Have you ever noticed how a child seamlessly switches between languages, their personalities remaining largely unchanged? Yet, in adults, a shift in language often seems to evoke a subtle transformation. Do pause and think of people around us in offices, when they speak in English versus when they choose to communicate in Hindi for example. Why is this? Does language hold a deeper connection to our identities and personalities?
Where the answer is not as straightforward, part of it lies in the intricate interplay between language, culture, and personality.
But to begin, let’s start by exploring how we learn language. As children we were born without language, over time as we grow up, we start learning words, we begin to realize that these words have meanings and when strung together can help us connect and communicate.
Importantly, it’s not words in isolation, these words also come with emotional attachments, be it how the word was used, the context, the experiences, various interpretations, the celebrations or corrections by elders that add to the personal meaning of the words for us. This emotive layer that gets added to words is something we carry for life. These words laden with memories, experiences, and social norms go on and shape not only how we speak, but how we feel about ourselves while speaking as well.
However, for languages we pick up later in life as we mature, seem much lighter and more detached. Even though we may master the language fluently, we are in essence learning the mechanics of language without the emotional layering which then affects how it interacts with our sense of self and identities. This to some extent explains why multilingual individuals often feel like a different version of themselves when switching languages.
Also, ‘when’ we learn a second or third language plays an influential role as well. In our early years, as children, we tend to adopt new languages with little identity attachment. Our personalities remain consistent, because at a young age, we have yet to build the layers of identity that become so tightly woven into language for adults.
However, as adults, learning a new language often comes with adapting or being influenced by the culture tied to that language. Think of what Mtv did to the Millennials. This experience, especially when tied to important social or professional contexts, strongly shapes the way we express different personality traits, whether it’s extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience or neuroticism.
Because as we grow, we tend to not only pick up the language in isolation but also the culture which influences how we behave especially when speaking in that language or in context where that type of a culture is more supported.
And where language itself doesn’t necessarily shape our personalities, at least not directly, it surely acts as a lens through which we perceive and interact with the world. The words we use, the phrases we construct, and the cultural nuances embedded in our languages all contribute to the unique individuals we each seem to portray or become.
The Interplay of Language and Personality
At a very basic level, our comfort or fluency with the language itself alters the way we behave, having the words or depth of vocabulary and understanding to help us express ourselves in different ways is critical. Without the words and vocabulary our range of expression and ability to project remains truly limited. Else we face the risk of coming across as someone shallow, offensive or even immature. It’s always better to come across as stoic or quiet, than someone who is unaware.
At a slightly deeper level, how and when we learnt a language begins to play a role in influencing personality. For many of us who first began listening to English Music due to Mtv, the impact of that culture on our identity and personality has forever shaped the way we think of the language and the kind of people who speak in that language. (Remember the Ruby Bhatias and Nikhil Chinnapas). We began to ape their personalities and believed language to be the cloak we wear to transform into that type of a person.
Here the language became part of our formative understanding of the world and a different culture. It shaped how we saw people within the culture. So the Americans were cool and direct and the French were passionate and romantic, and well the British were just plain boring and uptight.
The same is true for those who began learning a new language in, say, a professional (for a job or research) capacity where the language and context of learning then begins to influence how we use it and how we choose to present ourselves. Hence, office conversations are largely English first, but we choose to have our arguments in our local language (Hindi), cutting across classes and demographics.
And finally, there is a layer of truly becoming part of the culture the language belongs to, here as we begin to really understand the culture over time, its mannerisms and philosophies then shape our worldview and understanding of the language and how it is to be used. For those of us who appreciate Japanese culture, it gives a very different meaning to how we would use those words and in context we would use them.
This is where staying in a culture begins to play a deep role in shaping our personality. Hence for Indians living abroad, we often do see two different personalities playing out when they choose to speak in English versus their local language. In places of entitlement we may then speak in English and be sharp and articulate, but in a community context we would switch to Hindi and become jovial and fun. Here, language changes basis our cultural views, which influences our thought process, which changes our behavioral pattern and in that sense affects our personality.
Truth be told, language and culture are inseparable. Learning a language doesn’t merely give us new words; it introduces us to the cultural values, norms, and beliefs embedded in that language and for those of us in the business of marketing and branding, understanding these subtle interplays becomes critical is the choice of words and phrases we use in our communication.
A message that resonates with a native English speaker may not carry the same weight with someone for whom English is a second language. The emotions or meaning systems will be completely lacking or even get sidelined. Hence, when LIC says Jeevan ke saath bhi or Jeevan ke Baad be – how we feel about the line when said in Hindi versus the same when communicated in English – ‘With you in life and beyond’, will never hit the same buttons.
Understanding these linguistic and cultural nuances of our audiences can help brands not only communicate more effectively, but also create deeper, more authentic connections. Hence, the importance and need for localization, not just translating words, but adapting messaging to the unique personality and cultural context of each language.
As marketers, our ultimate goal is to speak to the heart of our audience. And to do that, we must understand the powerful interplay between language, culture, and personality. Because, language is more than just a conduit for conversation; it is a powerful force that shapes the way we think, perceive, and understand the world around us.
