What’s Your Language Personality?

By Sarah Menkedick On December 21, 2009 · 31 Comments

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Spanish fits me like a worn pair of jeans, whereas French makes me feel like I’m at a wedding in a freshly ironed dress, trying to stand up straight.

French feels confining. It’s about the aesthetically exquisite, the barely pronounced “s,” the impeccably executed “r.” Done well, the latter is a subtle feline purr. Done American-style, it’s a loogie struggling to come up. There’s just no room for error.

Ah, but Spanish encourages flexibility, improvisation. It’s all curves and individual style. It’s those jeans that love your hips and your ass, it’s a series of dance moves which can make even the most flat-accented gringo seem precious and endearing. It lets you take it for a ride, chilled out, adaptable, whereas French says – you will take me here, now, when I want, how I want. You fit me.

Spanish simply dovetails with my personality. For me, a cool, blue Latin American morning is synonymous with travel, and Spanish is synonymous with the joy of speaking another language. I love running in Mexico and seeing a beat-up pickup truck full of Santa Claus piñatas, and I love the way people at parades stop and offer me a swig from a bottle of mezcal. I love the way you can slide words around in Spanish, drop the pronouns, add -itos and -isisimos to exaggerate and emphasize.

Photo: pasotraspaso

In Spanish it feels like I can play, mixing my own language cocktails, and this is more than OK – it’s desirable. And from the very beginning, people are indulgent with these creations. You can make the world’s most undrinkable mix of triple sec and vodka and Kahlua and people will toast you for the effort.

“Hablas español!” the Ecuadorians said admiringly when I was still bumbling my way through the basics of “cómo estás” and sticking pronouns in all sorts of awkward places.

But also, I just like the sound of Spanish. The big potbellied “o” of gordo. The little scurrying feet of ahorita. The up-down lilt of ideal like the crest and fall of a wave. The mantra-esque sounds of mañana and lo que sea. The drawn out, three-step, melancholy fall of tristeza. The a’s and o’s that float at the end of words. And of course, the unbeatable r’s.

And you? What’s your language personality? What language fits you?

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Sarah Menkedick

Matador Contributing Editor Sarah Menkedick has traveled, lived, and taught on five continents, and is constantly in pursuit of spicy food, dark beer, and new places to run. She is an MFA student at the University of Pittsburgh.

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view all → Sarah Menkedick

http://aftertheteacups.livejournal.com sabrina

i am studying spanish ahora, and i have a degree in french–i have to say that spanish is muy facil, and that actually turns me off… it’s so one dimensional. there’s no “literary spanish”, you go from talking about shoes to talking about van gogh using the same words. there is poetry in french, and laughter, and pure unadulterated sex. with spanish, it’s more like “getting by”.

http://www.posatigres.com Sarah

Interesting points, Sabrina. I found Spanish easy as well but, like you, I’d already studied French. I think the points that many people find challenging in French -the subjunctive, the imperfect vs. the past tense, etc – are the same in Spanish. Grammatically, the two languages are very, very similar, so I think it’s hard to say one is harder than the other. The Spanish subjunctive is definitely much more complicated than the French. I’m not sure how far into Spanish you are, but once you get into higher levels the subjunctive gets to be a real pain.

Also, there is a literary tense in Spanish – some forms of subjunctive are used predominantly or exclusively in literature, and there are special verb forms and endings for literature as well.

As for poetry and pure, unadulterated sex, have you ever read any Spanish literature? Neruda? Borges? Garcia Marquez?

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/rsw Tim Patterson

I don’t even know what a subjunctive is.

http://www.kaleidoscopicwandering.com JoAnna

I don’t know if there’s a particular language that “fits” me as I’m not all that great at learning languages, but I can say that I studied German in school simply because I loved that it sounded like I was tearing up the court when I spoke it. French has always been way too flowery for me – the words get jumbled in my mouth and spill out in a mess that makes no sense. But German … there’s something about the sharp sounds and harsh vowels that really appeals to me.
http://www.candicedoestheworld.com Candice

There should be a quiz for this! I think Spanish is for me too.

http://valeriewng.wordpress.com Valerie

I once took such a quiz, and it said I should take Swedish! I do love the sound of it, but I don’t think I’d be able to pull it off!

