Embracing the new “me”

Read regular guest posts about a Kiwi living abroad in a non-English speaking country.

This week, some random thoughts about how language affects the way you present yourself to the world (and the way the world sees you). Lots of people feel a bit lost being in a foreign country, learning a foreign language. Of course there is the new culture to adjust to; making friends and meeting new people; the administrative stuff to sort out; and the plain old difficulty of doing it all in an entirely different language. But what if it goes even deeper than that? To what extent does the language that we speak in affect both our self-image, and the way that others perceive us?

To be a really fluent French speaker, I think I have to put my English-speaking self to one side. I have to change the tone and rhythm of my voice, adjust my mannerisms, and make different shapes with my mouth – so if I’m doing it right, I should even look different when I speak French. If I’m at the bank, or ordering a coffee, I phrase my request more directly (or at least I try to) because that tends to be the French way – none of this dancing around with “Could I have a” or “Would it be possible if” which I favour so much in English.

Now I’m “French Mihi”. Am I different from “English Mihi”? Of course I still think and feel the same, but I’m expressing my thoughts and feelings in a different way, and I’m projecting myself differently to the world. And I believe that changes how I feel about myself and how others see me. It’s thought that simply improving your posture can have that effect, so surely speaking a different language can do the same.

I suppose that embracing “the new you”, who speaks in a different language, can be quite a daunting thought. But I think the most effective foreign language learners are the ones who can do just that. Put their old selves to the side, for a moment, and forget that they ever even knew how to speak English/Russian/French/Chinese/insert native language here… Not easy!

Mihiata  – Saint Nazaire, France