Can Learning A Language Change Your Personality?

Ever wished you could hit a reset button on your personality? Just start over as the fun one, or the zen one? Well, there might just be a way, and it has something to do with learning a new language.

I speak 8 languages and have written books in over 20 languages. I have a completely different personality in each of the languages I speak.

But does language affect personality? Can you create a new you with a new language? Science says… yes.

If you prefer watching videos to reading, hit play on the video version of this post at the top of this page. Otherwise, here's what you'll discover in this article:

What Do You Mean… New Personality?

If you're bilingual, or even just know a bit of another language, have you ever noticed that your behaviour changes when you speak it?

You get a bit louder, a bit softer, or your body language is different. Portuguese me might have a bit more swagger than the rest for instance.

And it's not just about some foreign words – many people say languages actually free different sides of them. For some reason, Spanish just allows you to show your spirit. Sometimes English just doesn't have it, you know?

You're extremely frustrated, and saying that thing in English won't be satisfying enough, so you switch to an awesome fire-machine in Spanish.

Let's be honest, some character traits are just more accepted in one language over another. Why? I don't know, us humans are weird.

But what if you need the opposite of fire? Say it's an emergency, and you need to be calm and think fast…

Language As A Chill Pill

Is the secret to more rational decisions hiding in plain sight? Just think in another language?

The idea behind it is when you're forced to think slower in a different language, it also slows down your emotional response, so you might make a calmer and more rational decision.

Language as your own built-in chill pill? Good decision-making hack! I can see the headline: ‘Forget therapy – Languages are the real personality changers!'

But why do we change in other languages, and is there any actual evidence of this? We'll get to the science, but first, what kind of personality upgrade are you after? Because trust me, there's a language for that.

Your Language Personality Makeover

So you're too boring, or you're kind of awkward, and you want to be hilarious? Maybe head to a Japanese karaoke bar?

Japanese is usually more of an ‘introvert' language, but not when it comes to music. You'll be surprised how singing your heart out in any new language can really loosen you up.

How about learning the language of love so you can be more romantic? I think French comes with its own built-in charm school, it just takes some practice! Also pretty great for persuasion and negotiation, as it happens.

What language do you think you should learn if you're too nice for your own good, and everyone walks all over you? German doesn't mess around, so it'll almost certainly make you look more confident. Someone's got to be the boundary-setter, right?

Stuck in a rut? I'd go for something really beautiful like Italian. With Italian you really need to explore the hand gestures until it feels natural.

Maybe you need to go chat up a stranger in a piazza and start ordering your espressos with flair! Wake up that adventurous spirit and live your la dolce vita. Life's too short to leave out the fun.

Which language do you think would make you come alive?

Your Language-Shaped Stories

The stories you tell the world about yourself pretty much determine what people think of you – you're doing it every day, in so many ways!

Your conversations, your body language, actual stories too. And we tell these stories about who we are differently depending on the language – we have to.

Some languages aren't big on small talk! Particularly Finnish, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages. Finns don't verbalise their feelings very much, so you aren't exactly going to learn that social skill there. You might learn better directness, though!

And hey, if you want to be a chatterbox in Norwegian or Swedish, of course you can. But one day when you're feeling awkward because you're the only one talking about the weather… maybe learn Japanese?

Did you know that 87% of bilinguals say they feel more confident in one language they speak? What are you more extroverted in?

Personally, I feel most confident telling my stories in Portuguese. I just feel like more of a storyteller with the expressiveness of the language.

There's something magical about how languages can transform you, but I'm more into science than magic, so… is there some real brain power at play?

The Science Of Personality And Language: Your Chameleon Brain

Your brain on languages is like a chameleon! Different parts of it light up when you switch between languages – they activate different neural pathways, and you get all these new thoughts and feelings, and those feelings lead to new actions from you.

So speaking a non-native language actually changes our brains? Guess it does!

Okay, so the idea that language messes with your brain isn't just me being dramatic – there's actually some serious science behind it! Ever heard of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? Don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds.

Basically, these two linguists – Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf – had this wild idea that the language you speak actually changes how you think. Like, literally rewires your brain to see the world differently!

Now, there are two versions of this theory. The hardcore version says your language completely controls your thoughts (yikes!), but the chilled-out version (linguistic relativity) – which most scientists actually believe – says your language just… nudges your thinking in certain directions.

And this is exactly why learning a new language can feel like someone just handed you a pair of magical glasses. You're not just memorising new words – you're literally gaining access to a whole new way of seeing reality. Pretty cool, right?

