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How are words felt in a second language?: Communication, emotion and identity in learning Spanish as a second language
BURGOS PULIDO, Claudia
Several studies focus on the emotionality differences between a first and a second language. The main objective of this study is to analyse two relevant aspects of the emotionality of words in Spanish as a L2. On the one hand, participants give their subjective valence and arousal ratings to 300 Spanish words. This project analyses the valence (negative, neutral, and positive rank) of 38 verbs that belong to the initial levels (A1-A2) of Spanish as a second language. Words were taken from the Spanish language teaching guide, Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes, and were presented to the participants both via oral and written input. These data are contrasted along with those that were collected from a group of native speakers, which was accessed through a database named EMO/ELE. On the other hand, the attitudes towards the Spanish language and the reactions of non-native speakers to daily situations such as frustration, anger or saying "I love you" in a L2 are collected. These data are analysed both quantitative and qualitative via a questionnaire and several interviews, respectively. The results of both research studies carried show the main reasons and factors by which the emotionality of words varies in a L1 and L2. As a practical practice, the results are taken as a base to create a series of activities meant to help the Spanish teacher prepare the material for their classes and it is especially aimed at those learners with Czech as a mother tongue. The first set of activities focuses on vocabulary teaching (verbs) in situations where words are learnt in a natural condition, similar to L1 acquisition. The second set allows the student to express emotions and feelings in their L2 both in and out of the classroom.
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