Jun
26
Dr. Jekyll and la Señora Hyde
There’s a news story getting wide exposure this week about a U.S. study that claims to have proven that people change personalities when they speak a second language. Like really change personalities at an incredible Hulkian level. 
Researchers in the U.S. say that they’ve found evidence of personality switching among bicultural Hispanic women. According to the study, the women interpreted events differently depending on which language (Spanish or English) they were using at the time. Additionally, the women judged themselves as more assertive and self-sufficient when speaking Spanish instead of English.
On the surface, this research sounds interesting, but there remain many unanswered questions. It would be nice to have more of the nitty gritty details. For example:
- How many women participated in the study?
- Why only women and not men?
- Which language is their maternal and primary language?
- How do we know that this change in personality isn’t something that is merely a result of comfort level in the primary language?
- For someone who was truly bilingual and bicultural, (for example someone who grew up speaking both Spanish and English and had the same verbal dexterity in both), would this change in personality still exist?
I tried to get my hot little hands on the academic journal article about the study to see if these basic questions were addressed. Unfortunately, the piece is behind a subscription firewall over at the Journal of Consumer Research, where it was published. Oh well, still makes for a fun headline. 
What about you? Does speaking Spanish make you more of an extrovert or an introvert? Does it make you feel more adventurous and want to go for broke, or make you want to fade into the background? In what ways does speaking Spanish change your personality?
Hi, thanks for the article, can’t wait to read it. Sounds really intriguing!
Well, in less than 4 weeks I am leaving to go to Chile for a year. Honestly, I’m fairly extroverted here in Seattle, but every time an opportunity here presents itself for me to speak in Spanish with someone I don’t know (example, restaurant workers, young people speaking Spanish with their parents when I’m getting my hair done, etc), I just choose not to, even though I love speaking Spanish. I suppose I’m nervous because I’ve only been studying Spanish for a year or two and don’t have a lot of experience speaking, I get nervous and just decide to interact in English or not at all. So I guess that means speaking Spanish makes me introverted. :p
I really hope that once I become comfortable in Chile I will be extroverted again. My entire life I’ve never had a problem in any social environment, and I really don’t enjoy feeling nervous and quiet when it comes to Spanish speaking situations.
Hey Kelsey,
I had the same anxiety about speaking Spanish before I came to Spain. I was constantly worried about how the other person was going to react, whether I would be understood, whether they would laugh at me, etc.
You’ll be fine. Once you get to Chile, just take a deep breath and plunge right in. Most people you meet will be quite friendly and eager to help you with your Spanish once they see your interest in learning their language and communicating with them. By this time next year your Spanish is going to be incredible!
Here’s the link to a different entry about how to get around being tongue-tied in Spanish:
http://spanish-podcast.com/2007/12/03/dejate-llevar-making-mistakes-are-no-big-deal/
I’ve never been to Chile, so please let us know how things go. Hope you have fun!