How We Swap Personalities When We Switch Languages
“It is astonishing how much enjoyment one can get out of a language that one understands imperfectly.” ― Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve
― Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve
The Personality Switch
And how to deal with it
This is something I notice a lot. Speaking for myself, when I teach English, I feel grounded — calm, clear, and confident. My thoughts come easily, my humour flows naturally. And that of course is because I am comfortable in my own language. Who isn't?
But when I switch to Catalan or Afrikaans (I'm from South Arica) , something shifts. My voice feels less certain, my presence slightly smaller. In fact you could say: There is a subtle change in identity.
Awareness: The Language Mirror
Picture this scene. A shy professional joins an English class. It's happened so many times. When I observe that person before or after class finishes they are like totally different personalities. In Catalan or Spanish, they speak fast, using gestures, emotion, energy. They are their real selves. Then when it’s time to switch to English for a class — suddenly, their expression shrinks. They say less. Their confidence drops.
It’s not because they don’t know what to say ,it’s because their English self hasn’t learned how to just relax. They're paranoid that saying something they really want or need to say will make them sound like idiots.
This happens to many bilinguals.Every language has it's own personality, rhythm, tone and social “rules.” English tends to value clarity and structure; Catalan and Spanish I think , is more spontaneous.
So when we switch , say from Catalan to English, we start adjusting for mistakes. More defensive than offensive (expressive) if that makes any sense. Of course it's not your natural language just as Catalan or Spanish isn't mine. In short we become different people, like taking one mask off and putting on another.
“Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club – the community of speakers of that language."
– Frank Smith
Action: Rebuilding Confidence Through Awareness
The goal isn’t to eliminate this shift but to understand it.
In our classes, through guided speaking exercises,based on real work and social contexts, students learn to be themselves, warts and all, mistakes are going to happen. But with regular engaging practice and with appropriate correction those mistakes will happen less and less frequently with time.,
If you recorded yourself speaking about the same topic in your first language and then in English , not focusing on mistakes necessarily but how you are feeling , you'll obseve, logically, that your energy changes.
What changes? When do you sound most like you? When you're speaking your own language. The goal is to bring you into that state when communicating in English.
Authenticity: The Real You in Any Language
True fluency isn’t about sounding native — it’s about being authentically yourself in another language. Even if someone has a super level but isn't feeling confident or is focused primarily on not making mistakes, then the power of communication falters.
The more awareness and practice you build, aware that you will never be a native English speaker and that it truly doesn't matter and that practicing without those expectations over you is what's going to move you forward , the more consistent your personality and ability will become as you cross languages.
My classes will to help you find that voice — more confident, not worried about making the mistakes you are supposed to make, and hopefully the ability to express yourself freely, without fear of judgement. The mistakes you make: We'll fix those along the way.
“The English language is so elastic that you can find another word to say the same thing.”
– Mahatma Gandhi”