Expressing Emotions in the L1 and the LX 1. Anger in the L1 and the LX

As mentioned previously, participants were asked to rate their language preference for expressing emotions of different kinds with different interlocutors (BEQ, Dewaele & Pavlenko, 2001-2003). The questionnaire enquired about expression of anger, expression of love or affection and

swearing practices¹⁵. According to responses, participants tended to use the LX more than the L1 to express anger with strangers (M L1=1.73, SD=1.13; M LX = 3.39, SD = 1.50) and colleagues (M L1 = 1.79, SD = 1.15; M LX = 3.39, SD = 1.15). This could be explained by the fact that the LX was the language of the environment where informants worked and lived at the time of the questionnaire. The scenario changed with more familiar interlocutors. Indeed, respondents reported using the two languages equally when speaking with friends, where the LX still slightly prevails (M L1 = 3.09, SD = 1.25; M LX = 3.13 SD = 1.18), and they progressively shifted towards a higher use of their native language when expressing anger with family (M L1 = 3.93, SD = 1.63;

M LX = 1.41 SD = 1.21), partners (M L1 = 2.53, SD = 2.02; M LX = 2.01 SD = 1.84) and alone (M L1 = 3.70, SD = 1.25; M LX = 2.52 SD = 1.23). L1 and LX mean scores for each interlocutor category are displayed in figure 1a. Looking at frequencies, 47.4% and 39.5% of participants respectively reported never using the L1 to express anger with strangers and colleagues, 35% reported using the L1 to express anger with friends in some occasions, 59.2% reported using the L1 all the time when expressing anger with their family, and 34.4%

reported frequently using the L1 when expressing anger alone. The interlocutor category of partners reported skewed results. In other words, most informants (29.1%) responded ‘N/A’ or ‘all the time’ (26%), but responses were definitely distributed across all answers. Considering the LX use for expressing anger, 29.3% of participants reported using their LX all the time when dealing with strangers, 28.4% reported frequently using it with colleagues, 34.6% reported using the LX to express anger with friends only in

15 See Appendix II.

some occasions, 55.1% said that they never used the LX with their family and, finally, 31.4% stated sometimes using the LX when expressing anger alone.

Figure 1a

Differences between L1 and LX use for anger expression mean scores for single categories of interlocutor

Similar to what happened when analysing L1 answers, participants mainly chose ‘N/A’ or ‘never’ (20.9%) when asked about their LX use for expressing anger with their partners.

In order to have a wider perspective of migrants’ language preferences for expressing anger within their networks of interlocutors, a total score was

elaborated by computing the mean of all interlocutor category scores.

Considering the resulting mean score, participants tended to use the L1 more (M = 2.78, SD = .81) than the LX (M = 2.64, SD = .87) for expressing anger (figure 1b). Overall, 53% of participants reported expressing anger with any interlocutor mainly in the L1; 4.3% reported using the L1 and the LX equally and 42.7% reported to use the LX more frequently than the L1 for the same purpose.

Figure 1b

Differences between L1 and LX use for anger expression with all interlocutormean scores

IV.2.1.2. Love in the L1 and the LX

The second couple of grid questions aimed at scrutinising language choice for love expression with different interlocutors, where two categories –strangers and alone- were dropped. According to responses, informants tended to use the LX more frequently than the L1 to express affection with colleagues (M L1

= 1.60, SD=1.19; M LX = 3.13, SD=1.62).

Figure 2a

Differences between L1 and LX use for love expression mean scores for single categories of interlocutors

Once again, it could be speculated that the LX was the language of the environment where participants worked and lived at the time of the survey. It is thus reasonable to expect a higher frequency of use of the LX for this

category of interlocutors. Although the LX is still the preferred language for expressing love and affection with friends (M L1 = 2.92, SD = 1.27; M LX = 3.32 SD = 1.10), its use consistently dropped when analysing more familiar categories of interlocutors, like family (M L1 = 4.19, SD = 1.36; M LX = 1.55 SD = 1.32) and partners (M L1 = 2.63, SD=2.03; M LX = 2.23 SD=1.93). L1 and LX mean scores for each interlocutor category are displayed in figure 2a.

