THE EFFECTS OF MULTILINGUALISM ON THE EMOTIONAL STABILITY OF YOUNGSTERS IN SIALKOT, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Multilingualism is a norm, and monolingualism is an exception in the contemporary world, as a researcher asserts that human beings have been predominantly multilingual since the beginning of the evolution of human language (Evans, 2017; Yager, 2020), which urges to explore the effects of multilingualism on personality since personality and language influence each other. The present research explored the effects of multilingualism on personality trait emotional stability. Intending to shed light on both sides of the picture, the study employed a mixed-method research design. To collect quantitative data, an online Likert scale questionnaire was filled out by 107 participants (37 males and 70 females). Participants were divided into two groups. One group consisted of monolingual individuals and the other group consisted of multilingual participants. Data were analyzed on SPSS. The results of both groups were compared to determine the difference in the effects of multilingualism on emotional stability. For the qualitative part of the study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was carried out following (Braun & Clarke, 2006) approach. Results demonstrate multilingualism affects emotional stability. The findings of the study demonstrate that multilingualism has two-fold effects on emotional stability. Those who have command over multiple languages have stable and balanced emotions, but this causes stress and communicative anxiety to monolingual individuals.