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Introverts, extroverts, and languages | ||
Tags: Introvert and Extrovert | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| buchstabe Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 4707 days ago 52 posts - 108 votes  Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, French, Spanish Studies: Czech, Swedish, Japanese | Message 25 of 25 06 March 2012 at 10:35pm | IP Logged | ||
I've just stumbled upon this older thread - very interesting discussion.
I can so relate to that. My explanation for it is: I don't find the sheer presence of other people pleasant or stimulating, even if they are nice and friendly people. I just don't see the point of striking up a conversation when I could just as well read. So I need a *reason* for seeking contact, some additional motivation. This reason can be a very special emotional connection or that another person has an independent mind and interesting thoughts to share etc. Like Jinx, the fact that someone (reasonably nice) speaks my target language can on some days well motivate me too to push myself beyond my preference and chat almost enthusiastically even about the weather. (Although I definitely prefer discussing language oddities over precipitation. ;) ) While I think that personality traits are quite stable, in my experience it never hurts to do something outside your comfort zone once in a while, because you might find you actually like some variation of the thing you thought you wouldn't like (like small talk, if it's in a language you are learning). Nevertheless, it makes my hackles rise when someone suggests that everyone should try to be more extravert. I can't help thinking of the Pascal quote: "Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne pas savoir demeurer en repos, dans une chambre" (All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room). Who starts wars? Probably not introverts in their studies. And it wouldn't help to "should" yourself anyway. What's wrong with thinking about what you want and what makes you feel satisfied first, and therefore wanting a reason for interacting with people? And who says that languages are only for communication? Some people might study them just for enjoying the beauty of words and witty turns of phrase, or because of the stimulating experience of unraveling the inner workings of a language's grammar step by step, or because they are fascinated by the trails of history in a language's vocabulary... languages are a never-ending source of thrill and joy for people with a sleuth gene. I dare to say that while introverts might have some disadvantages in standard speaking tests, they have better chances of becoming true masters of a language, because they are more likely motivated to study thoroughly, soak up a lot of written material and learn scores of uncommon words. They might never become as confident in spontaneous conversation as an extravert is after half of the studying time, but they might eventually become stellar translators of literary works or, after training, apt interpreters. So, no, I don't think introverts need to become more extraverted, as long as they can live with being underrated from time to time. And if you would like to avoid being underestimated, I believe you're better off if you practice in a very targeted way the specific active/oral skills that are expected from you (e.g. for an exam), on a strict as-needed basis, instead of faking a personality trait you don't have in the vague hope that it might somehow improve your active skills in general. What can work, I believe, is reflecting your goals and see if you can discover natural motivation for interaction somewhere in yourself, provided the circumstances are in line with your interests. If you would like to learn authentic, conversational Spanish, for example, listening to natives from all over the world at a language meet-up is an excellent way of getting input. (It can even beat books. ;) ) Thoughts? Edited by buchstabe on 06 March 2012 at 10:46pm 4 persons have voted this message useful |
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