Témoignages
If you have ever learned a foreign language, you’d have experienced the stage of not being able to fully understand others or express yourself, like a 3 years old child in frustration. I notice that when people switch between their native language and a foreign language they don’t master, it seems that their personalities change as well. When you are not fluent in the language, you appears to be less competent, and when you spake your native language, confidence shows through.
People tend to associate your personality and with the way you speak. I sound quite “blunt” when I speak French because I don’t know all the nuances and connotation of the words. As a result, I can’t choose the right word in the right context. For immigrants, language is a very important part of integration in terms of access to information, communication and self-expression. In a way, language is social power.