So when I talk about feeling different in Portuguese or getting more assertive in German, there's actually some legit brain science backing that up!

Another thing – and this gonna sound crazy – there have been tons of studies showing that self-affirmation in a new language activates your brain's reward system, and you get a big old confidence boost. Gotta try that one in the mirror tomorrow morning!

Creative Freedom In A New Language

There's this book called ‘The Power of Language‘ and the woman who wrote it, Viorica Marian, couldn't write it in her native tongue.

Story is, she grew up in Moldova, and there were so many constraints imposed by the gender roles that she just didn't feel free enough to write what she wanted to write. So she wrote it in English.

This is huge, because language is so fundamental to identity. Actually, a lot of great writers have done this. So yeah, it's very possible learning a new language will give you a lot more creative freedom!

But there might be something else going on here besides the language.

Culture Shock: Your Personality's Secret Weapon

Language is strongly tied to culture and the context you learned it in, so depending where you learn a language, this can really affect you!

Bilingual Hispanic women often say they feel more assertive speaking Spanish, but more reserved and agreeable speaking English.

It even has a fancy name: ‘cultural frame switching.' It's the idea that our behaviour shifts to fit the cultural context we're in. You switch languages, and your behaviour goes into auto-adapt – suddenly you're expressing yourself differently.

So if your personality is shaped by your environment just as much by your thoughts and feelings, then it's not just about the words themselves, it's also about the culture behind the words.

When I learned Arabic, I was living in Cairo, so I learned Egyptian Arabic, and because of this experience, my Arabic-speaking personality was shaped in a unique way. I felt a lot more direct and confrontational, just the way people speak on the street over there!

Arabic also kind of forces your brain to start thinking of time differently, because they write “backwards” – right to left – and so they might even perceive time differently from us. Interesting, huh?

Memory Trick: Language As A Time Machine

Remember that awkward first date where you said some really dumb things? Well, in a new language, that memory is gone! You get a fresh start, a clean slate.

There's a theory that memories are more easily accessed if you remember them in the same language that they happened in. So when you learn a language as an adult, you don't have any of the memories and cultural nuance that come with it. Different memories, different you!

Language is a time machine for your memories! Ladies, you're always saying that certain fragrances send you instantly back to an old memory. Languages also do this. That's why you feel nostalgic hearing a song from your childhood – but only if you hear it in the original language!

And it's so personal. For me, Brazil just opened the floodgates with music, because music and socialising is what I did the whole time I was learning Portuguese. So I guess even now I come across differently in Portuguese.

A Language Split Personality?

There's a fascinating study where a professor asked Japanese-American women to complete sentences in both Japanese and English. And funny thing is, they gave very different endings depending on the language.

• When my wishes conflict with my family…?
  • Japanese: ” … it is a time of great unhappiness.”
  • English: “… I do what I want.”

• Real friends should… ?
  • Japanese: “Help each other out.”
  • English: “Be very frank.”

A language can even split your reasoning. In English, if we miss someone, we say “I miss you.” But in the Romance languages? “You are missing from me” – lovely!

So if you're tempted to say you're exactly the same in any language, and nothing can influence your thoughts… listen, you are the same person, but you can't always use the same words to get your meaning across.

Some things just don't translate literally and some concepts don't even exist in every language. Even the pitch and tone of your voice can change.

Level Up Your Character!

If you're not very good in the language yet, of course you're going to come across a little unsure of yourself. You're going to feel shy. But that will change as you get better – guaranteed!

The more fluent you get, the more your new personality blossoms. So, don't be discouraged if you're still feeling a bit awkward at the beginner stage – your transformation is just getting started!

And don't panic – whatever language you learn, your core values stay the same. But it can give you a new perspective.

All that's happening is each language is helping you to access different parts of yourself that you've been all along – you just didn't know how to embody it in your first language!

Here's a question to really mess with your head: what if you've simply never existed with the particular set of circumstances that would bring out the best in you, and these circumstances mean speaking one very specific language?

Hey, who knows… maybe you'll hit on something that just feels like… where have you been all my life?

By the way, I asked our community which character traits you’d love to change, and the poll results were pretty good ones!

Does Language Affect Personality? FAQ

Ready For Your Transformation?

So after all of that, which language is calling your name? What's going to solve your problem and unlock your superpower? Mandarin? Turkish? Russian?

Well, I've saved you one last secret: any new language can shake things up and help you discover hidden talents. It's your move now! Which language are you eyeing, and what personality trait are you hoping to unlock?

The journey to a new you might just be one language lesson away.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.