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ibudiallo  ·  3540 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Do you think speaking a foreign language changes your personality and/or decisions?

French speaking me is snob. I can't help it. When I speak in french even my posture changes. Maybe it comes from the way people treat you when they think you are french.

Arabic me is familiar. I don't speak fluently but when I meet arabic speaking people they get all excited because the odds are close to nil. I get the inside scoop right away.

Fulani (my native language), is respectful. It's hard to imagine a fulani speaking person scream. It is very soft and implies respect and humility. Almost every sentence ends with a praise.

English speaking me (I live in LA) just doesn't care. "You know how it is" it feels like I have problem making commitments or being clear about anything. This is felt most when I bring my french speaking friends with my english speaking ones. It becomes exhausting to make the switch.

The language definitely affects my way of talking and my personality. But then again, language is not just about syntax, it's a culture.