2nd language, introversion

[enluya]

a speaker once said that when learning a new language we sometimes end up creating a 2nd identity for ourselves. A君 also mentioned something similar last night. It applies to him, and i know it applies to me as well

Comments

[wuyuansheng]

and I think you have mentioned this once before.

[wuyuansheng]

about how language affects personality.

[enluya]

haha, really? i do remember writing about how english has less of an impact on me that it's more cathartic to write '悲伤' than 'sad' (and that it takes a lot more for me to say 'i love you' in chinese than in english, hehe).
not sure if that's the entry you're thinking of?

[wuyuansheng]

More about how different personality is induced by speaking different language I guess.

Was written quite some time back.

Really liked it.

[gaojun]

"when learning a new language we sometimes end up creating a 2nd identity for ourselves."

I agree. I sometimes feel like a different person depending on whether I'm speaking English or Chinese. I think it's partly the language and partly the culture that the language is used in. For some strange reason, I feel like I can speak more candidly and directly in Chinese than I can in English. In English, I often feel like I have to find more roundabout ways of saying things, and make idle conversation, full of trite and meaningless colloquialisms. In Chinese, I don't mince words.

I think I might actually be funnier in Chinese. In English, I tend to make a lot of cynical and sarcastic remarks that people see as pessimistic and not always that funny. But in Chinese, I tend to make more innocent-sounding, humorous observations, and also the occasional pronunciation error that makes my Chinese friends crack up.

English just seems tainted with irony, sarcasm, cynicism, and bitterness, and Chinese doesn't, from my perspective, at least.

[enluya]

I think it's partly the language and partly the culture that the language is used in. For some strange reason, I feel like I can speak more candidly and directly in Chinese than I can in English.

yeah, that's true. maybe that's why it's easier to be 委婉　in chinese - chinese are so used to the directness that it doesn't take much to be considered tactful/nice/会说话, hehe. it takes me more brain power to find roundabout ways of saying things　in english.
haha, yeah...and we all know that sarcasm is something that doesn't really exist in chinese...well, it's rare...

[gaojun]

Yeah--sarcasm exists in Chinese, but it isn't put on a pedastal as the pinnacle of humor like it is in English-speaking cultures. This is evidenced by the fact that irony, satire, sarcasm, facetiousness, etc. are all represented by one Chinese word: 讽刺.

[enluya]

hehe, yeah, and 讽刺 usually implies some kinda offensive/condescending tone in chinese, while sarcasm doesn't have to be this way in english.

近年来好像听同学把sarcasm称作"说反话", 大家对这词的解释就跟英文里的意思差不多了.