Changing your personality by studying a second language －第二言語を学んで人格を変えること－

I noticed recently that I tend to speak Japanese in a very soft way.  When I was going shopping with a guide, I kept saying “... ni ikimashou ka?” (Shall we go to...?)  I wondered to myself if I would express where I wanted to go so softly if I were speaking in English.  I don’t think that I would.  I would probably say, “Okay, let’s go to...” (ja, ... ni ikou)

My wife told me that she used to have a Chinese colleague who spoke fluent Chinese, Japanese and English.  He used to use all three languages at work to deal with customers and colleagues.  But the odd thing was that he sounded very sharp, authoritative and manly in two languages – Chinese and Japanese.  And he sounded quite mild, kind, and effeminate in one language – English.  She says that if he used one language for a long time, even his behaviour started to change.  He seemed to become more considerate to others when using English.

Can changing language really have such an influence over our personality?  And if so, why?  Is it the language itself which promotes certain attitudes in the speaker, or is it the circumstances in which the speaker learned the language that is important?

Maybe my wife’s former Chinese colleague learned English by listening to an old-fashioned, softly-spoken teacher.  When he deals with a colleague’s request or problem in English, the phrases which instantly spring to mind are soft, such as, “Can I give you a hand?”  If he learned Japanese from an argumentative girlfriend, perhaps the phrases which spring to mind are naturally sharper, such as, “dou shita no?” (What’s up?)

My polite Japanese comes from textbooks and from hearing new students speaking very polite Japanese to me.  Maybe I can train myself to speak more casually or roughly by listening to Imawano Kiyoshiro songs?  I like the Timers song, “Doboku sagyouin”: “ore no hataraku, doboku genba. Kyou mou shigoto tsurai. Meshi ha nee ka, kyuukei mada kai. Ore ha mada nemutte itai!” (I work at a construction site.  Work’s tough again today.  Isn’t it time to eat yet?  No break yet?  I wanna go back to sleep!)

So if learning a second language can not only improve your language skill but also change your personality, it is very important to find the right teacher!  I suggest an English teacher who speaks polite British English.  And who lives in Nerima.  And who likes Imawano Kiyoshiro.

Vocabulary:

sharp – of a comment, not soft or not gentle

authoritative – commanding and self-confident

manly – having or showing those good qualities traditionally associated with men, such as courage and strength

mild – not harsh; gentle or soft

effeminate – of a man, having (generally negative) qualities traditionally associated with women, such as weakness or softness

to promote – to encourage; to push forward

to spring to mind – of a thought, word etc., to suddenly appear in one’s mind