How does knowing two or more languages affect the way we process emotion? Recent research suggests that each language can make its speakers perceive reality in a different way, and people can even notice a change in themselves as they switch from one language to another.
Other studies have shown that bilingual people may behave differently depending on the language they use. The people talking to them also perceive them differently depending on which language they are speaking.
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If you speak multiple languages, you process words that define or describe emotion differently depending on whether you use your mother tongue (which you learn in childhood and predominates your thought and speech) and your second language (which has been learned, either formally or organically).
The mother tongue tends to have an emotional edge over the second language – bilingual or multilingual people feel greater emotional intensity when speaking theirs, especially when recalling experiences they had in this language.
Some studies have shown that people describe childhood memories more vividly if they speak in their mother tongue, since this is the language in which they label and remember these experiences. The second language, in contrast, offers a degree of emotional distance, allowing the speaker to feel less anxiety or shame when talking in complex situations, like when they need to express anger or apologise.
In other words, the mother tongue is perceived as a more emotionally rich language, while the second language is less expressive, but more practical. This means that emotional expression in the mother tongue is felt more intensely, regardless of whether the emotion is positive or negative.
Different language, different personality?
The choice of language in which bilingual people communicate affects not only emotional intensity, but also the way they perceive themselves and others. Using one language or another can influence the construction of discourse, and reveal cultural and social aspects that are specific to the language communities to which they belong.
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Niedersachsen, 1995. As my fellow students in Gymnasium were more interested in learning Englisch than availing me of the opportunity to learn Duden, I came out monolingual.