Looking at frequencies, 47.4% reported never using the L1 to express love with colleagues, 32.5% reported using the L1 to express love with friends in some occasions, and 61.5% and 28.8% respectively reported using the L1 all the time when expressing love with their family and partner. Considering, on the other hand, LX data, 27.4% of informants reported frequently using their LX when expressing affection to colleagues, 36.8% reported using the LX with friends only on some occasions and, finally, 52.6% reported never using the LX with their family. As happened with anger expression, the question enquiring about expressing love with informants’ partners showed more distributed responses, where the most common answer was once again ‘N/A’, followed by ‘never’ and ‘all the time’, both at the same level (18.8%).

Considering a mean score of all categories of interlocutors, participants tended to use the L1 more (M = 2.83, SD= .91), rather than the LX (M = 2.55, SD = .94) for expressing love (figure 2b). Overall, 54.3% of participants reported expressing love with any interlocutor mainly in the L1; 13.7%

reported using the L1 and the LX equally and 32.1% reported using the LX more frequently than the L1.

Figure 2b

Differences between L1 and LX use for love expression with all interlocutor mean scores

IV.2.1.3. Swearing in the L1 and the LX

Feedback on the last couple of grid questions examining participants’

swearing practices was coded in the same way. According to responses, participants tended to use the LX more frequently than the L1 when swearing both with strangers (M L1 = 1.78, SD = 1.36 and M LX = 2.27, SD = 1.56) and colleagues (M L1 = 1.85, SD = 1.35 and M LX = 2.44, SD = 1.56). As happened with anger and love expression, the perspective changes with more familiar interlocutors (figure 3a). Indeed, respondents progressively shifted towards a higher use of the L1 when swearing with friends (M L1 = 2.88, SD = 1.36 and M LX = 2.71 SD = 1.31), family (M L1=3.36, SD=1.71 and M LX = 1.34 SD =

1.12), partners (M L1 = 2.34, SD=1.91 and M LX = 1.88 SD = 1.69) and alone (M L1 = 3.44, SD = 1.46 and M LX = 2.48 SD = 1.31).

Figure 3a

Differences between L1 and LX use for swearing mean scores for single categories of interlocutors

Looking at frequencies, 40.4% and 34.8% of participants respectively reported never using the L1 to swear with strangers and colleagues, 30.1%

reported using the L1 to swear with friends on some occasions, 38.2%

reported using the L1 all the time when swearing with their family members and, finally, 28.8% reported using the L1 for swearing alone frequently or all the time. In the same vein as the results mentioned above, the question about swearing with partners showed more distributed answers, where the most common answer was once again ‘N/A’, followed by ‘all the time’ (19.7%).

Considering LX use, 20.9% and 19.9% of participants respectively reported never or moderately using their LX when swearing with strangers, 21.8% and 33.1% respectively reported swearing in the LX with colleagues and friends on some occasions, 53.2% claimed to never use the LX when swearing with their family members and, finally, 32.9% stated they sometimes used the LX when swearing alone.

Figure 3b

Differences between L1 and LX use for swearing with all interlocutor mean scores

Once again, informants mainly responded ‘N/A’ or ‘never’ (19.4%) when answering the question about swearing with a partner. Considering a mean score of all categories of interlocutors, participants tended to use the L1

swearing (figure 3b). Overall 57.9% of participants preferred to swear in their native language; 17.1% stated that they used the L1 and the LX equally to swear with any interlocutor and 25% of respondents reported using the LX more frequently than the L1 for this purpose.

IV.2.1.4. Elaborating a unique variable

As mentioned in the previous chapter, all linguistic variables related to emotion expression have been summed up in a total score, according to language use: ‘L1 Emotion Expression’ and ‘LX Emotion Expression’.

Figure 4

Differences between L1 and LX use for emotion expression with all interlocutors mean scores

The purpose was to produce a composite variable able to give an indication of participants’ affective socialisation within the heritage and host society. In other words, the emotion expression variables measure the frequency of use of a language for expressing emotions on the basis of both migrants’ choice and available network of interlocutors. Overall, participants tended to use their L1 (M = 8.23, SD = 2.32) to express different kinds of emotions with any interlocutor more frequently than the LX (M = 7.38, SD = 2.36), as displayed in figure 4. Looking at frequencies, 60% of informants reported using the L1 to express emotions or swear with any interlocutor;

1.1% reported using both languages equally, while 38.9% reported using the LX to express emotions of different kinds with any interlocutor. It is important to bear in mind that these percentages indicate not only participants’ personal preference for a specific language but also the degree of migrants’ affective interaction with the heritage and host society.

In the first analytic thread L1 and LX Emotion Expression will be considered as dependent variables, while in the second and the last part of the analysis they will be considered as independent variables.