A New Language, A New Soul

There’s an Czech saying that goes, “When you learn a new language, you get a new soul.” Many cultures have a similar adage: learning a new language can change who you are. But is there any truth to it? Recent research actually supports the idea that bilinguals can experience shifts in their personality when they switch languages.

The Science Behind the Saying

Different Languages, Different Personalities

A study by Ramírez-Esparza et al. (2006) found that bilinguals who speak English and Spanish often feel more extraverted, agreeable, and conscientious when speaking English compared to Spanish. This means that the language we use can influence how we express ourselves and interact with others.

Cultural Frame Switching

Researchers Hong et al. (2000) discovered that bilingual individuals can switch between different cultural mindsets depending on the language they are using. For example, someone who speaks both Chinese and English might think and behave more like a Westerner when speaking English and more like an Easterner when speaking Chinese.

Emotional Expression

According to Pavlenko (2006), bilinguals often experience and express emotions differently in each language. This can be because each language has unique emotional connotations and associations for the speaker.

Multiple Identities

Grosjean’s (2010) research indicates that bilinguals often have multiple identities, with each language bringing out different aspects of their personality. This means that learning a new language can indeed feel like developing a new soul.

Who Will You Be in English?

Learning English opens up a world of opportunities, not just in communication but also in self-discovery. As you become more fluent, you might find new sides of yourself that you never knew existed.

Will you be more confident, creative, adventurous? Who will you be in English?


References

Grosjean, F. (2010) Bilingual: Life and Reality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Hong, Y.Y., Morris, M.W., Chiu, C.Y. and Benet-Martínez, V. (2000) ‘Multicultural minds: A dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition’, American Psychologist, 55(7), pp. 709-720. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.7.709.

Pavlenko, A. (2006) ‘Bilingual selves’, in Pavlenko, A. (ed.) Bilingual Minds: Emotional Experience, Expression, and Representation. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, pp. 1-33.

Ramírez-Esparza, N., Gosling, S.D., Benet-Martínez, V., Potter, J.P. and Pennebaker, J.W. (2006) ‘Do bilinguals have two personalities? A special case of cultural frame switching’, Journal of Research in Personality, 40(2), pp. 99-120. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2004.09.001.