Multiple languages, multiple personalities

The literature

The scientific/academic side is unfortunately rather limited, and googling various variations of the question did not deliver any especially satisfying, instantaneous result. The topic has thankfully attracted the attention of a few experts, who have published work. For example, Professor at Northwestern University Viorica Marian has recently published her book entitled The Power of Language: Multilingualism, Self and Society, in which she also looks into the effect of multilingualism on our personalities. Much like Trevor Noah, the author grew up in Moldova speaking both Romanian and Russian, and professionally learning English, which is now her go-to language for expressing herself within the echelons of the scientific world. She describes the use of English in her professional life as a way for her to step away from the constraints faced by women in her native languages: a different persona. And this experience gave her the impetus to write her book. Now, the time will come where I read her book in full, but the information available suggests that she is clearly in favour of multilinguals having different personalities in their respective languages and goes on to argue her point with her psychological background. Her book has however most probably also been influenced by her subjective experiences, so it is very hard to grasp where the line between personal opinion and proof is without reading the literature in detail.

Reddit and YouTube provide a wide range of opinions, with the former taking quite an academic approach embracing negating the theory put forward by Noah, and the latter providing a stage for YouTubers to exhibit their experiences in favour of his theory. As with most social media, you’ll find what you are looking for and feel that your opinion is validated in the process. However, both sides of the topic appear to meet in the middle and actually end up complementing the other argument. In her TED x Talk Two Languages, Two Personalities?, Mariam Abeje shares that when she speaks her languages (she is bilingual from birth), she “portrays” herself differently. She also speaks of the cultural impact of living in two countries and speaking both the languages as a native speaker. The premise of her experience does appear to lean more towards the different personalities theory, both in her and the other examples she presents, being shaped and fostered by culture, education, moving countries and the pressures of growing up and finding yourself (a list I think many people can identify with). The personalities are based on frameworks, but I have to say that I see why people feel so strongly about their different personas, and I urge them not to falter on this belief if it explains their reality as a multilingual.

Chat GPT

“Multilingual individuals may experience a subtle shift in communication styles or emotional expression when switching between languages, but these variations are usually influenced by cultural and contextual factors rather than a fundamental change in personality. The core aspects of one’s personality typically remain consistent across different languages.”

Chat GPT had some trouble understanding the question properly, first talking about code-switching, which is the ability to switch between spoken languages, but not necessarily the persona a person potentially possesses in each language. The answer above does however highlight the majority of opinions I have read so far and is a good introduction to my personal opinion on the subject thus far.

This isn’t because my vocabulary in German is inferior or because I am shy in any way, but because my persona in German has used a filter over the years based on social norms, types of conversation and comprehendible interpretations of my sense of humour (to name just a few examples) to assimilate into everyday life. My English persona is more apt in talking about feelings and dissecting complicated ideas. My German one, once again, is better at talking about processes and work-related issues, where I’d be left searching for words, because these are areas of life that I’ve only experienced in Germany. Are these different personalities, however? My honest opinion, despite scientific ramblings suggesting the latter, is that this is simply social, linguistic and professional experience given its own space to unfold. A situation linked to accepting different norms and putting them to use in everyday life. I feel like the same person in each language, have the same interests and like the same food – I just change the language I speak or think in to talk about aspects of my life from the respective cultural perspective. Another example from my time in the UK is me speaking more than one dialect: I would speak Yorkshire English at school or when out and about, and I would speak a mixture of neutral and American English at home. The change in dialect or language are said to develop a number of skills within the speaker (e.g. multitasking, problem-solving, tapping into memories and creativity, and is even supposed to help later in life with dementia) and as a result this develops other parts of the brain that a monolingual person may not be able to develop along the same lines.

What does this idea mean for the language services industry?

It is very relevant, however not from the perspective of a person with multiple linguistic personalities, but of the character of the texts that we deal with on a daily basis. A one-to-one translation or machine-translated text will most certainly produce a useable piece of writing, but one that would be very different in tone if it had been written in the target language from the outset. The same applies to customers and their expectations of a text they have written in a foreign language and the time and cultural/subject-specific knowledge necessary to proofread and adapt it to read naturally for a native speaker of that language. Speaking from experience, a true stylistic overhaul involves a great deal of what could be seen as unnecessary changes to a non-native, but are absolutely to transform the text in question into a natural and coherent oeuvre. When compared, these texts could differ tremendously. Are they the same text? The same personality? The answer is in no way objective, but very much based on the skill and experience of the linguist interpreting the skill and experience of the original writer. Perhaps a culture of open communication and close collaboration between language professionals and customers would give the vast array of texts translated into a vast array of languages their very own personalities, ultimately creating products that cannot yet be imitated by modern technology.

What are your thoughts on the topic of language and personality? We’d love to hear what you have to say!