Applied Linguistics & Communication

The effect of immigration, acculturation and multicompetence on personality profiles of Israeli multilinguals

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

Co-authored with Anat Stavans, on-line, doi: 10.1177/1367006912439941 International Journal of Bilingualism, April 2012

The present study investigates the link between immigration, multilingualism, acculturation and personality profiles... more The present study investigates the link between immigration, multilingualism, acculturation and personality profiles (as measured by the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire) of 193 residents in Israel. Participants born in Israel tended to score higher on Emotional Stability than those born abroad. Participants with one immigrant parent (but not two) scored higher on Cultural Empathy, Open-mindedness and Social Initiative. Participants who had become dominant in Hebrew as a foreign language scored lower on Emotional Stability than Hebrew L1-dominant participants. The number of languages known by participants was not linked to their personality profile. A high level of use of various languages was linked to significantly higher scores on Cultural Empathy and Open-mindedness. Gender and age were also linked to personality profiles. Advanced knowledge of more languages and frequent use of more languages were linked to higher levels of Social Initiative and Open-mindedness, while advanced knowledge of more languages was also linked to higher levels of Cultural Empathy. These findings confirm that some personality traits are shaped by individuals’ linguistic history, degree of multilingualism and a combination of social and biographical factors.

Blistering Barnacles! What language do multilinguals swear in?!

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

Pre-print of (2004) Estudios de Sociolingüística, 5, 1, 83-106.

The present contribution focuses on the effects of language dominance /attrition, context of acquisition, age of onset... more The present contribution focuses on the effects of language dominance /attrition, context of acquisition, age of onset of learning, frequency of general use of a language and
sociodemographic variables on self-reported language choice for swearing. The analysis is based on a database to which 1039 multilinguals contributed through a web based
questionnaire. Results suggest that, according to the self-reports, swearing happens most frequently in the multilinguals’ dominant language. Mixed instruction, an early start in the learning process, and frequent use of a language all contribute to the choice of that language for swearing. Sociodemographic variables were not found to have any effect.
Frequency of language choice for swearing was found to be positively correlated with perceived emotional force of swearwords in that language. Quantitative results based on
answers to close-ended questions corresponded to participants’ responses to open-ended questions.

Predicting language learners’ grades in the L1, L2, L3 and L4: the effect of some psychological and sociocognitive variables.

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2007) International Journal of Multilingualism, 4 (3), 169-197.

This study of 89 Flemish high-school students’ grades for L1 (Dutch), L2 (French), L3 (English) and L4 (German)... more This study of 89 Flemish high-school students’ grades for L1 (Dutch), L2 (French), L3 (English) and L4 (German) investigates the effects of three higher-level personality dimensions (psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism), one lower-level personality dimension (foreign language anxiety) and sociobiographical variables (gender, social class) on the participants’ language grades. Analyses of variance revealed no
significant effects of the higher-level personality dimensions on grades. Participants with high levels of foreign language anxiety obtained significantly lower grades in the L2 and L3. Gender and social class had no effect. Strong positive correlations
between grades in the different languages could point to an underlying sociocognitive dimension. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Sociodemographic, psychological and politico-cultural correlates in Flemish students' attitudes toward French and English

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2005) Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 26, 2, 118-137.

An analysis of 100 Flemish high-school students’ attitudes towards French and English (both foreign languages)... more An analysis of 100 Flemish high-school students’ attitudes towards French and English (both foreign languages) revealed complex links between personality factors, gender, politicocultural identity, communicative behaviour and foreign language attitudes. Attitudes towards English were found to be much more positive than those towards French, despite the fact that the participants had enjoyed a longer and more
intense formal instruction in French (it being their second language). The independent variables were found to have stronger effects for French than for English, with the exception of politicocultural identity of the participant, which had
a strong effect on attitudes towards French but not English. Overall, it seems that social factors, including exposure to the foreign languages, are linked with lower level personality dimensions and thus shape attitudes towards these languages.

Investigating the psychological and the emotional dimensions in instructed language learning: Obstacles and possibilities.

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2005) In L. Ortega (ed.) Reconceptualizing research on L2 learning across education contexts, Special issue of The Modern Language Journal 89, 3, 367-380.

In this article I put forth the core argument that Second Language Acquisition (SLA) needs to account for the... more In this article I put forth the core argument that Second Language Acquisition (SLA) needs to account for the psychological and emotional dimensions of second language (L2) learning, but that a number of epistemological and methodological difficulties must be surmounted before
this new research program can be a reality. To illustrate my arguments, I examine in depth 2 research programs developed by my colleagues and me over the last decade: research on extraversion as a psychological variable investigated within the tradition of individual differences in SLA, and research on the expression of emotion in the L2. Throughout the article, I argue
against research isolationism and for more interdisciplinarity in the field of instructed SLA.
I contend that research on instructed SLA would benefit from an increased methodologicaland epistemological diversity and that a focus on affect and emotion among researchers might
inspire authors of teaching materials and foreign language teachers to pay increased attention to the communication of emotion and the development of sociocultural competence in a L2.