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/rsw Tim Patterson

I find that my personality changes when I speak different languages, or, more accurately, different facets of my personality come to the fore.

When I speak Japanese, I’m very conscious of social structures and how my speech is likely to be received. When I speak Spanish, I’m much looser and less restrained, even though my Spanish ability is much worse than my Japanese.

The same holds true for regional variations of English. At home in Vermont, I tend towards a folksy, wry speech pattern, but when I’m in cities I speak quickly and swear more.

http://onceatraveler.com Turner

Ditto on the Japanese, Tim. Even though Thai culture is extremely laid back, I also tend to be a little uptight when it comes to speaking Thai, as I want to show the proper respect.

http://musictravelwrite.wordpress.com Michelle

Interesting article! It would have to be Portuguese for me – I adore the accent, and feel like I can (kind of) pull it off, probably due to the gazillions of hours I’ve spent listening to Brazilian music.
http://valeriewng.wordpress.com Valerie

These are beautiful analogies Sarah! I think that having grown up with Spanish and studied it longer, Spanish comes to me more naturally than French and like you said, there is only one right way to do French, which I probably will never master. I am glad I’ve studied it, though because I like the poetry of it. There’s no pretension in Spanish and it allows for some creativity, so it gels better with my personality.

I’m not sure how Cantonese and Mandarin would fit into this equation. I never enjoyed studying Mandarin and Cantonese was acquired exclusively at home, and the latter has suffered a lot of abuse from me because I’m not sure I’ve ever spoken it in its purest form, ie without English peppered into it. Somehow I’ve come to think of Mandarin as a language you have to be really angry or aggressive to speak, which would mean it doesn’t fit me at all.

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/rsw Tim Patterson

I hear you about feeling aggressive when I speak Mandarin — the word that comes most naturally is “Fu-Yuen!” – shouting across a restaurant for a waitress.

late_stranger

I’ve been through the most basic of French, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. French as a language, I loved. It was beautiful, and the way every little element flowed together was gorgeous. On the flip side, I don’t have so much love for French culture (or the little of it that I know).

Spanish, in terms of the language, is weird. Some days I love it, but most I can’t quite place what makes me dislike the sounds. I’m still working on defining what it is I don’t like. I love Spanish culture, though.

Chinese I love for its novelty- the culture and the language are completely different than my native English, and I love them both.

I’m no longer studying French, but I think I’ll take it back up again sometime. I really loved the sound of it.
Jah

I’ve found that Swedish is rather easy to read if English is your first language…
Jah

Oops, I meant to reply directly to Valerie about her mention of Swedish earlier.

When I speak any other language (right now Spanish and Japanese) I tend to joke around a lot simply because I’m a more jovial guy whenever I’m not speaking English. I think the language that best describes my personality however would have to be Japanese because, if I remember correctly, there are more words to describe one’s feelings/desires (they just aren’t used that often) whereas in Spanish, I’ve found that the few words that are used to describe feelings are a bit…overused (and lose some of their “punch”).

Pero de todas maneras me encantan los otros idiomas y me hacen decir “Bravo!” a los que andan a aprenderlos, pues!
Michael

Great article!

I speak Spanish and English, and was trying to decide if I wanted to learn French or Portuguese as a third language. I tried Portuguese and began to pick it up without any problems (and actually think it sounds sweeter than Spanish). I dropped it however to try French thinking that it’s more widely spoken and I’d have more opportunities for practice. The result: even though I just started, this is going to be rough…something about those ‘r’ sounds and the fact that you don’t pronounce half of the letters in the word makes it just a little difficult.

Back to Portuguese
Amir

I completely agree! When you’re multi-lingual, or at least trying to be, you’re speaking from different angles depending on the language. I can’t tell if it’s the language’s/culture’s influence on me, my comfort level, or who I’m speaking to (German in class and with old friends, English daily, Hebrew only at home, and butchering Spanish while traveling).

I wonder if it might also have something to do with the brain’s structure – it seems some languages are more malleable (i.e.: Spanish), maybe influenced by the right hemisphere, while others stiffer (i.e.: Chinese), therefore influenced by the left? Though the left is the verbal center. And I don’t really speak Spanish or Chinese. Anyway, I’m not a doctor.

https://twitter.com/Krjstjna Cristina

interesting points Amir, are you languageaholic??? I share with the greatest part of you the sense of comfort speaking Spanish but, if so, why are we all going on with english here?

