I'm sure you've noticed that people sound different meaning their voice changes and sometimes they even act differently when they speak another language maybe you've noticed this in yourself just like I have in me I've also received a lot of comments saying that I'm pretending to be an American which in a way is true though those comments were intended to hurt my feelings and make fun of me they aren't entirely wrong however I'm not doing this in intentionally it's actually a very interesting phenomenon so let's talk about it if you want to immerse yourself completely in
the language and become fluent this is kind of what you need to do at first you also need to immerse yourself in the culture and you need to pretend at first at the beginning Everything feels weird and fake you don't feel like yourself speaking another language doesn't feel comfortable especially when you start working on your accent that's when it first feels like you're totally faking it and it's not you and that's when you especially need to persist until you feel natural speaking with that accent you can't be as funny as you are in your native
language nor can you show how intelligent you truly are in your foreign language because obviously you're still learning you lack vocabulary grammar and cultural knowledge to express yourself as freely as you would in your native language it's especially noticeable with jokes you know when you have a cool joke but it just doesn't sound funny in your second language when you translate it or even when you want to tell something funny that happened to you it just doesn't sound funny well it's because first you translate when you need to interpret and second it's because you're lacking
those casual natural phrases that natives use that can turn your story into a funny or dramatic one not to mention the undeveloped listening and speaking skills needed to be part of a conversation with group of native speakers in feel like you fit in being fluent in a language isn't just about being able to speak correctly it's also about being familiar with the culture of the language and the country in question fluency in a language extends far beyond just mastering grammar and pronunciation it also involves a deep understanding and appreciation of the culture associated with that
language this means getting to know the Customs history idiomatic Expressions humor and even the daily life of the people who speak it natively when you learn a language you also learn about the culture that comes with it like their way of life and what they believe in this helps you understand and care more about the people who speak it it makes you more open to different ways of living you start to see the world in many ways which can make you better at getting along with others different languages have different ways of talking to people
for example in some languages there are casual and formal ways to address someone which can influence how they show respect and form relationships learning these different styles can help you better understand social rules and settle hints over time as you progress in your learning you even acquire the manner of speaking intonation tone and even the body movements associated with language you're learning languages like Korean or Japanese have intonations and tones that differ significantly from others languages if you want to speak them and sound more or less natural you need to acquire those tones their cultural
and social norms are also different and may seem unusual to other cultures for example they bow to show respect and if you live in one of those countries or even visit you'll find yourself following those norms and if you are in contact with that culture for long enough you'll naturally adopt it and your personality will change and to some people it might look like you're pretending the way I sound and position myself in my native language diff significantly from how I do so in English for sure I even think in English differently but it doesn't
happen overnight acquiring a language takes time so over time you might not even notice these changes they become natural to you a real and genuine part of you and it stops being pretending anymore it's just who you are now over time you become so comfortable with this new side of yourself that you can finally be you again maybe some of you know this feeling when you've acquired enough knowledge and practice that you can finally relax in your second language you can joke around for instance because you're finally using Expressions that sound native and natural rather
than translating jokes in your head and this leads me to the next very important Point some languages have specific words and expressions for expressing feelings and emotions that don't directly trans at into other languages I noticed quite some time ago that I express my emotions differently in English Tech I even feel them differently I honestly feel more free expressing myself in English to me words of affection like I love you feel a lot more natural in English than when I say them in Ukrainian I've thought about this and realize that it's because of cultural norms
in my native country and in that culture people are more reserved and keep to themselves they don't express affection all that often or that easily whereas here in the US people are more open more Ben elevant and even more affectionate and that's why when I took on this language culture and this new identity it became natural for me to be more affectionate in this language I started to speak English with my son when he was 8 months old so expressing my love for him in English feels very natural to me as opposed to in Ukrainian
and now it has even become more comfortable for me to express my feelings towards my husband in English as well another very interesting thing that I know a lot of people will agree with is that it is so much easier to fight scold someone or Express frustration in your native language it's almost comical how often you can see someone speaking perfect English but then when something happens they suddenly start cussing and yelling in another language well that's because it just feels more natural to those people there's also this weird stage where you're kind of in
the middle not here nor there it's like you don't belong to your culture anymore but you also don't entirely belong to this new one yet especially with your vocabulary there comes a point when you feel like you're lacking in both languages because there are words that you forget in your native language and you want to use English ones in their place and there are words that you still don't know in English and it's like a whole mess in your head I for instance and maybe you've noticed this in yourself can talk about some things in
English better than I can in Ukrainian and vice versa there are just no words that can suit what I want to say in one language or the other I am more knowledgeable about certain topics in one language than in the other and that's absolutely okay it doesn't mean that you're not fluent in a language it just means that you're bilingual and some things feel weird to talk about in one language or the other because it's culture they might be considered inappropriate to discuss and also because I learned about some things only in English naturally I
wouldn't talk about them as expressively and confidently in Ukrainian all this is a process and you need to trust the process and completely immerse yourself in it if you want to achieve true fluency don't mind what others think or say about you Embrace that new identity welcome this new side of you with open arms and take pleasure in it enjoy it and mind you it doesn't mean that you need to give up your peculiarities not at all they are what makes you you that's What Makes You unique some people told me that I will never
be a true American and I'm like who told you that this is my goal so what I can be partially American I can be totally American who the heck cares I am me and I love where I am right now in a year this too will change so just enjoy where you are at this current moment when you start using a language every day it kind of becomes part of who you are part of your identity you might even feel like you're part of a whole new group of people all you need to take away
from this video is that the language you speak can significantly shape your personality and worldview largely because language and culture are deeply intertwined when you learn a language you're not just memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules you're also absorbing the cultural nuances values and ways of thinking associated with that language so relax and enjoy the ride well guys I hope this video was insightful for you now I would really love to hear your thoughts on this topic so please share your stance with us in the comments and we all can have a discussion about it and
I'll see you in the next one bye
