How Does Multilingualism and Cross-Directional Reading Influence Thinking?

My journey with languages and alphabets is a fascinating one, greatly affecting my creative and logical thought processes. I speak and read three languages: two Western languages and one Semitic. As a result, I have developed a deep awareness of word origins and sentence construction, which has significantly transformed my communication in all languages. My thoughts and creativity have become more concise and precise, enhancing both my verbal and non-verbal interactions.

Living Between Different Scripts

My formative years were spent reading and writing in left-to-right scripts, specifically Latin and Cyrillic. It was a playful and rebellious move for me to switch between these scripts based on my mood, a habit that still manifests in my notes. This practice was both a creative expression and a defiant stance against those who believed Cyrillic was not a part of our cultural heritage. Even when I took notes in Bosnian, I chose to use Cyrillic script, which, though similar, retained a European essence. However, this choice did not deeply influence my thought processes, as the scripts were too similar and too familiar.

The Entrance of Arabic Script

My Arabic script journey began during my pre-teen years, providing a relief from the dominant left-to-right flow. Not only did it allow me to write without leaving marks on my hand, but it also opened my eyes to the profound impact of reading and writing direction on perception. The infamous example of the Coke advertisement gone wrong due to its non-Latin script highlighted the importance of considering reading direction in global marketing campaigns. This incident instilled in me a greater awareness of how our perception of movement and spatial orientation is influenced by the direction in which we read and write.

The Breakthrough of Japanese Tategaki

My most transformative experience came with Japanese, whose tategaki (top-to-bottom, right-to-left) reading direction introduced a new dimension to my thinking. Not only did it provide a fresh perspective on puzzles and codes, but it also broke the fixed pattern of my previous multilingual experiences. The ability to read and write in different directions opened up new avenues for creative problem-solving and enhanced my ability to visualize spatial arrangements in both digital and physical contexts, whether it be in graphic design, page layouts, or physical object placement.

Impact on Communication and Creativity

The influence of cross-directional reading has extended beyond my personal experiences to mold my communication and creativity in significant ways. My thoughts are now more precise and multi-layered, with subtle nuances that I attribute to my multilingual background. Whether it is in writing, designing, or simply engaging in conversation, the flexibility in direction and the interplay between different languages shape my cognitive processes, making me more adaptable and innovative.

Conclusion

My journey with multilingualism and cross-directional reading illustrates how the plasticity of the mind can be shaped by different languages and alphabets. By engaging with various scripts and directional reading norms, I have developed a heightened sensitivity to the ways in which language and culture influence thought. This awareness has enriched my communication and creative output, fostering a more nuanced and versatile approach to problem-solving and design.