our self-confidence. When communicating in a second language, we may not feel as fluent or articulate as we do in our native language. This can cause us to be more reserved or self-conscious, which might lead to a temporary shift in our personality. Over time, as language proficiency improves, these feelings of insecurity tend to diminish.
Cognitive Flexibility: Language shapes the way we think and perceive the world around us. Different languages have different grammatical structures, vocabularies, and cultural concepts. When we speak multiple languages, we are exposed to different ways of structuring sentences, expressing ideas, and understanding concepts. This linguistic diversity can enhance our brain flexibility, enabling us to approach problems from different perspectives and adapt to new situations. As a result, speaking different languages can expand our personality traits related to open-mindedness, adaptability, and creativity.
Cultural Sensitivity: Speaking another language allows us to engage more deeply with different cultures and communities. It increases our understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives
Feeling a different way in different languages can be due to several things. Firstly we have the cultural differences that we need to acquire when we are learning and then speaking other languages. Some cultures just don’t accept humour the same way as others! This is so true in fact that we even have our own so-called “British Humour” in English, which is always criticised as being un-funny. In reality, what we find funny is related to our social constructs, shared experiences and culture! British humour, for example, questions the craziness of everyday life, sarcasm and self depreciation, which might be considered rude and unacceptable in other cultures. 
This might mean that when speaking another language, you might be labeled as vulgar and rude rather than funny – meaning that your personality would be perceived in a totally different way compared to your native environment! If you want to learn more about the ins and outs of English humour, I recommend “English Humour for Beginners” by George Mikes! 
Another reason for feeling different when speaking your second language is that you might not be entirely proficient and have all the words that you need to express something. You want to be funny but feel blocked because you cant articulate it. This doesn’t mean that you are not a funny person, just that you need to keep practicing your English!! 
Time to practice! Watch the video and let me know what you think in the comment below! 
Do you think that language has the ability to shape personality?
Time to start speaking! 
You want to put all of that hard English learning work into practice, and interacting with native speakers or all speakers in general is the best way to do that from the comfort of your own home! A great place where you can do this is on Italki! 
Start the conversation here! Do you think that personality can be shaped by language? Let me know in the comments below! 
Stockholm University – Does your personality change?
Psychology Today – Change of Language, Change of Personality?
These recommendations are tailored to different levels! Learn more about British culture and the way that English people think with these recommendations! 
Explore a little more about what English humour actually is, whether it’s funny and how or if it is any different to any other types of humour – I’m sure the world think that us English people are hilarious 🙂
Get an insight into British culture and I guess consequently our personality! This is a complete guide, including some quite funny explanations about why we are the way we are 🙂
Not quite confident enough to read the other two recommendations? Check out The Personality Potion, a cute story about a boy called Danny who drinks a magic potion to help with his play! Expand your vocabulary with this lighthearted story about personality.
Disclaimer
In some of our articles (like this one), you may find affiliate links (Amazon Associate and Italki Affiliate). These links help support our website at no extra cost to you, allowing us to continue providing valuable content, like on this page for example, where you can buy the products or services I have recommended. Find out more…
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Have you ever felt like a different person when speaking a second (or third) language? It’s a sentiment many language learners can relate to. The words may mean the same thing, but somehow, it feels like you’re not quite yourself. In this exploration of the relationship between language and personality, we’ll delve into how words shape who we are.
Psychologists often say that our personality plays an important role in determining our behaviour, but could the reverse also be true? Is it possible that the languages we speak influence the very essence of our being? Let’s embark on this...

New Language = New Personality

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