perception of emotion words in english as a first, second and foreign language

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PERCEPTION OF EMOTION

WORDS IN ENGLISH AS A

FIRST, SECOND AND

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

1. INTRODUCTION

A strong feeling such as love, fear or anger; the part of a person’s character that consists of feelings. – Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th edition: 478

Core words imbued with core emotions.

Speakers of first languages distinguish core emotions more easily than other speakers do.

Bilingual speakers differentiate two linguistic realities.

Different personae?

Affective words: direct vs. indirect

Leads to infinite number of potential emotion words.

“

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2. METHODOLOGY

2.1. AIMS AND HYPHOTESES

Aims:

Establishing a connection between three linguistic realities of English as a first, second and foreign language.

Perception of emotion words in them.

Hyphoteses:

Speakers of English as a native or second language will differentiate emotion words and come up with synonyms more easily.

Speakers of English as a foreign language will have a hard time distinguishing the meaning of marginalized , not so common emotion words.

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2.2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Do speakers of English as a first, second or foreign language perceive the same emotion words as equivalents?

Are numerous synonyms of emotion words essential to communicating one’s feelings? (Do they add to semantics of emotion words?)

Are emotion words words only?

2.3. PARTICIPANTS

The sample comprised 26 participants.

Age: 17-28

Female: 17

Male: 9

Speakers of English:

ENL: 8

ESL: 5

EFL: 13

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2.4. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

The data were collected by means of a questionnaire written in English.

Method of distribution:

Facebook and e-mail.

Place of distribution:

The USA, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Singapore, Croatia.

Time for completion:

20 minutes.

2.4. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION (CONT.)

The questionnaire consisted of both closed- and open-ended questions divided into six parts:

General questions

Perception of emotion words

Synonyms

Frequency of use

Emotion phrases

Additional comments

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2.5. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

The results were analysed using both quantitative (closed-ended questions) and qualitative data (open-ended questions).

Each question was analysed separately.

3. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

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3.1. GENERAL QUESTIONS

3.2. GENERAL QUESTIONS (CONT.)

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3.2. GENERAL QUESTIONS (CONT.)

I believe that emotion words refer to those words that stand for any particular feeling and emotion that human being is capable of having and feeling.

Words used to express emotions (mostly adjectives such as sad, happy...)

I presume these are the words that enhance the reader’s experience.

I guess words that are used depending on what emotional state you are in at that time OR words that add emotion to what’s being said.

3.3. PERCEPTION OF EMOTION WORDS

Ten statements in which participants were required to circle a specific number from one to five (1-5), with one being I completely disagree and five being I completely agree.

More oriented toward speakers of English as a second or foreign language.

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3.3. PERCEPTION OF EMOTION WORDS (CONT.)

0% 0%

8%

25%

20%

38%

63%

40% 38%

0%

40%

15% 13%

0% 0% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

First language Second language Foreign language

5. English is an emotion-oriented language.

1 - I completely disagree 2 - I mostly disagree 3. I neither agree nor disagree

4 - I mostly agree 5 - I completely agree


13%

0%

8% 13%

0% 0% 0%

20% 23%

38%

80%

46%

38%

0%

23%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


8. There are universal emotion expressions in all of the world’s languages.

1 - I completely disagree 2 - I mostly disagree 3 - I neither agree nor disagree


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0% 0% 0%

13%

0% 0% 0% 0%

16%

38%

0%

54% 50%

100%

31%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%


9. Overused emotion words tend to become clichés.

1 - I completely disagree 2 - I mostly disagree 3. I neither agree nor disagree


3.4. SYNONYMS

WORDS ENL ESL EFL

Acrimonious Annoyed, irritated, resentful, bitter

Sharp, bitter Rancorous, bitter, angry, mad, kind

Shut out Ignored, rejected, desolated, isolated

Shy, close off, reject, separate, ostracized

Reserved, included, excluded, tired

Jaunty Cheeky, cheerful, haughty, jolly, jovial

Cheerful Perky, depressed, wicked, content, dashing

Derailed

Disillusioned, deflated, misdirected, off-track

Mislead, thwart, deflect, crash

Detached, sabotaged, off track

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3.5. FREQUENCY OF USE

Participants had to rank the frequency of use of emotion words listed in the questionnaire on a scale of one to ten (1-10), with one being least used and ten being most used.

3.5. FREQUENCY OF USE (CONT.)

0% 0%

8%

0%

20%

0%

13%

0% 0%

25%

0%

15%

0%

20%

23%

0% 0%

23% 25%

40%

8%

25%

20%

0%

13%

0%

15%

0% 0%

8%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%


Eager

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

13%

0% 0%

13%

20%

8%

50%

20% 23%

25%

60%

69%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%


Beautiful

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


0%

20%

8%

25%

20% 23%

50%

20%

15% 13%

0%

8%

13%

20% 23%

0%

20%

8%

0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

8%

0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%


Redeemed

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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3.6. EMOTION PHRASES

Participants had to explain in their own words the meaning of five emotion phrases listed in the questionnaire.

These are their explanations.

3.6. EMOTION PHRASES (CONT.)

I’m dying to see the new Hobbit movie.

ENL: Means you’re really looking foreword to the movie… Which I don’t understand cause that Hobbit movie looks worse then the Justin Beiber biography.

ESL: He can’t wait to see the movie because he’s very excited about it.

EFL: I can’t wait to see it.

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3.6. EMOTION PHRASES (CONT.)

I was floored by all the help received after leaving the hospital.

ENL: Means you were shocked/surprised.

ESL: I am thankful for the help.

EFL: I was stunned by the help I received.

3.7. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

ENL speakers:

“This quiz was a little bit to academic for my little brain. I think you should have little flip books with pictures for your next survey.”

ESL speakers:

“It was a great questionnaire which made me thought about my own experience with emotions. Thank you.”

EFL speakers:

“Too damn long :P.”

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3.8. PROBLEMS

4. CONCLUSION

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4.1 CONCLUDING REMARKS

Our first hyphotesis was partially confirmed, but the second one wasn’t.

All three groups of English speakers note the difference between the English language and their first or second language, as well as other languages (ENL speakers).

The speakers of English as a foreign language tend to use more complex terms more often than the speakers of English as a first or second language.

In written or in oral communication?

Recognition of emotion phrases in all three groups of English speakers.

5. REFERENCES

1. Harris, C. L., Gleason, J.B., and Aycicegi, A. “When is a first language more emotional? Psychophysiological evidence from bilingual speakers.” In A. Pavlenko (Ed.), Bilingual minds: Emotional experience, expression, and representation. Clevedon, United Kingdom: Mulilingual Matters., 2006. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. 257-283.

2. Hobbs., J. R., and Gordon, A. “The Deep Lexical Semantics of Emotions.” Affective Computing and Sentiment Analysis. Vol. 45 (2011): 27-34. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.

3. Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. “Understanding emotions without language.” ScienceDaily. 12 Nov. 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.

4. Mihalcea, R., and Strapparava, C. “Words, Meanings and Emotions.” EUROLAN 2007 Summer School. N.d.: 1-119. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

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6. APPENDIX

6. APPENDIX (CONT.)

perception of emotion words in english as a first, second and foreign language

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