The Relationship between Bilingualism and Identity in Expressing Emotions and Thoughts

Abstract

This paper deals with the relationship between bilingualism and ways of expressing emotions and thoughts. The paper is divided into two main parts. The first is theoretical, and the second provides an analysis of the research conducted for the purposes of this paper. As far as the theoretical part is concerned, the first section offers definitions of bilingualism and how bilingualism is connected to the construction of identity. The second section explains the impact of bilingualism on emotions, and the following section examines cognitive processes. This paper aims to demonstrate whether participants' second language is the language preferred for expressing emotions and thoughts, and to what extent. A qualitative methodology was used, through a questionnaire made up of open-ended questions. This gives place to a descriptive and quantitative presentation of the occurrences of usage of either L1, L2, or both in expressing emotions and other cognitive processes for all participants. Results and the analysis of the research undertaken are discussed in the remainder of the paper. After placing the participants in their sociolinguistic environment, focus is placed on the relationship between bilingualism and ways of expressing emotions, as this section examines different criteria which are taken into consideration to demonstrate that a bilingual person uses different languages in order to express emotions. The last section analyzes the results concerning cognitive processes. In addition, it analyzes different actions associated with thinking and examines for which processes and in which situations a bilingual person uses a particular language.Keywords: bilingualism, identity, expressing emotions, expressing thoughts ResumenEste trabajo trata la relación entre el bilingüismo y las maneras de expresar las emociones y los pensamientos. El texto está dividido en dos secciones. La primera es teórica, mientras que la segunda presenta el análisis de la investigación realizada para fines de este artículo. En el primer aparte de la sección teórica se proponen las definiciones de bilingüismo y se describe la relación entre este y el proceso de construcción de identidad. En el segundo capítulo se explica el impacto que el bilingüismo tiene en las emociones, y luego se examinan los procesos cognitivos. El objetivo de la investigación es demostrar si la segunda lengua de los participantes es la que prefieren para expresar emociones y pensamientos, y en qué medida. Para ello se utilizó una metodología cualitativa, mediante un cuestionario de preguntas abiertas. A continuación se hizo una presentación descriptiva y cuantitativa de los casos de uso de la L1 o la L2, o de ambas, en la expresión de emociones y pensamientos y otros procesos cognitivos en todos los participantes. En la última parte del artículo se plantean los resultados y el análisis de la investigación. Después de posicionar los participantes de la investigación en su entorno social, la investigación se centra en la relación entre el bilingüismo y las maneras ...

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