People who speak more than one language usually use their chosen languages for different purposes, different situations, and with different people. In doing so they might change their accents, attitudes, and even their facial expressions. Many would agree that what doesn’t change is the basic personality. However, there are those who believe that there is a relationship between language and personality change.
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.
Photo- 123rf
Excerpt: Do different languages confer different personalities? by R.L.G. | Berlin, The Economist
“Last week, Johnson took a look at some of the advantages of bilingualism. These include better performance at tasks involving “executive function” (which involve the brain’s ability to plan and prioritise), better defence against dementia in old age and—the obvious—the ability to speak a second language. One purported advantage was not mentioned, though. Many multilinguals report different personalities, or even different worldviews, when they speak their different languages.
It’s an exciting notion, the idea that one’s very self could be broadened by the mastery of two or more languages. In obvious ways (exposure to new friends, literature and so forth) the self really is broadened. Yet it is different to claim—as many people do—to have a different personality when using a different language. A former Economist colleague, for example, reported being ruder in Hebrew than in English. So what is going on here?
Benjamin Lee Whorf, an American linguist who died in 1941, held that each language encodes a worldview that significantly influences its speakers. Often called “Whorfianism”, this idea has its sceptics, including The Economist, which hosted a debate on the subject in 2010. But there are still good reasons to believe language shapes thought.
Photo- Victor Cardona.
This influence is not necessarily linked to the vocabulary or grammar of a second language. Significantly, most people are not symmetrically bilingual. Many have learned one language at home from parents, and another later in life, usually at school. So bilinguals usually have different strengths and weaknesses in their different languages—
Many bilinguals are not bicultural. But some are. And of those bicultural bilinguals, we should be little surprised that they feel different in their two languages. Experiments in psychology have shown the power of “priming”—small unnoticed factors that can affect behaviour in big ways.
Asking people to tell a happy story, for example, will put them in a better mood. The choice between two languages is a huge prime. Speaking Spanish rather than English, for a bilingual and bicultural Puerto Rican in New York, might conjure feelings of family and home. Switching to English might prime the same person to think of school and work.
Some Germans believe that frequently putting the verb at the end of a sentence makes the language especially logical. But language myths are not always self-flattering: many speakers think their languages are unusually illogical or difficult—witness the plethora of books along the lines of “Only in English do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway; English must be the craziest language in the world!”
Photo- Discover.
We also see some unsurprising overlap with national stereotypes and self-stereotypes: French, rigorous; German, logical; English, playful.”
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post
Level: Intermediate -Advanced
Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.
Time: Approximately 2 hours.
Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article.
Objective: Students will read the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and learning new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through discussions, and writing.
I. Pre-Reading Activities
Predictions
Analyzing headings and photos
Directions: Ask students to read the title of the post and of the actual article they are about to read. Then, have them examine the photos. Based on these sources, ask students to create a list of words and ideas that they think might be related to this article.
II. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart by Education Oasis for assistance.
- Last week, Johnson took a look at some of the advantages of being bilingual.
- It’s an exciting notion that one’s very self could be broadened by the mastery of two languages.
- Each language encodes a worldview that significantly influences its speakers.
- This idea has its skeptics.
- This influence is not necessarily linked to the vocabulary or grammar of a second language.
- They do not usually have perfectly symmetrical competence in their two languages.
- Many bilinguals are not bicultural.
- But language myths are not always self-flattering.
- Witness the plethora of books about languages.
- A group of French intellectual proposed that French be the legal language of the EU.
Reading Comprehension
True /False/NA-Statements
Directions: Review the following statements from the reading. If a statement is true they mark it T. If the statement is not applicable, they mark it NA. If the statement is false they mark it F and provide the correct answer.
- Last week, Johnson took a look at some of the advantages of bilingualism.
- In learning new languages there is exposure to new friends, and literature.
- It is the same as claiming to have a different personality when using a different language.
- The New York Times hosted a debate on the subject in 2010.
- Significantly, most people are symmetrically bilingual.
- Many people are always best in their first language.
- Crib bilinguals,raised in two languages do not usually have perfectly symmetrical competence in their two languages.
- Many bilinguals are bicultural.
- Some Germans believe that frequently putting the verb at the end of a sentence makes the language especially logical.
- Only in Spanish do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway.
Grammar Focus
Structure and Usage
Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammatical error. Students are to identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.
I.
- It an exciting notion.
- Yet it is different to claim a different personality.
- There are still good reasons to believe language shapes thought.
II.
- Many have learned one language at home, and another later in life.
- Bilinguals usually have different strengths and weaknesses in their different languages.
- They is not always best in their first language.
III.
- Many bilinguals are not bicultural.
- Asking people to tell a happy stories will put them in a better mood.
- There are two good reasons that make people feel different speaking their languages.
III. Post Reading Tasks
Reading Comprehension Check
WH-How Questions
Directions: Have students use the WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.
Who or What is the article about?
Where does the action/event take place?
When does the action/event take place?
Why did the action/event occur?
How did the action/event occur?
Discussion/Writing Exercise
Directions: Place students in groups and have them answer the following questions. Afterwards, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the following discussion topics.
- The article states, “ It’s an exciting notion, the idea that one’s very self could be broadened by the mastery of two or more languages. In obvious ways (exposure to new friends, literature and so forth) the self really is broadened.” Provide examples ((Illustrations) of this idea.
- From the article, “Significantly, most people are not symmetrically bilingual. Many have learned one language at home from parents, and another later in life, usually at school. So bilinguals usually have different strengths and weaknesses in their different languages.” If you are bilingual do you agree or disagree with this statement? If you know people who are bilingual is this true for them? Provide reasons for your answers
- If you are bilingual, do you feel differently when speaking each language? Explain why or why not.
- What are the most significant ideas in this article?