When Languages Change Your Voice

By Mike Pham, an alumni contribution to the ARTE blog.

Back in 2021, I made a video that’s now had over 570,000 views on TikTok. The idea was simple: your voice actually changes when you speak different languages. If you’re multilingual, you probably know what I’m talking about. When you’ve learnt different languages, you don’t just switch words, something shifts in how you sound, how you express yourself.

I think of this as translanguaging in action. It’s what multilinguals do every day without even thinking about it. And it’s not just about communication – it’s about who we are.

When we move smoothly between the languages we know, we’re not just changing vocabulary. We’re taking on different identities that match each language. Each one brings out a different side of us.

Have a watch and see if it resonates with your own experience.