The Language of Affect in Bilingual Child Directed Speech

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the uses of evaluative language in L1 and L2 in 23 bilingual mothers’ interactions with their 30 month-old children. Expressions of emotion, volition, pleasure and epistemic stance were identified in 70 spontaneous mother-child interactions: (i) 23 Spanish L1 bilingual mothers speaking in L1; (ii) the same 23 bilingual mothers speaking in English L2; and (iii) 24 English L1 monolingual mothers speaking in L1. The results suggest that L2 uses of evaluation differ from L1: expressions of volition and epistemic stance in English L2 resemble their use in English L1, whereas expressions of emotions in English L2 are more similar to Spanish L1. These findings shed light on bilingual speakers’ expressive language and are useful in determining the specific ways in which child directed speech can have an impact on children’s language, social, emotional and cognitive development.