Facial expressions are powerful cues for conveying emotions, and their role extends beyond native languages. A recent study has revealed how faces of different socio-cultural identities significantly impact the emotional meaning learning of second language (L2) words among native Mandarin speakers learning English.
Researchers from Dalian University of Technology conducted experiments utilizing Caucasian and Chinese faces expressing emotions such as disgust, sadness, and neutrality. The goal was to understand how these socio-cultural identities affect the acquisition of emotional meanings for L2 pseudowords. During the Learning Phase, participants repeatedly viewed English pseudowords paired with either Caucasian or Chinese faces showing these emotions. Their learning was tested through various tasks aimed at evaluating emotional recognition and generalization.
The findings underscored notable variances: participants were significantly more accurate when pairing newly learned L2 words with neutral facial expressions compared to sad ones. This points to the cognition of emotional meanings being deeply intertwined with the socio-cultural identities of the faces presented.
Interestingly, the study identified differences between the two participant groups during the generalization tests. The Caucasian-face group outperformed the Chinese-face group especially during tasks related to sad expressions, which is consistent with prior literature indicating advantages for emotional recognition from one's own ethnic group. Conversely, Chinese faces yielded more accurate associations with neutral conditions.
Lead researcher Beixian Gu commented on these dynamics, stating, "Participants were more accurate under the neutral condition compared to sad condition.” This reflects how emotional nuances can vary based on the expressions perceived from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The research also adds depth to existing studies on emotional word acquisition, demonstrating how socio-cultural contexts alter the learning process. Prior findings indicated L1 emotional learning benefits from facial expressions, but the current study extends this to L2 learning, indicating complex interactions at play.
The results highlight the importance of incorporating socio-cultural factors when engaging learners of different backgrounds. Educators might desire to leverage emotional facial expressions aligned with the students' cultural identities to optimize language learning experiences.
These outcomes not only bridge theories of language, culture, and emotion but also propose practical applications. Gu advises L2 learners to seek environments where they can interact with native speakers, aligning their learning process more closely with social cues inherent to the language.
Concluding, the study draws attention to the multifaceted nature of emotional learning within language acquisition, reinforcing the importance of acknowledging and integrating diverse socio-cultural identities within educational frameworks.