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/dfinepa dfinepa

Really interesting article!

I agree with Amir. I definitely feel like my personality is influenced by the language I am speaking. I work as a translator and I am constantly switching back and forth between English and German both in my work and private life. Although the difference between the „English and German me“ has softened with the years, I still notice it from time to time, surprising myself with the things I say. But isn’t a language inextricably linked to the humour in its country of origin, its history, its social stereotypes and everything else that helps mould personality and the way we are perceived? Humour is the best example of the fact that you have to adapt your personality to the language you are speaking. Take it from a Brit who knows all too well what it’s like to have a witty quip meet with stony German faces…
Linda

Because I was born in Switzerland and grew up speaking Swiss German with my mother and Swiss relatives, German and Swiss German feel like home. I’ve studied French since 1998, and while I always want to continue improving my French, I’ve been wanting to move on to Spanish for years. I grew up in Texas, surrounded by Spanish radio stations, billboards, Mexican bakeries and Fiesta supermarkets. I watched telenovelas at my friend’s house and sang along with Selena on my cds, reading the Spanish lyrics in the liner notes. So, even though I can’t make proper sentences, I pick up a good amount when reading and want to believe that it will come easily.
http://aftertheteacups.livejournal.com sabrina

well, subjunctive is just the wish case–i know it well in french, and i can recognise it in spanish, which is pretty much all that worries me.

as for the literature mentioned, it’s very good and solid, but it doesn’t do anything for me–i just see the words from my vocabulary list. they don’t dance and play in my mind like french words. even in translation it seems weak somehow.

there’s a reason french is the language of diplomacy and the language of love.
http://www.sophiesworld.net Sophie

Interesting post – and discussion. What you prefer might have something to do with what you’re exposed to the most. Spanish is an important language in the Americas; not so much in the rest of the world. In the USA, you’ll almost certainly have some sort of relationship with Spanish, while in e.g. Europe, German, French and even Italian is heard (and studied) far more frequently. Probably Turkish, Arabic and Urdu, too.

In the comments above, someone brought up language and changing personalities; another interesting perspective. An American friend of mine, living here in Norway, is just simply a nicer person when he speaks Norwegian. I’ve heard others say the same about their ex-pat partners/friends, as well. Perhaps it has something to do with appearing less arrogant when speaking in a foreign language…
Marion

I love, love, love Spanish, not only for the ease of learning it, but also for the culture that comes with it. People who speak Spanish as their native tongue have always seemed so passionate to me. Spanish makes you move your mouth around in intriguing new ways, demanding that you let your tongue dance as you pronounce things like ‘bolero’ and ‘bandita’.

I also heard an interesting saying I heard from a Mexican that I’d like to offer up:

“English is for talking about business
French is for talking about romance
Spanish is for talking to God
And German is for talking to your horse.”

)
Elizabeth

I grew up speaking English and German because I was born in Germany to American parents and have spent about half my life in Germany. I elected to study French and for awhile I really enjoyed it. However, since I started learning Hindi nearly 3 years ago, I love it more than French or German. Naturally English is still easiest. Hindi has a certain swing to it that I haven’t found in any other language, its very fluid and musical, at least to my ears.
Louis

Wow, very interesting to read the variety of opinions !! I’m 46, and nowadays feel really disgusted with myself not having studied more languages, for all the wasted years. I grew up completely bilingual in English and Afrikaans, in South Africa, but Afrikaans to me is the most beautiful language on the planet . I have studied German for 2 years at school, but never really came to like it. Spanish I started 18 months ago, I’ve always like the sound of it, and was making good strides, unntil I decided to go into teaching in Asia from September, a year ago. Since then, I assumed I was going to end up in China, so I started with Standard Beijing Mandarin, but with know one to practice on, and listen to, it is a tall order to make good progress. However, the water became a bit muddy since the start of this year, when things changed, and it seems that I am going to be living in Vietnam for a year or two — I don’t know if anyone here has ever met Viet up close and personal, but it does make Mandarin feel like a walk in the park These tonal languages ! But still, at the end of the day, my beloved Afrikaans rule !
Louis

