Hello everyone and welcome back to the English with Neil podcast, where you will build your vocabulary and improve your listening skills through American English.
My name is Neil Humphrey and the topic of today's episode is new language, new personality.
Now, before we get started with the episode, I just wanted to let you guys know that the English with Neil website will be up and running soon.
On this website.
It's going to feature transcripts worksheets, writing exercises and other resources to go along with each episode.
So if you like the episodes and you want to get additional help, you'll be able to sign up to my community and you'll be able to have a bunch of different resources to go along with each episode.
So I'm really excited about that.
It's not finished yet, but when it's up and running, I will let you guys know soon.
It should be finished in about a month, maybe even before that, but I'll let you guys know when it's up and ready.
I'm really excited about it.
All right, so let's get into today's topic.
New language, new personality.
Some vocabulary that you will learn in this episode is number one, personality.
Personality means your characteristics, how you carry yourself. what you are and who you are about.
And number two, unconscious.
Unconscious means without thinking, without knowing.
So for example, we breathe unconsciously.
We breathe without even thinking about it, okay?
So unconscious.
So listen to those Two words in today's episode.
Now, the reason I wanted to talk about this is because I've been noticing that I feel like I've developed a different personality, being in Japan for the past 11 years.
And it's not just about being in Japan.
It's actually.
I feel like I have a new personality when I switch from speaking English to speaking Japanese.
So in American English, where I'm from in California, California people are pretty laid back.
They're pretty easygoing.
You know, they're just kind of chill.
But Japan, the Japanese language.
This language is very polite and there's a lot of different hierarchies within this language.
Hierarchies means levels.
So you may speak to people like older people one way you use specific words for older people, but when you're with your friends, you use other words.
And you don't really find that in English too much, but you find that a lot in the Japanese language.
So there's different hierarchies, there's different levels, there's different types of speech.
And I find that when I speak English, because English is my first language, that I'm pretty relaxed.
I'm pretty chill.
I don't really think about the two things too much.
But when I speak Japanese, I find that I'm more polite.
I find that I care about people more, especially in regards to their age because, like I said, the Japanese language has a different hierarchy.
And so I've been noticing this in myself just as I become more self-aware, but I've also noticed this with my kids.
So my kids are six years old and I'm raising them to be bilingual.
I only speak to them in English.
So they're learning how to be bilingual.
And my boys first language is Japanese.
So that's just the language that they feel comfortable with.
But I find that when they speak English, that they're more playful.
They like to joke more.
They just have fun more in English.
I don't know.
That's just my opinion.
That's just something that I've noticed.
But I also wanted to take this one step further.
So I went online and I actually found some articles that.
Prove my hypothesis to be correct.
So I want to just read a small little piece of something that I found.
So the article is titled Switching Languages Can Also Switch Personality.
People who are bicultural.
Bicultural means they're within two different cultures.
People who are bicultural and speak two languages may unconsciously change their personality when they switch languages, according to a US study.
So I was correct.
So when you speak one language, whatever that is, it may be your first language or second language, but when you speak a language, you also unconsciously switch your personality.
Who you are.
You become a different person when you speak this language and then you switch to another language and you become a new person.
Maybe you become more friendly.
Maybe you become more serious.
Maybe you become stronger, you know.
But this is really interesting that our personality changes depending on the language that we speak.
And before I wrap up today's episode, I wanted to know, what do you guys think?
What is your opinion on this?
Do you find that you're speaking one language, maybe your first language?
You're more, you know chill, you're more relaxed, but when you switch to english, you become a different person.
Maybe you become more energetic or maybe you become more calm.
Let's talk about it in the comments.
I think it'll be Something fun to talk about because, like I said, I think for me, I think my personality definitely does change when I speak Japanese.
I find that I become more polite versus when I speak English.
I feel more relaxed.
So let me know in the comments.
Let me know what you think.
Let's further the conversation.
All right, everyone, that is it for today's episode.
Thank you for tuning in to the English with Neil podcast.
I look forward to speaking with you in the next episode.
Take care, everyone, and talk to you soon.
Peace.
