Page 11 - ELG2001 Jan Issue 468

El•Gazette 468.qxp_El•Gazette 468 08/01/2020 15:57 Page 11

NEWS

Does learning languages open your mind?

By Gillian Ragsdale three of the traits: open-minded- Studies on the influence of desirable traits for both language
ness, flexibility and social initiative multilingualism on personality learning and successfully
Learning more languages makes – although the effect was quite have tended to produce interacting in different cultural
you more flexible, open-minded small. This could mean that learn- inconsistent results, which likely contexts. It is likely, then, that
and more likely to take the ing languages develops these traits reflects the nature of personality developing any one of these traits
initiative in social situations, in the learner and that encour- research more generally, as it has or experiences will help to
according to Jean-Marc Dewaele aging language learning in general a long and controversial history. improve the others.
(Birkbeck, University of London) can support multiculturalism. The trait most consistently
and Elouise Botes (University of Or, it could be that people who linked to being multilingual is REFERENCE
Luxembourg). are multilingual tend to become open-mindedness, and that was n Dewaele, J-M and Botes, E.
An international sample of 651 interested in other cultures and also the trait most strongly (2019) Does multilingualism shape
speakers of two or more languages develop a more multicultural associated in Dewaele and Botes’ personality? An exploratory
took the Multicultural Personality personality. There may also be a study. Open-mindedness encom- investigation. International Journal
Questionnaire online. This role for personality in driving the passes ‘tolerance of ambiguity’ of Bilingualism DOI:
questionnaire measures five traits urge to learn languages. So, it is and ‘social flexibility’ – highly 10.1177/1367006919888581
that predict success in a difficult to be sure about cause
multicultural setting: cultural and effect in this study.
empathy (e.g. ‘I enjoy other One group that was not part of KYLA BORG
people’s stories’), flexibility (e.g. ‘I the study were those who only
[don’t] like routine’), social speak one language. If learning
initiative (e.g. ‘I make contacts languages has the proposed
easily’), emotional stability (e.g. ‘I influence on personality, then the
keep calm then things don’t go so biggest effect might be expected
well’) and open-mindedness (e.g. when going from one language to
‘I have a feeling for what is two – and this may be why the
appropriate in a specific culture.’). effect sizes found in this study
Dewaele and Botes found that were quite small (with traits
the more languages the participant explaining 2-6 per cent of the
spoke, the higher their scores on variance in personality).

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