It is generally accepted that language correlates with personality. As shown by research funded by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, "language use activates corresponding cultural mindsets, which in turn influence social perception, thinking, and behavior". The statement rings true for Febri "Ebi" Darusman, a native Sundanese speaker who moved from Indonesia to Turkey to teach Spanish and Thai.

"Many even say that every language has its own personality. When someone speaks in a language and then switches to another language, [their] personality may change as well," Ebi, who currently resides in the town of Darica in the Kocaeli province of Turkey, said. 

"[Languages influence] how we think and express ourselves. Sometimes it is also easier to express ourselves in one language compared with another. [Speaking several languages] has opened my mind that one thing can be expressed not only in one certain way."

Ebi, who used to teach French and is now planning to teach Turkish, is a polyglot — deriving from Greek poluglōttos via French polyglotte (literally means "many tongues"), it is a term reserved for someone who's able to speak in several languages. How many languages someone must be fluent in before being considered one is a subject of debate.

"There are also those who argue that a polyglot is someone who speaks using the same accents as the natives of the languages he is fluent in. [Therefore, according to these people, to be considered a polyglot] you must not only be fluent in Italian and Spanish, but you also must speak using the same accents as native Italian and Spanish speakers," Ebi explained. "Others say you just need to speak five or more languages [to be considered a polyglot]."

Benefit: Febri Darusman said that learning a foreign language would help one understand himself and his culture better. (Courtesy of Febri Darusman) (Courtesy of Febri Darusman/Courtesy of Febri Darusman)

Reasons to learn a new language

Recent studies suggest that learning a new language can boost the functions of the brain. A study by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, found that learning a new language promoted development in the frontal lobe. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania State University researchers claimed that there were significant differences in gray matter density and white matter integrity in people who learned a second language compared with those who did not.

Ebi, however, said he learned many languages because it felt easy for him. Eventually, he found a passion in it and came to recognize the benefits of speaking different languages. 

While Ebi speaks at least Sundanese, Indonesian, English, French, Spanish, Thai and Turkish, the 23-year-old Galang Widiono from Banjarnegara, Central Java, speaks Javanese, Indonesian, English, Spanish, Russian and Japanese. Galang said he learned them because he liked languages. 

"When I study a language, I feel challenged […] to master its grammar, to look for a partner to speak with, and learn about the culture from which the language comes. Language and culture truly are inseparable," Galang, who learned his first foreign language when he was a child, said.

"I started learning English when I was five. Then, when I was in the third grade, I enrolled in an English course. I learned Japanese in senior high school because it was a part of the curriculum. I taught myself Russian as entertainment because I was bored of the subjects at school."

That said, one does not have to be as privileged as Galang with his early access to foreign language education to be a polyglot. For instance, Ebi said he was rather slow when learning English as his first foreign language during elementary school. 

"I got a six or five [for English] on my report card. However, in junior high school, I found an easier way to study English. It helped me to get a nine on my National Exam in English. Then, after I found passion in learning languages, I began learning Spanish in 2009," Ebi said.

"It was not the first language I studied after English. Before that, I also studied Arabic because of my religion, and I also tried learning Japanese and Korean because [I liked] anime and [Korean dramas] — but I did not study them [seriously], unlike Spanish. In 2012, I came to major in the French language when I studied at Gadjah Mada University. Then I learned Thai with the Polyglot Community of Indonesia. I then moved to Thailand, so I studied the [Thai] language seriously."

Personal choice: Galang Widiono said he was not interested in learning the Vietnamese language despite having spent two semesters in Hanoi. (Courtesy of Galang Widiono) (Courtesy of Galang Widiono/Courtesy of Galang Widiono)

Favorite language

While Ebi has no clear favorite in terms of which language he likes most, Galang said the Japanese language was his favorite. "The Japanese characters are unique. Despite the difficulty in reading Japanese texts, when I successfully write in Japanese, I am happy and feel satisfied. Additionally, I can watch Japanese animation while learning Japanese," Galang said.

Meanwhile, Aldika Yusuf, a 24-year-old from Semarang, Central Java. said his personal favorite was French because of its "sexiness". "Grammatically speaking, Ancient Greek and Latin feel grand and timeless. I also like Chinese languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese for their script because it looks beautiful," Aldika, who speaks at least nine languages, said.

Aldika explained that the challenges one faces upon learning a new language vary from person to person, saying that it depended on one's mother tongue.

"As native Indonesian speakers, we would find it difficult to learn Greek due to its gender system. Similarly, the Xhosa language of South Africa [would feel difficult due to its] unique click consonants. Meanwhile, a native Arabic speaker would find it difficult to [make sense of Indonesian] prefixes such as ber-, me, and so on," he said.

Window to the world: Aldika Yusuf said whichever language one decided to learn, he would be thankful for having done so because it opens a door to learning about a new culture. (Courtesy of Aldika Yusuf) (Courtesy of Aldika Yusuf/Courtesy of Aldika Yusuf)

Likewise, the approach to learning a new language also differs from person to person. While Aldika advised that one should learn closely related languages at the same time should they want to speed up his process of becoming a polyglot, Galang opposed this idea.

"Do not learn languages that come from the same family — Italian and Spanish, for example — at the same time because they have [false cognates and false friends] that can confuse you. Make sure you pick languages from different family trees, such as French and Mandarin," Galang said.

Ultimately, however, Ebi said that defining what one likes is most important before deciding which language to learn.

"It can be based on wants or needs, whichever one is good," he said while emphasizing the importance of rest and not pushing oneself too hard. "We would be more productive learning a language when well-rested. Whatever method you choose to follow, the most important thing is to know yourself, what you like and how you like [studying languages] to be. Only after that will you find comfort in learning a new language."

"Learning a new language is not a sprint — it is a marathon in which you run for the rest of your life," he concluded. "So you should never give up." 

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