Why do some young learners drop Foreign Languages? A focus on learner-internal variables.

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

Co authored with H. Thirtle (2009) International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 12 (6): 635-649.

The present study focuses on 79 young teenagers enrolled in foreign language (FL) classes in a London school. Having... more The present study focuses on 79 young teenagers enrolled in foreign language (FL) classes in a London school. Having to decide whether to pursue the study of FLs, three groups emerged: those wishing to pursue FL classes, those having decided to abandon FL classes, and those still undecided about further FL study. A comparison of the three groups on a range of learner-internal variables (i.e. sociobiographical and psychological variables) revealed that those who had
decided to abandon further FL instruction were more likely to have English as a first language and suffered from significantly higher levels of Foreign Language Anxiety. The findings and some implications for FL teaching are discussed.

The effect of multilingualism/multiculturalism on personality: No gain without pain for third culture kids?

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

Co-authored with J.P. van Oudenhoven (2009) International Journal of Multilingualism, 6 (4): 443-459.

The present study investigates the link between multilingualism/multiculturalism, acculturation and the personality... more The present study investigates the link between multilingualism/multiculturalism, acculturation and the personality profile (as measured by the Multicultural
Personality Questionnaire) of 79 young London teenagers, half of whom were born abroad and had settled down in London during their childhood ‘ThirdCulture Kids’ (TCKs; Pollock & Van Reken, 2001). Statistical analyses revealed
that TCKs scored higher on the dimension of Openmindedness and Cultural Empathy and scored lower on Emotional Stability. Language dominance (first language (L1), L1 and one or two other languages (multidominance), or any language which is not the L1 (LX) had a significant effect on the participants’ personality profile, with the multidominant group scoring significantly higher on Openmindedness, marginally higher on Cultural Empathy and significantly lower on Emotional Stability than participants dominant in one language only. The
number of languages known by participants was also significantly linked to their personality profile, with functional multilinguals scoring significantly higher than incipient bilinguals on Openmindedness, marginally higher on Cultural Empathy
and significantly lower on Emotional Stability. These findings confirm that personality is shaped by social and biographical factors. Acculturation is stressful but the experience of having to fit in and being in contact with different languages and cultures strengthens Cultural Empathy and Openmindedness.

The emotional weight of ‘I love you’ in multilinguals’ languages

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2008) Journal of Pragmatics, 40, 1753–1780.

The present paper considers the perceived emotional weight of the phrase I love you in multilinguals’ different... more The present paper considers the perceived emotional weight of the phrase I love you in multilinguals’ different languages. The sample consists of 1459 adult multilinguals speaking a total of 77 different first languages. They filled out an on-line questionnaire with open and closed questions linked to language behavior and emotions. Feedback on the open question related to perceived emotional weight of the phrase
I love you in the multilinguals’ different languages was recoded in three categories: it being strongest in (1) the first language (L1), (2) the first language and a foreign language, and (3) a foreign language (LX).
A majority of speakers felt I love you was strongest in their L1. Participants offered various explanations for their perception. Statistical analyses revealed that the perception of weight of the phrase I love you was associated with self-perceived language dominance, context of acquisition of the L2, age of onset
of learning the L2, degree of socialization in the L2, nature of the network of interlocutors in the L2, and self-perceived oral proficiency in the L2.

The effects of trait emotional intelligence and sociobiographical variables on communicative anxiety and foreign language anxiety among adult multilinguals: A review and empirical investigation

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

Co-authored with K.V. Petrides and A. Furnham (2008) Language Learning, 58 (4), 911-960.

This study considered the effects of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI; Petrides &Mavroveli, 2007) and... more This study considered the effects of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI; Petrides &Mavroveli, 2007) and sociobiographical variables (age, gender, education level, number of languages known, age of onset of acquisition, context of acquisition, frequency of use,socialization, network of interlocutors, self-perceived proficiency) on communicative anxiety (CA) in the first language and on foreign language anxiety (FLA) in the second, third, and fourth languages of 464 multilingual individuals, in five different situations (speaking with friends, colleagues, strangers, on the phone, and in public). Data were
collected via Web-based questionnaires. Participants were divided into three groups based on their trait EI scores (low, average, high). Nonparametric statistical analyses revealed a consistent pattern of results across languages and situations. Higher levels of trait EI corresponded to significantly lower CA/FLA scores. Participants who started learning the second and third languages at a younger age also suffered less from FLA. Purely classroom-based language instruction was found to be linked to higher levels of FLA compared to instruction that also involved extracurricular use of the language. The knowledge of more languages, a higher frequency of use, a stronger socialization in a language, a larger network of interlocutors,and a higher level of self-perceived proficiency in a language were also linked to lower levels of CA/FLA.

Appropriateness in foreign language acquisition and use: Some theoretical, methodological and ethical considerations

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2008) In R. Manchón and J. Cenoz (eds.) Doing SLA research: Theoretical, methodological, and ethical issues. Special issue of the International Review of Applied Linguistics, 46 (4), 235–255.

