Language acquisition and Myers-Briggs (Introversion vs. Extroversion)

I've been following a series of discussions on methods of language acquisition between Steve Kaufmann and Benny, The Irish Polyglot here and here. To summarize very briefly, Steve's system, as manifested through his site, leans toward more time spent in study (not necessarily traditional academic, but individual study) before exposure to actual application of the language in conversation. Benny touts a method of almost instant and complete immersion, on which his system "Fluent in 3 Months" is based.

After taking a look at both their methods, I believe that the core of their differences lies between the traits of introversion and extroversion as defined by the Myers-Briggs system (detailed below). Of course, there are differences in the goals of those who study language...are you learning to watch movies in Portuguese? Travel to Japan for a weekend? Read novels in Polish? The answers to these questions will largely dictate the focus of your study. However, beyond that, any learner is most effective when comfortable, and an understanding of the introvert-extravert continuum, I believe, is essential in determining a learner's comfort level, and thereby, what they will find to be truly optimal learning environments.

All that assumes though, that plans seldom gang agley. What interests me more, is that in this debate I see two people, who, like myself, have found their own paths in the journey of language learning. I'm not making any claims to know where Benny and Steve fall in the world of introversion and extraversion, but I say with relative confidence that introverts would be more drawn to Steve's methods and extraverts to Benny's...and it seems logical. Benny's methods of almost instant interaction with people feeds the extravert's energy sources as does Steve's method of more solitary focus, the introvert. But what do I want?

 If my goal is to communicate with people, I believe I would be best served by Benny’s method. After all, communication in its most basic form doesn’t require perfection…it doesn’t even really require being “good”.

 What if my goal is cultural understanding? I believe that goal is best served by Steve’s method. Culture is deeply linked to language and they are both influences on and reflections of each other.

And cultural experience? I would say Benny’s method works best. You don’t necessarily need to know all the nuances of a language to enjoy festivals and foods.

Individual bonding? Steve’s method. It takes long periods of time and a deep understanding of word choice and other elements of language to really understand an individual’s verbal expressions of self.

The effects of the two different methods? Well, my Chinese isn’t yet good enough to make a call on Steve’s Mandarin, but I do feel qualified to comment on Benny’s Spanish. I think he would have no problem communicating in Spanish and he flows quite beautifully, but one thing jumped out at me. I was reading and listening to Spanish, but it sounded as if it came from the mind of an English speaker…heavy focus on self expression…the familiar ring of the Anglophone’s belief in control of the individual on his environment. English is spoken in quite a few countries, but those traits don’t seem to waiver much. Spanish, in general, makes heavy use of reflexive verbs. Spanish speaking countries tend to see the world less as something to be controlled and more as something that happens to the human. Admittedly, the Spanish Benny speaks would be more heavily influenced by Spain, while mine would be more influenced by the Caribbean and South America (areas that have experienced more political and economic difficulty), but I believe that only accounts for a small part of his speaking style.

 One goal I have when starting any language is to change my mind before anything else. To shape it through heavy listening and cultural exposure so my ideas are less expressed as an English-speaker, and more as a native. I did this innately with Spanish, but became functionally aware of it after being chided multiple times by my Mandarin speaking partner that I “would be understood, but a Chinese person wouldn’t say it that way”. I guess, as usual, it comes down to a question of where you want to go.

Extraversion (E)
I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. I’m excited when I’m around people and I like to energize other people. I like moving into action and making things happen. I generally feel at home in the world. I often understand a problem better when I can talk out loud about it and hear what others have to say.

The following statements generally apply to me:

·     I am seen as “outgoing” or as a “people person.”

·     I feel comfortable in groups and like working in them.

·     I have a wide range of friends and know lots of people.

·     I sometimes jump too quickly into an activity and don’t allow enough time to think it over.

·     Before I start a project, I sometimes forget to stop and get clear on what I want to do and why.

Introversion (I)
I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people I feel comfortable with. I take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I’ll be doing when I decide to act. Ideas are almost solid things for me. Sometimes I like the idea of something better than the real thing.

The following statements generally apply to me:

 ·     I am seen as “reflective” or “reserved.”

 ·     I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.

 ·     I prefer to know just a few people well.

 ·     I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don’t move into action quickly enough.

 ·  I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience