Living abroad: building a life here · worksheet 50
When you live between two languages, emotions don’t sound the same in each one. An “I love you” or an insult can weigh very differently. Observe your languages: they say something about you.
Before you start
- What it is for: To observe how your languages influence the way you feel and talk about yourself.
- About 15 minutes. It is especially interesting if you live or express yourself in a language other than the one from your childhood.
- Emotions don’t sound the same in every language: sometimes the learnt language gives distance and relief; sometimes the mother tongue goes deeper.
- There is no “right” language for feeling: it is just about getting to know yourself.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
If one language protects you (you talk more easily about hard topics in your second language) or touches you more (your mother tongue), you can make use of it, for example in therapy.
If you find it hard
There is no good or bad language for talking about yourself. If a topic hurts too much in one language, try the other.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Help the person observe how their languages influence the way they feel, remember and talk about themselves, and use that knowledge (for example, choosing the language in which to talk about a difficult topic).
Bilingual or multilingual people, therapy in a language that is not one’s mother tongue. Duration: 15 min in session.
References
Pavlenko, A. (2005). Emotions and Multilingualism. Cambridge University Press.
Dewaele, J.-M. (2010). Emotions in Multiple Languages. Palgrave Macmillan.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