In this contribution, I focus on the concept of “appropriateness” in the usage,the learning and the teaching of... more In this contribution, I focus on the concept of “appropriateness” in the usage,the learning and the teaching of foreign languages. Using a participant-based emic perspective, I investigate multilinguals’ perceptions of appropriateness in their foreign languages. Referring to the existing literature, and using previously unpublished material collected through a web questionnaire (Dewaele and Pavlenko 2001–2003), I will show that multilinguals develop their judgements of appropriateness, a crucial aspect of sociopragmatic and sociocultural competence, as part of their socialisation in a new language/culture. However, their ability to judge appropriateness accurately does not imply that they will
always act “appropriately”. Indeed, the presence of conflicting norms in their other languages may contribute to conscious or unconscious divergence fromthe “appropriate” norm in a particular language. Some implications for foreign language teaching will be considered.
language teaching will be considered.

Multilingualism and affordances: Variation in self-perceived communicative competence and communicative anxiety in French L1, L2, L3 and L4

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2010) International Review of Applied Linguistics, 48, 105–129.

In this contribution, I investigate the effect of the knowledge of other languages on self-perceived communicative... more In this contribution, I investigate the effect of the knowledge of other languages on self-perceived communicative competence and communicative anxiety inthe French of 953 users. I tested the hypothesis that knowledge of more languages,
specifically other Romance languages, create stronger or clearer affordances (Singleton & Aronin 2007), which may have a strengthening effecton self-perceived communicative competence in French and lead to less communicative
anxiety using that language. Using the database collected through a web-based questionnaire (Dewaele & Pavlenko 2001–2003), I focused on participants who had French as an L1, L2, L3 or L4. The analyses suggest that when a language is either very strong or very weak, the knowledge of other
languages does not play a major role. However, at intermediate levels of proficiency, multilingualism and affordances can serve as a crutch in challenging communicative situations.

Variation in self-reported frequency of use of French swearwords among L2 and L3 users of French

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2011) In F. Martineau & T. Nadasdi (eds.) Le français en contact: Hommages à Raymond Mougeon. Quebec: Presses de l’Université Laval, pp. 87-116.

Christ fucking shit merde! Language preferences for swearing among maximally proficient multilinguals

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

Pubished in (2010) Sociolinguistic Studies,  4.3, 595–614

The present study investigates language preferences for swearing among two groups of multilinguals. The first group... more The present study investigates language preferences for swearing among two groups of multilinguals. The first group consisted of 386 adult multilinguals who filled out the
Bilingualism and Emotion web based questionnaire (BEQ, Dewaele and Pavlenko, 2001–2003) and had declared that they were maximally proficient in their L1 and L2 and used both languages constantly. The second group consisted of 20 multilinguals with a similar sociobiographical profile who were interviewed about their language choice for the communication of emotion. A statistical analysis of the quantitative data revealed that despite similar levels of self-perceived proficiency and frequency of use in the L1 and L2, the L1 was used significantly more for swearing and L1 swearwords
were perceived to have a stronger emotional resonance. An analysis of the quantitative data from the BEQ and the interview data confirmed the findings of the quantitative analysis while adding rich detail about the difficulties in deciding which language to choose for swearing.

L’acquisition et l’usage de scripts dans les différentes langues de multilingues adultes

by Jean-Marc Dewaele

(2012) In N. Auger, C. Béal & F. Demougin (eds.) Interactions et interculturalité : variété des corpus et des approches. Berlin: Peter Lang, pp. 195-222.

An Analysis of the Discursive Construction and Reproduction of Multilingual European-Ness

by Franco Zappettini

Cross-linguistic and Multilingual perspective on Communicative competence and Communication Impairment: Pragmatics, Discourse and Sociolinguistics.

by Zhu Hua

2008 Cross-linguistic and Multilingual perspective on Communicative competence and Communication Impairment: Pragmatics, Discourse and Sociolinguistics. In Martin Ball &  Michael R. Perkins, Nicole Muller & Sara Howard (eds.), Handbook of Clinical Linguistics (pp. 146-162). Oxford: Blackwell. (with Li Wei)

Stylistic variation in the early lexical development of young Putonghua-speaking children

by Zhu Hua

1999 Stylistic variation in the early lexical development of young Putonghua-speaking children. Asia-Pacific Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing, 4 (1), 39-51.  (with Li Wei)

Looking for face

by Zhu Hua

2003 Looking for face. Journal of Asian Pacific communication, 13(2), 311-319.

Childhood bilingualism: Distinguishing difference from disorder

by Zhu Hua

2005 Childhood bilingualism: distinguishing difference from disorder. In Martin Ball (ed). Clinical Sociolinguistics (pp.193-206). Blackwell. (with Li Wei, Nick Miller & Barbara Dodd)

Bi- and Multilingual Language Acquisition

by Zhu Hua

Zhu Hua & LI Wei (2005). Bi- and Multi-lingual Acquisition.  In Martin Ball (ed), Clinical Sociolinguistics (pp.165-179). Blackwell