Emotions and Multilingualism

How do bilinguals experience emotions? Do they perceive and express emotions similarly or differently in their respective languages? Does the first language remain forever the language of the heart? What role do emotions play in second language learning and in language attrition? Why do some writers prefer to write in their second language? In this provocative book, Pavlenko challenges the monolingual bias of modern linguistics and psychology and uses the lens of bi- and multilingualism to offer a fresh perspective on the relationship between language and emotions. Bringing together insights from the fields of linguistics, neurolinguistics, psychology, anthropology, psychoanalysis and literary theory, Pavlenko offers a comprehensive introduction to this cross-disciplinary movement. This is a highly readable and thought-provoking book that draws on empirical data and first hand accounts and offers invaluable advice for novice researchers. It will appeal to scholars and researchers across many disciplines.

List of tables; Preface; 1. Languages and emotions: what can a multilingual perspective contribute?; 2. Emotions in the study of multilingualism: framing the questions; 3. Vocal level: is the lady angry?; 4. Semantic and conceptual levels: the bilingual mental lexicon; 5. Discursive level: I feel zhalko tebia bednogo; 6. Neurophysiological level: his coeur is where his feelings dwell; 7. Social cognition: I no longer wanted to speak German; 8. Emotions and multilingualism: an integrated perspective; Appendices; References; Author index; Subject index.

How do bilinguals experience emotions? Do they perceive and express emotions similarly or differently in their respective languages? Pavlenko challenges the monolingual bias of modern linguistics and psychology by bringing together insights from the fields of linguistics, neurolinguistics, bilingualism, psychology, anthropology, psychoanalysis and literary theory. The book is thought-provoking with a wide appeal.

Dr. Aneta Pavlenko is Associate Professor of TESOL at the College of Education, Temple University, Philadelphia. She is the author of many articles and co-editor of Multilingualism, Second Language Learning and Gender (Mouton de Gruyter, 2001), Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual Context (Multilingual Matters, 2004), and Gender and English Language Learners (TESOL, 2004).