Comments on: Do bilinguals really have two souls?

By: Jomari Tabuzo

Jomari Tabuzo — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 01:28:04 +0000

Thank you for the interesting article. It is a privilege to speak more than one language because it enables us to see and understand the world differently. However, I think that bilinguals only have one soul mainly because they still have the same understanding of the world in general but only have the means to interpret and see reality into different perspectives. I also believe that speaking (understanding) more than one language would mean to be a better person because he/she sees and understands different “souls” (understands a general worldview) which could lead to good communication and understanding that prevents chaos and indifference. The language we speak is an integral part of our identity, and it is truly concerning on how we behave and interpret different souls with different cultures and languages.

By: Duffny Santos

Duffny Santos — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 13:06:35 +0000

Thank you for this fascinating topic. As a bilingual myself, I also believe that there is an exaggeration when talking about “having two or more souls” because you know various languages. The idea that language is perceived as diverse imposes an imaginable reason why Charlemagne’s take is doubtful. From my own experience, I don’t change personalities or activate my “other soul.” Still, I change my attitudes and perception of things, especially when immersed in a different culture. That is why I agree with the author.

By: Правда ли, что у билингва две души? | Альянс ПРО

Правда ли, что у билингва две души? | Альянс ПРО — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:02:46 +0000

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By: Meera Panthee

Meera Panthee — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 09:40:00 +0000

Being able to communicate and speak more than one language is in fact a privilege for people because it sets off an opportunity to see and view the world differently. Similarly, knowledge of two languages is a plus point for his/her personality but not to the soul. I believe bilinguals have only one soul but different perspective to understand the world.

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 04:30:00 +0000

I do agree that “bilinguals have two souls” is exaggerated and actually links to the notion that culture and socialisation factors play a dominate factor in viewing our reality. When we speak in a different language the people and its culture also somewhat perceive us in a different light and attitudes towards us changes moulding a different personality we possess (making up our current surroundings). In short, we are very fortunate to be able to view the world in so many angels and carry personalities based on the language we speak. It expands our minds and develops one’s empathy for others in a world so foreign to what we are used to.

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 04:28:00 +0000

Hanan, thank you. It enabled me to understand and contextualise my reality as a bilingual speaker. I do feel my reality changes and more so when l visit my L2 country and become immersed in the culture and how my vocabulary and fluency in that language automatically improves in such a short time. I feel my Australian identity and western view becomes secondary in that context. l am most expressive in my L1 language, English merely due to the fact l have confidence in a vast range of vocabulary usage. Yet at the same time my emotions and expressions too do change significantly.

By: Bindu pokhrel

Bindu pokhrel — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 10:31:00 +0000

This article reminds me of a proverb, “Learn a new language and get a new soul” which I saw on the wall of my school. As a child I always wondered if different languages supply you with different souls. I can speak few more other languages apart from my home language but could not feel more souls inside me. My attitude, aptitude and way of thinking remained the same whichever language I spoke. In my opinion speaking more languages does not mean that a person possesses two souls but I strongly believe that they carry a multiple personality. One has to present themselves according to the language they are going to speak. Language is more associated with the culture and way of life too. Multiple languages teach us a varied and wide perspective to see the world.

By: S. J. L.

S. J. L. — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 08:21:00 +0000

The article tackles an interesting topic. I agree with the author. A language is not a simple thing rather it consists of various factors. So it is a very extreme idea that a bilingual has two souls or ‘egos’. On top of the writer’s idea, I want to point out that people carefully approach language. Unless we treat it carefully, we are easy to draw a ridiculous conclusion as the author mentioned “bilingualism comes to be represented as akin to a personality disorder in such reports”.

By: Dhanisa Kamila

Dhanisa Kamila — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 13:34:00 +0000

Thank you for writing such an insightful article. I doubt that bilingualism leads to a possession of a second soul. I myself can speak four languages (Bahasa Indonesia, English, Korean, and Javanese (Indonesian local language)) and I don’t really feel that I have more than one soul. What I know is that I have broader way of thinking and I get to act differently when encountered with each culture because I have the knowledge of it that I obtained when learning the language. I fully agree in you quoting Pavlenko (2008) that this change of perspective is actually a result of getting yourself into a culture.

By: GlobalMikeW

GlobalMikeW — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 04:45:00 +0000

As any parent of a bilingual child will attest, there is no great mystery to communicating in different languages and certainly no evidence of soul shifting in order to accomplish the feat. My own daughter, whose mother is Japanese, moves effortlessly between languages, often mid-sentence and shows no sign of having to access an alternate self to do so. I think we can safely propose that in today’s more globally connected environment, there is very little to Charlemagne’s claim.

The idea of shaping personality however is quite different, and I would say that becoming proficient in another language certainly adds an extra dimension to how one perceives the world. I agree with the author that immersive cultural elements play a vital role in shaping an individual’s view, and so it makes sense that bilinguals who have been exposed to these cultural beliefs would adopt them into their identity. This however does not always mean that because a bilingual has switched language, they have also shifted their entire perception into the world view of that culture. As mentioned previously, my daughter can effortlessly move between languages whilst discussing one topic and maintain her point of view regardless. That being said, I have also seen her make fundamental shifts into a more Japanese mode in response to other situations, but this was clearly context specific rather than deriving from any internal mode shift.

It is, as the author acknowledges, a complex area worthy of further exploration.

By: Hanan Ben Nafa

Hanan Ben Nafa — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 21:07:00 +0000

In reply to Badryah. All the best Badryah.

By: Language on the Move

Language on the Move — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 01:12:00 +0000

In reply to Badryah.

Thank you for your interest! Of course, you can reference the post – as is true of all the resources we provide on Language on the Move. The publication date can be found in the header of a post, right next to the author’s name – June 5, 2017 in this case.
Good luck with your research proposal and best wishes!

By: Badryah

Badryah — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 23:20:00 +0000

Interesting! I am intrested in CS in general and Arabic – English CS in particular, currently working on my research prposal . I hope that you do not mind referring to your post in my literature review part . Could you please give me the ( year ) of publishing this post? Is it 2017?

Thank you so much

By: Hanan BN حـنان

Hanan BN حـنان — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:59:00 +0000

In reply to ALEXANDRA GREY.

Great to hear from you, Alexandra!

I know! The idea of having two souls/personalities does sound quite tempting but when you think about it, it is not quite true. I really enjoy listening to McWhorter challenging this misconception again and again in his talks.

Thanks for your comment and for sharing your experience here 🙂

By: Hanan BN حـنان

Hanan BN حـنان — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:55:00 +0000

In reply to Lisa Fairbrother. Thanks for your lovely comment Lisa :)

By: Lisa Fairbrother

Lisa Fairbrother — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 01:46:00 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more. This issue comes up time and time again with my students in Tokyo, where there seems to be a general belief that bilinguals have a different personality in each language. We always talk about issues of self-presentation and how different communities have different expectations concerning the way that we express oursleves via language.

P.S. I’m originally from Manchester.