How Your Personality Changes When You Speak in a Foreign Language

personality changeHave you ever seen someone speaking two languages and feel as if two different people are speaking them?

A Brazilian Speaking Japanese English

I was recently having a conversation with a Paulista (someone from São Paolo, Brazil) who has spent most of his adult life working and  traveling abroad , including a few years spent in Japan.

While we were speaking in Portuguese, I saw him as a confident, intelligent and funny guy. He was a very skilled conversationalist; his words flowed naturally and seemingly without effort, and he always had something intelligent to say. After some time a Norwegian man joined our conversation and we switched to English to accommodate him.

When the Paulista greeted him, I thought for a moment that he was Japanese because of the way he bobbed his head and because his tonality matched Japanese people. As we conversed in English I felt as if I was talking to a different person.

Whereas in Portuguese he was confident and skilled with his words, in English he was self-conscious, at times struggled to articulate himself properly and his tone didn’t match his character as it did in Portuguese.

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Rhythm and Flow

Every language has a unique rhythm and flow, a way that individual words come together to paint a larger picture. But what happens when you speak a foreign language using the rhythm from your native language?

The effect is that even if everything else is perfect, the listener might not understand everything you say because it still seems like you’re speaking a foreign language. Portuguese is spoken almost as if you are singing; you don’t speak it word by word, you speak it sentence by sentence, rising and falling as you do.

Brazilians often speak English in the same rhythmic way, which sounds weird to English speakers unaccustomed to this style of speech. If someone isn’t used to hearing English spoken in this style they might struggle to understand everything that you say because you’re almost speaking a foreign language.

The following video demonstrates this concept quite well. In it there is a couple speaking in what seems to be English, but if you listen carefully you will realize that it’s actually with English intonation.

The first time I saw it I thought I could make out a few English words because they have so perfectly mastered the way that Americans speak. Even though they are actually saying only a few real words, if you weren’t paying much attention you would assume they are speaking American English because their accent is perfect.

Word Choice

Finding identical words and phrases to express complex thoughts and emotions can be a difficult task in a foreign language. Until you expand your vocabulary, you may be stuck using words don’t fully express the meaning you wish to convey but are close enough.

For example, there are dozens of different words whose meaning is approximately the same as “good.” Without the right vocabulary you will end up translating all of these words as “good” which slightly changes your meaning and the way you are understood.

The idioms that you use signify a lot about your background, state of mind and past experiences. Different groups of people use different words and expressions to say the same thing.

For example to say, “I have to go to the bathroom,” a surfer might say “I’ve gotta take a dookie,” a military man would say, “I have to use the latrine,” and a woman might say, “I have to powder my nose.” They all mean the same thing, but which one you use reveals certain things about who you are.

Slang is a powerful identifier of your character. Some slang is unique to certain groups of people, and the use of these words can signify what your interests are.

Surfers commonly use words like gnarly and tubular, so if someone uses words like these you can probably assume that they surf. It’s common to hear poker players use jargon such as double down, fold and bluff outside the context of poker. Maybe you’ve guessed that I surf and play poker based on these examples.

Without knowing the equivalent phrases in a foreign language you won’t be able to properly express your personality. You may try to translate them literally which doesn’t work if that expression isn’t the same in both languages. Or you will say them in a very direct way, which may come across as rude or culturally insensitive.

It’s always good to consult the Internet, a native speaker, or a RealLife English article to make sure you’re using the right expression.

How You Can Improve

There is no magic pill to overcome these challenges, but the first step is being aware of them. Once you become aware of how you speak you can start to work on changing it to make it sound more native.

A good idea would be to record yourself speaking in your foreign language and compare your intonation and flow with that of a native speaker.

Another way is to study someone who has a similar personality or background as you and observe the way that they speak. Observe not only the words that they use but also how they use them in speech. Take note of their rhythm, when they make pauses and their body language while speaking.

Thankfully there is an abundant amount of study material available through TV and movies. Find a character that you identify with and study their word choice, tone of voice, and overall attitude they have while speaking.

If you enjoyed this article please let us know what you think! Take a second to COMMENT below.

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  • Good post, Josh! With respect to the blog, this is exciting and we´re going to make this fun for everybody involved.

    About personality and language, I think this is a great topic. For better or for worse, our personality changes when we speak another language.

    For the really fluent people and natural actors, these people reinvent themselves and adapt characteristics of the other language or culture.

    For people who have more difficulty molding their target language to their personality, sometimes it´s just a question of loosening up and realizing that this is your chance to play around and invent a new version of yourself!

    • Josh Plotkin says:

      I think you make a good point about reinventing yourself in your target language. Some things just can't be translated perfectly and you'll have more fun and be less frustrated if you find a different way of saying it.