Oh dear ! That happens when working right through the night !! It is of course :….but with no one to practice on….
http://dreamyhalfcockedgreenhorn.blogspot.com/ Andreas

I like spanish and German.
http://hannahinmotion.wordpress.com Hannah In Motion

Oooh, I love love LOVE this piece! I try to explain the feelings of different languages to my foreign mono-Turkish-speaking friends and it’s hard for them to grasp. For me:

1. Spanish is playful and fun like a little child, but yes, perhaps a little too easy(?)
2. French is sexy and slithering and (oh please say it again) “Take me here and now.”
3. German is playful and fun, but like a teenager who’s just learning how much to drink and what that super-awesome buzz feels like. It’s hard, but with a wink at the end, not a slap across the face.
4. And then there’s Turkish, which is… well, sort of like the Turks. Confusing. Round-about. But in the end well-meaning and if you can make it through, pretty lovely to have around.
Richard

I’m so relieved I’ve found this piece as I was beginning to think it was just me who felt different speaking different languages! I was born and grew up in England, learning French then German at school and going on to study them both first with Spanish and then Swedish at university. I now work as a translator and am currently learning Portuguese for work.
I’ve always been fascinated by French – I love the sounds and melody and particularly like all the slang that people use in everyday situations as it gives the language a very relaxed feel. Speaking French feels sexy and never fails to get the hormones going.
I now live in Germany and am constantly switching between German and English, German is very precise but also very direct and I often miss the circuitous niceties and straight-faced irony of (British) English. On the other hand, I often find English doesn’t quite hit the mark as regards precision when I’m trying to explain something, but English is definitely far more pragmatic and laid back than German. I do enjoy speaking German, though, feeling that my mouth is full of sounds from teeth to uvula and I still enjoy the linguistic acrobatics of German sentence structure!
I learnt Spanish more out of necessity than anything else because I needed a third language at uni and thought Spanish would be easy knowing French. It was easy, but having done French, Spanish all seemed rather straightforward and regular so unfortunately I tended to lose interest. One thing I have noticed, though, is that Spanish is a language you never really forget. German, on the other hand, starts to disappear rather quickly if you don’t speak it for a while.
Spanish has helped me a great deal with (European) Portuguese, however. I love this language: the way it sounds, its rather bizarre verb forms (inflected infinitives, if you please!) and the way the vowel sounds tend to disappear leaving a Slavic-sounding jumble of consonants – the complete opposite of Spanish where the consonants tend to be swallowed leaving the vowels. Also, I don’t think I’ve seen a language with so many cedillas!
My favourite language is Swedish, however. I love the purity and melody of its sounds. To me, it rivals Italian in beauty (they do call Stockholm the Venice of the North, after all) and I have to admit to feeling completely smitten whenever I hear it. You could read me a Swedish IKEA catalogue and I would be yours! It’s also fun to see how completely discombobulated most Swedes are when they meet a non-native that speaks their language!
Aj

It’s so great to find articles like this one which make you see a particular thing from a different perspective.

I am with you Sarah, there’s just something about Mexican Spanish which resonates with me, it feels like home. Of course this sort of feeling is inextricably linked with the experience one has with a country on the whole, but I can definitely see how language suits different personalities.

It’s something I’d never considered before, but when reading your reasons for fitting so perfectly into the spanish language i instantly realised that your words conveyed exactly how i feel.

There’s definitely something special about the spanish spoken in mexico; it’s just so creative, evocative and seductive. Something to play around with to suit what you want to say. Like you wrote in another article of yours about mexican slang, the words huevo, cabrón and madre are used in a way that would be considered ridiculous anywhere else… but whatever, it’s Mexico.

And more than any other I think it has become such a significant representation of, and a part of their culture and identity.

In the end, it’s just a lot of fun to be a part of.
Laurel

This is a truly wonderful article, and the comments are fabulous.

I was raised by a Polish expat nanny with little to no English experience (my first words were in Polish, and I had a very heavy accent!). Polish is like linguistic comfort food- hearing and speaking it never fails to make me feel a little more optimistic.

Zeek

“linguistic comfort food” — I’ve experienced this may times but never able to identify it so succinctly as you have. Thank you!

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