Marrying Science and Experience: An Exploration of How Multilinguals Interact With and Between Languages and Cultures

This paper will begin exploring bi- and multilingualism at an individual level. The author will explore previous research written on how the brain processes several languages, how languages might affect individuals emotionally, and how one switches between languages as well as the effects of this, if any. Beyond this, the experience of navigating languages between discourse communities and balancing two or more cultures will be considered. As the title suggests, the science of multilingualism will be married with the diverse individual experience while considering both intrapersonal and interpersonal relations. The author will look at her own experience as well as others’ to gain a sense of variability and contrast. To conclude, the implications for language teaching and possibilities for future research will be discussed