The Bilingual Self or Selves?

Applied Linguistics Papers, 2018

A survey was conducted among Hungarian-Romanian-English multilinguals (N=237) with the aim of investigating the individual differences in cultural preferences and value priorities. Participants completed questionnaires measuring: (a) the individual level of national identification (Collective Self-Esteem); (b) own-culture preference (Patriotism); (c) ethnocentric proclivity toward other cultures (Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale); and, (d) the relative importance of 10 universal value types (Portrait Values Questionnaire) in three groups. Native (Hungarian) and acquired languages (Romanian, English) were used for filling out questionnaires for the three groups. Linguistic effects appeared on ethnocentrism, patriotism and collective aspects of self-esteem, but the effects were absent on personal aspect of self-esteem and prevailingly on value priorities. Results may indicate a kind of linguistic relativity in identity relevant self-characterization.

Do bi-and multilinguals sometimes feel like different people when speaking different languages? Are they perceived as different people by their interlocutors? Do they behave differently? What prompts these differences?

Istanbul University - DergiPark, 2022

Bilingualism Bilinguals Split personality Ttraits Cultural frame shift The purpose of this study is to review the current literature which produced evidence on split personality of bilinguals. In this research paradigm, splitpersonality does not refer to any psychological disorder, rather it denotes a personality feature of bi-or multilinguals. Although there is a plethora of research on bilingualism and bilinguals, data on split personality of bilinguals are scant. From the beginning of the 20th Century, the question of whether bilinguals have two personalities or not has been investigated on the basis of their language and cultural frame shift. We reviewed 13 studies that are directly related to split personality of bilinguals. These studies are discussed with respect to their purpose, methodology and major findings. Hence, we aimed to provide insights for the reader to have an understanding about the process of split-brain studies and the major findings that revealed how bilinguals reflect different personality traits depending on the language and culture they are interacting and residing. Further implications were provided for the researchers who seek answers in this area.

Journal of Memory and Language, 2004

Autobiographical memories retrieved by bicultural Russian-English bilinguals were compared across languages. Results suggest that bilinguals' languages may influence cognitive styles, so that when speaking a language associated with a more individualistic culture, bilinguals produce more individualistic narratives, whereas when speaking a language associated with a more collectivist culture, bilinguals produce more collectivist narratives, regardless of language of encoding, or main agent in the narrative. Moreover, bilinguals expressed more intense affect when speaking the same language at the time of retrieval that they spoke at the time when the event took place. The positive/negative emotional valence of autobiographical narratives was influenced by language and age at the time of the event and by the main agent in the narrative. It is proposed that memories and self-narratives in bilinguals are mediated by the language spoken at any given time and that language functions as a vehicle for culture, with cultural differences seeping into language and influencing cognitive styles and the self.

The 11th International Symposium of Bilingualism, 2017, Limerick. “This language is beginning to invent another me”, writes Hoffman (1989:121) in her classic autobiography picturing her life across cultures and languages. Indeed, the majority of multilinguals report feeling different when switching languages (Dewaele, 2016), leading towards the idea of multilingual identities (Pavlenko 2006). Although the influence of personality on migrants’ self-perceptions has been investigated (Ozańska-Ponikwia 2013), little attention has been paid to acculturation aspects and how all these factors could be mutually related. A questionnaire comprising several sections (Dewaele-Pavlenko 2001-2003; Van Oudenhoven-Van Der Zee 2002; Ryder & al., 2000) has been developed and supplemented by interviews. Participants are 468 Italian migrants living in English-speaking countries. Results suggest that participants’ personality characteristics determined their sense of belonging to either their heritage or host cultural scenarios. Furthermore, respondents’ emotional and social skills and their appreciation for the host culture practices constrained their sense of feeling different when using the local language.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013

The coexistence of people with different cultural backgrounds is an important issue for the social sciences. In particular, mixed couples could represent an interesting field of research in order to explore their representational framework in terms of bilingualism, biculturalism and identity processes. The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes that a group of mixed couples has on bilingualism and biculturalism. Specifically, it intends to test the hypothesis that there is a link between bilingualism/biculturalism, self-esteem and identification. Results revealed that mixed couples tend to harmonize cultural differences and the data confirmed our hypothesis

Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory, 2020

The purpose of this descriptive-internet survey was to examine whether Persian-English bilinguals express different personality traits when they switch language while responding to Big Five Inventory (BFI) as a measure of personality once in Persian and once in English. It has been proposed that language activates cultural specific frames and bilinguals represent different personality patterns in each language. In this research 60 Persian-English sequential bilinguals living in the United States were selected by volunteer sampling method. They were asked to respond to an online version of BFI in both languages. The result demonstrated that, bilinguals had higher levels of Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Openness in English than in Persian where as their scores for Neuroticism were lower in English. These findings support the effect of language on personality and demonstrate the function of language as a strong cue for Cultural Frame Switching (CFS) since language was able to activate CFS for Agreeableness, Extraversion, Openness, and Neuroticism.

Journal of Research in Personality, 2006

Four studies examined and empirically documented Cultural Frame Switching (CFS; in the domain of personality. SpeciWcally, we asked whether Spanish-English bilinguals show diVerent personalities when using diVerent languages? If so, are the two personalities consistent with cross-cultural diVerences in personality? To generate predictions about the speciWc cultural diVerences to expect, Study 1 documented personality diVerences between US and Mexican monolinguals. Studies 2-4 tested CFS in three samples of Spanish-English bilinguals, located in the US and Mexico. Findings replicated across all three studies, suggesting that language activates CFS for Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Further analyses suggested the Wndings were not due to anomalous items or translation eVects. Results are discussed in terms of the interplay between culture and self.

Am I English when I speak English and Russian when I speak Russian if I use both equally well? Am I the same when I speak English and when I speak Russian? In what cases would I prefer to use which one of them? These questions are at the core of the issue of the identity of bilinguals, particularly if they suffer in any way from fragmented identity, linguistic interference, misunderstanding in a monolingual society and other related problems. This paper aims to look closely at these issues in certain bilingual environments in order to define the role of multilingualism in the self-identification of an individual. Reflecting on experience over forty years of teaching bilinguals, multilinguals and L2 English-speakers, we may draw the conclusion that anomie, identity-conflict, results not from the experience of bilingualism or multilingualism per se but arises where anxiety and lack of self-confidence in one's own identity - either individually or collectively - is already present. It seems evident, then, that the root cause of alienation lies not in bilingualism itself but in the conflict of cultures. The implication appears to be that cultural self-identification governs language proficiency rather than is determined by it.

This article explores the fascinating interplay between language and personality, focusing on how switching languages can lead to shifts in behavior, self-perception, and emotional expression among bilingual and multilingual individuals. By examining studies on linguistic relativity, frame switching, and cognitive flexibility, it investigates how each language embodies unique cultural and social norms, influencing personality traits such as assertiveness, openness, and emotional expression. Through personal reflections and current research, this paper highlights the profound psychological impact of multilingualism, revealing language as a gateway to diverse facets of the self. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of identity in a multicultural world, where language plays a transformative role in shaping how individuals perceive themselves and interact with others.