Karly

Hello everyone, hello February! New month, new us? Hardly. If I’m honest, I didn’t really have anything planned for this post—it was just sitting at the back of my mind until I suddenly realized that Monday was only a few days away and I had yet to write a single word.

So, let’s have a little recap: last week was all about poetry. We talked about my favourite anthologist and how to enjoy poetry without feeling like you’re trapped in an English class. For the sake of variety (or just to spice things up a little), today we’re diving back into Trust Me, I’m a Linguist.

Bilingualism and Personality: A Personal and Scientific Dive

As many of you already know, I grew up bilingual in Spanish and English, and when I got to university, I decided to study Languages and Linguistics (which is absolutely not the official name of the degree, but for clarity’s sake, let’s roll with it).

One of the most fascinating modules I took was on bilingualism. I was excited to study it because, while I knew what it felt like to be bilingual, I had never explored the cognitive processes behind it. Tragically, this was Spring 2020, and, well… we all know what happened then. The pandemic meant our syllabus had to be adjusted, but on the bright side, it gave us more freedom to explore personal interests. Naturally, I chose to research bilingualism and personality.

And here’s where it gets weird: I need to clarify that I am not insane, but my personality is very different depending on whether I’m speaking English or Spanish. This is something that came up often during lectures and still comes up in daily life. For example, one of my best friends from uni is also bilingual, and for some reason, we’ve always spoken to each other exclusively in English. It wasn’t a conscious decision—it just happened, and to this day, our conversations remain in English, with the occasional French phrase thrown in (don’t ask).

The Brain on Two Languages

So, what’s up with bilingualism and personality shifts?

First of all, bilingualism is a very loose concept. Some linguists argue it’s impossible to define because reducing something so complex to a simple definition would overlook its nuances. Others prefer a straightforward approach and say being bilingual simply means being able to understand and produce utterances in two or more languages.

To me, bilingualism is an integral part of my identity. It might not seem particularly impressive, but it’s something I’ve internalized so much that I can’t introduce myself without mentioning it.

One thing my Bilingualism lecturer always emphasized was that bilinguals are special. Of course, she was probably biased—this was her field of research, after all—but I completely agree. Whether through attending bilingual schools, growing up in multilingual households, or living in different countries, bilinguals develop their abilities under unique circumstances. But the key factor that makes them different? The brain.

Research on bilingualism keeps revealing fascinating insights into how our brains process multiple languages. Denise Klein found that bilingual brains don’t just show differences in electrical activity—they even exhibit microanatomical changes. However, her research mainly focused on brain signaling, leaving questions about these structural differences unanswered.

Meanwhile, Walter Van Heuven explored the phenomenon of language conflict in bilinguals. According to his research, when bilinguals form sentences, both languages are active in their minds, sometimes competing with each other. Balanced bilinguals—those equally proficient in both languages—are supposedly able to navigate this conflict seamlessly.

But as someone who has spoken both Spanish and English for over twenty years, I have to disagree. Even in full immersion, mix-ups are inevitable. And sometimes, they lead to moments that are both frustrating and hilarious.

For example, when I lived in Ireland, I stayed with an Irish family and was already fully proficient in English. One day, while talking to my host sister in English, the doorbell rang. She looked out the window, and without even thinking about it, I instinctively asked, “¿Quién es?” (Who is it?) in Spanish. We both burst out laughing because, logically, there was absolutely no reason for me to switch languages at that moment. But I believe my brain experienced the exact kind of conflict Van Heuven described—only, instead of handling it smoothly, I just short-circuited.

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis in Action

Now that we’ve covered the brain, let’s talk about personality—and why this whole topic fascinated me so much.

During my Sociolinguistics module, I had the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis practically drilled into my brain. This hypothesis suggests that the language we speak shapes the way we see the world. If this is true, then bilinguals essentially have two different ways of perceiving reality.

But it doesn’t stop there—language is closely linked to emotions, meaning that bilinguals might even process their emotions differently depending on the language they’re using.

Personally, I’ve noticed a distinct shift in my behavior between languages. In Spanish, I’m more reserved and shy—I take longer to open up and really be myself. But in English, despite being an introvert in both languages, I feel less inhibited. Small talk doesn’t bother me as much, and I’m generally perceived as more outgoing and even funnier.

I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I think it’s because, growing up, my school days were split into two halves: English and Spanish. I loved the English half—it was more fun, the teachers were nicer, and most of the media I consumed (books, TV, music) was in English. Spanish, on the other hand, was the language of “Your child is failing maths” notes, disciplinary meetings, and general seriousness. So, in a way, it makes sense that I associate English with freedom and Spanish with structure.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Spanish is a bad language—Spanish is beautiful (and notoriously difficult, apparently), but for me, it carries a slightly different emotional weight.

Living the Hannah Montana Life

Psychoanalysing my past aside, there’s also evidence that bilinguals adopt different mannerisms, intonations, and even facial expressions depending on the language they’re speaking. This makes perfect sense—after all, some languages rely more on gestures to convey meaning (looking at you, Italian speakers!).

At the end of the day, being bilingual sometimes feels like living a Hannah Montana double life. You’re one person, but you experience the world in entirely different ways depending on the language you’re using.

And that’s a wrap for today—rambly, slightly academic, but hopefully interesting! I’ll see you all next Monday with something more lyrical. If you’re bilingual, I’d love to hear about your experience—drop a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram!