[Week 12] Speaking foreign languages bothers me.

http://thetartan.org/2012/12/3/news/

Language affects on our moral decisions. Such conclusion results from psychologist's research made by American and Spanish team. Thinking and speaking foreign language we react in emotional way.

A simple example- a person who is going to make a love confession, could think for a while and imagine would it be easier to say this words in mother language or in, for example, English. Would it be easier to say „kocham Cię” or „I love you”? According to american-spanish team poles would be definitely less stressed saying it in English. The team claims that language has a lot to do with emotions and morality.

Very common survey to see our choices connects with morality is, so called, trolley test. Participants of such test are shown two situations. In the first one on the platform they see very quickly riding trolley with five people inside. It is known that they cannot do anything and that the trolley will crash and the passengers would die. The only way to stop a car is to push a fat man on the tracks. Doing such thing by devoting one persons life- five others are saved.

Second scenario is also starting with a speeding cart. This time the only way to safe their life is to switch the crossover and change the trolley’s track on a one on which somebody is just walking. Again we have to decide if sacrifice somebody's life to safe another five, but the situation is a little different- in the first scenario we compare breaking killing prohibition with warrant of saving somebody's life- says professor Boaz Keysar, psychologist from Chicago University. People mostly decide not to push a man, because our morality tells us first of all that we cannot kill anyone.That scenario causes a strong emotional reaction -he adds. In the second scenario- a man walking on a track is walking there , but it isn't our fault. This is why it is easier to decide to switch the crossover rather than push a man- he explains.

So far, nobody has linked moral choices with thinking in native language or in foreign language. In multicultural societies or corporations this question is appearing as a crucial one. Would a person for whom English is second language, for example when that person is a member o jury, value situation in a different way , than somebody for whom English is a native language?.- asks professor Keysar.

His psychologist team from spanish Pompeu Fabry University in Barcelona, conducted study on 725 respondents. Half of them were Spanish and English was their second language , and the other half used the languages inversely. Each participant was familiar with scenarios about a trolleys. The language didn’t matter as far as choosing the scenario was concerned- 80 per cent chose switching the crossover in less emotional scenario. Differences appeared in a group where people were asked to think in foreign language- they more frequently choose the decision about pushing a man.

When we think in foreign languages, our morality becomes more utilitarian. We' re less afraid of a loss, we're easier willing the risk, we feel less emotionally related to environment- claims prof.Keysar. In his opinion it relates to processes of learning. First language we learn being children, from our family, in our house.These are times full of emotions , this is why our native language is strongly characterized by emotions. We learn foreign languages in less emotional situations – he explains.

1. Are your experiences comparable to psychologist research?
2. Did you notice that things which you'd like to say changes when you try to speak foreign language?
3. Maybe you like (when you're nervous) or have to (at work?) use foreign language in some situations? Please write about it.