  • Josh Plotkin says:

    Thanks for your comment Marcelo!
    I like your metaphor of painting a landscape with limited colors, I think that is a good way of describing this phenomenon.
    I feel your pain about not giving the same intensity when I speak Portuguese. Many times I'll be speaking at a normal pace, then I'll stop abruptly for a few seconds while I try to find a word, realize I don't know what it is, and use a more basic word like "good."
    They probably understand most of our meaning, but its not the same as finding that specific word with a specific meaning.
    Keep studying and and practicing and you'll get to that level eventually!
    Thanks for your support,
    Josh

  • Josh Plotkin says:

    Thanks for the feedback Marcos!
    I hadn't considered talking to speakers of a lower level when I wrote this article. I think that when dealing with foreign languages patience is one of the most important things to have. I would speak more or less the same to someone with a lower level, but take the time to explain things they don't understand. We all used to be at that level once, and if it wasn't for patient advanced speakers we never would've progressed.
    Thanks again for reading and commenting!

  • Great post!
    It really happens to anyone who starts learning a second language.

    However, I think that to have more information about the culture of the language you are studying helps a lot too. Because, to know about it gives you support to understand where you are and who you are talking to. Having some beers beforehand can also make people more relaxing and sensitive when speaking another language!

    • Jenny Shaw says:

      It's so true! Especially the part about the beers 🙂

  • […] Inglês será às vezes um tanto frustrante. Em algum momento você chegará a uma fase em que não será capaz de se expressar como poderia em Português, e haverá momentos em que você não será capaz de encontrar a palavra certa para […]

  • Due Elles says:

    Great post! Really liked it!

    • Daniel Brandão Neto says:

      Indeed!

  • Due Elles says:

    Great post! Really liked it!

  • Natasha says:

    Great article.This is so true, myself included! My initial conversations in Greek were monotonic , stlited and rather soulless making me frustrated at not being able to express what I was really like as a person.However, my ‘Greek’ personality has changed over the years . As I have become more proficient , my confidence in interacting with Greek native speakers has blossomed but not only that – I shout when I speak excitedly, i gesticulate continuously and , shock horror, have begun to interrupt when others are speaking! And there has been a certain amount of crossover into English, when in the UK I express my feelings and opinions much more freely than I would have done in the past, and find myself searching for English versions of Greek idiomatic phrases!

    • Justin says:

      Hey Natasha, Very insightful comment. It’s sounds like you’re kicking ass with your Greek! I’ve felt the same way at points with my language learning too, and I know exactly what you mean. Thanks a lot for commenting!

  • Andrew says:

    Thanks for such good educating post.ok now i will try to fix my vocabulary.

  • nommoc says:

    So hear what you are saying, as a westerner learning Chinese I feel my personality, tone and pitch of voice all get affected when speaking Chinese.

    • Justin says:

      Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I’ve felt the same thing with Spanish and Portuguese. I can’t really imagine how it would be with Chinese! Totally different frame of reference.

  • Carol Oliveira says:

    Great post! I've noticed it already: when I speak English, sometimes I feel like I'm not me, you know? haha
    Since I'm a teenager (I'm 17), I've been trying to familiarize with the way students speak by watching TV series that have high school as background. I've been getting a lot of useful slangs and expressions that kind of translate the stuff I'm used to say in Portuguese.

    • Justin says:

      Hey Carol, That really great that you’ve familiarized yourself with TV series and high school. That’s a very effective way to learn. Thanks for your nice comment!

  • Reis Vanita says:

    I feel insecure sometimes!

    • Justin says:

      You’re not alone Reis! Courage is the answer.

  • Liz Cardoso says:

    This post and comments has put a big smile on my face! My partner is a native English speaker and I’m Brazilian and have English as my second language. It can be so challenging sometimes, no to communicate, but to make me feel like the real me when talking to him… I wish I could be as confident and straight to the point in English as I am in Portuguese. Not that he minds, he loves me the way I am and loves. But the problem is within myself. I just don’t see myself the same way when I speak a different language other than my own.

  • […] his post: How Your Personality Changes When You Speak in a Foreign Language Posted on: 16 April 2012 […]

  • THIS POST WAS VERY HELPFUL.. TO ME !!! I REALLY WANT TO IMPROVE MY ENGLISH!! I WORK AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER AND I STRUGGLE TO TEACH AND DEVELOP SKILLS TRYING TO HELP STUDENTS TO BE COMPETENT IN REAL CONTEXT. SINCERELY I NEED TO PRACTICE THE FOUR HABILITIES AT THE SAME TIME . !! JUST TO REINFORCE A SECOND LANGUAGE "ENGLISH"

  • it IS VERY INTERESTING…. BUT SO DIFFICULT TO PRACTICE

  • Justin says:

    Hey Luisa, Thanks for the nice comment. I’m really glad it was useful, but now this is something you’re aware of and you can start to experiment with. I know exactly what you mean about talking about politics. With me it’s the exact reverse! But definitely open your mouth and speak and start trying out your English voice as it’s the only way to develop it!

  • Justin says:

    Yeah that is interesting! The same thing happens to me with my language learning.

  • Imran says:

    Good morning sir madam 🌻🌻🌅

    • Agnieszka from RealLife English says:

      Good morning, Imran! ☀

  • I keep telling my students that learning a foreign language will change their personality, especially it gives them confidence. This is a perfect blog that tells about one of the advantages of learning a foreign language. https://lfu.edu.krd/personnel/robinson-paulmony/

    • Agnieszka from RealLife English says:

      Glad to hear that! Greeting to your students!