ABSTRACT

To what extent does emotional reactivity differ when bilinguals process input in their native (L1) or non-native language (L2)? Does the L1 elicit a significantly stronger emotional arousal or can salient second language experience generate comparably strong associations between emotions and the L2? These questions were addressed through two measures of emotional arousal, (online) skin conductance responses (SCR) and (offline) emotionality ratings. Russian-English late bilinguals, UK university students, were presented different types of university-related expressions in English and Russian. The vocabulary types were university-related emotionally-laden expressions (‘Плагиат’/‘Plagiarism’) and neutral words (‘Круг’/‘Circle’). Two main results emerged. First, in L1, SCRs showed a significantly increased electro-dermal activity when participants reacted to university-related words. Emotionality ratings showed contrasts based on stimulus type in both languages. These results indicate that university-related words qualify as a category of emotionally charged expressions. Second, between-language tests showed that electrodermal reactivity was not more reduced in L2 than in L1, which was also mirrored in emotionality ratings. These findings are located within the existing empirical context, and alternative interpretations are provided to further our understanding of how an emotionally salient L2 context contributes to shifts from mother tongue dominance to an increased emotional power of the second language.

摘要

当双语者以他们的母语（L1）或非母语（L2）处理输入时，情绪反应在多大程度上不同？L1 是否会引起明显更强的情绪唤起，或者显着的第二语言体验能否在情绪和 L2 之间产生相当强的关联？这些问题是通过两种情绪唤起的措施来解决的，（在线）皮肤电导反应（SCR）和（离线）情绪评级。俄英晚期双语者、英国大学生，分别用英语和俄语呈现了不同类型的与大学相关的表达方式。词汇类型是与大学相关的充满情感的表达（'Плагиат'/'Plagiarism'）和中性词（'Круг'/'Circle'）。出现了两个主要结果。首先，在 L1 中，当参与者对与大学相关的词语做出反应时，SCRs 的皮肤电活动显着增加。情绪评级显示基于两种语言的刺激类型的对比。这些结果表明，与大学相关的词有资格作为情绪激动的表达类别。其次，语言间测试表明，L2 的皮肤电反应性并没有比 L1 降低更多，这也反映在情绪评级中。这些发现位于现有的经验语境中，并提供了替代解释，以进一步了解情绪突出的第二语言语境如何有助于从母语优势转变为第二语言的增强情感力量。情绪评级显示基于两种语言的刺激类型的对比。这些结果表明，与大学相关的词有资格作为情绪激动的表达类别。其次，语言间测试表明，L2 的皮肤电反应性并没有比 L1 降低更多，这也反映在情绪评级中。这些发现位于现有的经验语境中，并提供了替代解释，以进一步了解情绪突出的第二语言语境如何有助于从母语优势转变为第二语言的增强情感力量。情绪评级显示基于两种语言的刺激类型的对比。这些结果表明，与大学相关的词有资格作为情绪激动的表达类别。其次，语言间测试表明，L2 的皮肤电反应性并没有比 L1 降低更多，这也反映在情绪评级中。这些发现位于现有的经验语境中，并提供了替代解释，以进一步了解情绪突出的第二语言语境如何有助于从母语优势转变为第二语言的增强情感力量。这也反映在情绪评级中。这些发现位于现有的经验语境中，并提供了替代解释，以进一步了解情绪突出的第二语言语境如何有助于从母语优势转变为第二语言的增强情感力量。这也反映在情绪评级中。这些发现位于现有的经验语境中，并提供了替代解释，以进一步了解情绪突出的第二语言语境如何有助于从母语优势转变为第二语言的增强情感力量。