The Role of Personality in Language Learning.

Personality is connected to the affective system, memory, and numerous aspects of cognition, including language. This article aims to: 1) review, in a narrative fashion, how certain personality traits influence verbal expression and second language acquisition; and 2) explore the possibility that different languages (L1, L2, L3, etc.) may affect the personalities of bilinguals or multilinguals in distinct ways. In particular, it presents a case study on language-dependent self-perception in Friulian-Italian bilinguals. Results are presented in relation to a selection of theoretical models of personality: attachment theory, the biosocial model, and the five-factor model. The most robust findings indicate that attachment styles are related to communication styles, and that big-five personality traits are linked to language characteristics and second language acquisition. The need for further research in this area is warranted, especially regarding the impact on certain aspects of personality during verbal expression in a second language.