| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Poll: Do you think your native language has contributed to shaping your character? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| chicken or egg... | Jun 5, 2008 |
Of course the words you learn to use to formulate your first conscious thoughts will be part of forming your personality.
The way people express themselves within a certain cultural or linguistic area is part of who they are, no matter if everybody is a separate individual and character.
When you live in and speak two languages, you find that some things are a lot easier to express in one language than the other. At least I do. Sometimes I just stop - groping for an expression... See more Of course the words you learn to use to formulate your first conscious thoughts will be part of forming your personality.
The way people express themselves within a certain cultural or linguistic area is part of who they are, no matter if everybody is a separate individual and character.
When you live in and speak two languages, you find that some things are a lot easier to express in one language than the other. At least I do. Sometimes I just stop - groping for an expression that only exists in the other language.
There is a pitfall here, however.
There was an interesteing thread about swearing here some time ago.
Swearing in any other language than my first, will ever only be words to me
[Edited at 2008-06-05 18:31] ▲ Collapse
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But I think my second language (Spanish) has contributed to my character, as I now live and work in Spain.
| | | | Mats Wiman 
Sweden
Local time: 07:43
Member (2000)
German to Swedish
+ ...
In memoriam
My language, (Swedish the language of thinkers and visionaries ) has of course had an enormeous impact on me, my line of thought, my perception of the world and has guided me on the way a Swedish person thinks and feels.
My language embodies so much of a our culture, of Sweden's history, the influence of other languages (for Swedish, above all German, with many spoonfuls of Latin, French and since WWII, above all Engl... See more My language, (Swedish the language of thinkers and visionaries ) has of course had an enormeous impact on me, my line of thought, my perception of the world and has guided me on the way a Swedish person thinks and feels.
My language embodies so much of a our culture, of Sweden's history, the influence of other languages (for Swedish, above all German, with many spoonfuls of Latin, French and since WWII, above all English. Few languages and countries are so anglicized as Swedish and Sweden).
The above confirms the relevant notion that my native language has formed a basis for my life, with very important contributions from my working lnguaages English, German, French and Spanish.
I am a rich person. I have a solid foundation (Swedish), with a rich multicultural superstructure on top of it.
In my view I should be envied.
Best
MW
[Edited at 2008-06-06 10:40] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Wil Hardman (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:43
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Without language would you even have a character? | Jun 6, 2008 |
Think about this another way, without language would you have a character? It could be argued that you would, but it would be very limited (think of animals). Considering this I think language must have a certain amount of influence on your character. This is not saying that your language pigeonholes you as a certain type of person, but has a subtle influence over the way you think about things.
Obviously there are many other things e.g experiences, culture, etc. that have a more profound... See more Think about this another way, without language would you have a character? It could be argued that you would, but it would be very limited (think of animals). Considering this I think language must have a certain amount of influence on your character. This is not saying that your language pigeonholes you as a certain type of person, but has a subtle influence over the way you think about things.
Obviously there are many other things e.g experiences, culture, etc. that have a more profound influence.
The problem with this question is the undefined term 'native language' which could, for example, bracket the English with Australians, Welsh, Americans, etc. and because they cultures are so disparate it makes the link is more difficult to perceive. Perhaps 'has your dialect influenced your character' would have made it easier for people to see that language plays a part in shaping your character... whether or not you like it or believe it. ▲ Collapse
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CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 07:43
French to English
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| Simply .... NO | Jun 6, 2008 |
I think that your character is shaped by:
1) your genes (DNA)
2) your education, in particular as a small child
3) your life experiences
4) your environment
Naturally your education is coloured by your nationality and those/that of your parents. You grow up as part of a scheme and are formed by the education system of the place where you live. The language you speak may be part of this but it is a small part of a very much larger package.
Having... See more I think that your character is shaped by:
1) your genes (DNA)
2) your education, in particular as a small child
3) your life experiences
4) your environment
Naturally your education is coloured by your nationality and those/that of your parents. You grow up as part of a scheme and are formed by the education system of the place where you live. The language you speak may be part of this but it is a small part of a very much larger package.
Having spent most of my life outside my birth country (UK), I find that I was temperamentally unsuited to my country of origin and fit in much better in France, for example. I admit that my tone of voice changes when I change language, my style of expression also but that it just the window dressing. My true character was forged before I had even heard of France. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Erzsébet Czopyk
Hungary
Local time: 07:43
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | Italy, Florence | Jun 7, 2008 |
Giuseppina Gatta wrote: You could as well go to my native hometown in Southern Italy, we are exactly the same: loud, straightforward and crude , even if this happens more with the dialect, not with the official language. Anyway, I don't identify with my language at all, but I cannot say in which percentage my native language influenced my character or personality. The only thing I know for sure is that I usually speak pretty loud (but this may be due, as I said, to my local area, not to my whole country...).
Cara Giuseppina,
currently I am (if I have a little bit of time) learning some Italian. I falled in love with your country few years ago when I visited Florence. I sat in front of the Uffizi, the people queued, I begun talking with a student from Italy and wrote down the words upon his dictation. Later we did not find the right way to the hotel, after some trouble I stopped an old lady and asked: Scuzi, signora, quando posso andare nella Piazza di Venezia?
It was my first sentecne in Italian and I hope I can return to my beloved Florence this year.
Interesting, I do not believe in horoscopes, but..there are 3 towns in Europe for the Virgins ( i was born on 9th September) - Budapest (currently I live here), Riga (I graduated in University of Latvia in Riga and lived there for 7 years) and Firenze (Florence). Strange, isn't it?
ArrivederLa,
Liza
| | | | Erzsébet Czopyk
Hungary
Local time: 07:43
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | My true inborn character | Jun 7, 2008 |
CMJ_Trans wrote:
I admit that my tone of voice changes when I change language, my style of expression also but that it just the window dressing. My true character was forged before I had even heard of France.
Could not agree more...
| | | | | A scientific linguistic perspective | Jun 9, 2008 |
I just now received a blurb on a book edited, among others, by my mentor at Georgetown University, Deborah Schiffren, who is a sociolinguist. The title is "Self and Identities in Narrative Discourse." The blurb says: "All three [editors] share a commitment to view self and identity not as essential properties of the person but as cnstituted in discursive practices and narrative."
I mention this because our language shapes not only our perceptions, choice of words, and sentence struc... See more I just now received a blurb on a book edited, among others, by my mentor at Georgetown University, Deborah Schiffren, who is a sociolinguist. The title is "Self and Identities in Narrative Discourse." The blurb says: "All three [editors] share a commitment to view self and identity not as essential properties of the person but as cnstituted in discursive practices and narrative."
I mention this because our language shapes not only our perceptions, choice of words, and sentence structures but also our whole way of communicating in the world. It makes sense to me that back-and-forth communication (discourse) is what triggers the process of forming the self. ▲ Collapse
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