i40
Issue 40. Spring 2026
Thematic section: Feeling the language. Construction of emotional space in second languages
Editors of the thematic section: Ana Blanco Canales (University of Alcalá) and Aránzazu Bernardo Jiménez (University of Castilla-La Mancha)
Important dates:
- Deadline for article submission: 15 January 2026
- Notification of review or acceptance: 28 February 2026
- Publication date: April 2026
*Pre-proposals with a 400-word abstract will be accepted until 30 November 2025 by writing to guest editor Ana Blanco <ana.blanco@uah.es>.
Context
Cognition and emotion are two dimensions that interact in complex processes carried out by individuals, such as communication and learning (Dolan, 2002). In both, language emerges as a creative element and carrier of the emotional component that accompanies human experiences (Lindquist et al., 2015). This explains why the study of the relationships between language and emotion is undergoing remarkable development in disciplines such as linguistics, anthropology, cognitive psychology and neuroscience (see reviews by Robinson and Altarriba, 2014, or Hinojosa et al., 2019, among others).
The emotional component has also become increasingly relevant in applied research on second language acquisition, positioning itself as a crucial modulating factor in formal and informal learning processes. Recent literature shows that emotions affect both linguistic performance and the effectiveness of communication in L2. This requires reconsidering models focused on cognitive aspects of learning in order to integrate affective dimensions (Blanco Canales and Bernardo Jiménez, in press). A deeper analysis of how new words incorporate affective characteristics, especially in the early stages, can help us understand how affective properties are incorporated and represented in the new language, which has clear implications for achieving genuine and effective communication (Hernández Muñoz and Blanco Canales, 2023).
Studies on emotionality in different languages indicate that the cultural context in which speakers are immersed determines not only the breadth of their emotional vocabulary, but also the way they perceive, understand and describe emotions, so that each language has a unique emotional- y space (Dewaele, 2010, Robinson and Altarriba, 2014). This has led researchers to take an interest in what happens with bilingual speakers and to check whether emotional processing changes when people communicate in a foreign language (L2) compared to their mother tongue (L1). Various studies have shown that the mother tongue retains greater emotional weight than a language learned later in life. Taboo words, insults, or expressions linked to childhood tend to elicit more intense physiological reactions in L1 than in L2 (Harris et al., 2003). This difference is not limited to lexical use: it has also been documented in memory tasks, decision-making, and moral dilemmas (Keysar et al., 2012).
The most common explanation is that L1 is acquired in contexts with a strong emotional charge—family, early bonds, early socialisation—while L2 is usually learned in more academic or formal settings, with less emotional involvement. As a result, L2 words tend to activate more 'disembodied' or emotionally distant semantic networks (Pavlenko, 2012). This reduction in resonance and emotional response in L2 would reduce communicative effectiveness, but at the same time, it would allow speakers to distance themselves from the content, reducing anxiety (Javier and Marcos, 1989), modesty or embarrassment (Bond and Lai, 1986) or the degree of involvement or commitment (Cook and Dewaele, 2022).
The study of emotional expression and perception in foreign languages reveals a constant tension between distance and emotional closeness. This is a phenomenon of enormous diversity, with disparate results, which in some cases are contradictory, highlighting the enormous complexity of the subject. Thus, different studies reveal that L2 is not necessarily "less emotional", but is influenced by personal learning history, the level of proficiency achieved and the contexts of use (Blanco Canales, 2024). Understanding these dynamics is essential for linguists, teachers and professionals working in bilingual or multilingual environments.
Call for papers
This thematic section aims to contribute to scientific progress in this field of applied linguistics. Its objective is to promote knowledge through critical reflection on different topics of study, offer contrasting and rigorous interpretations, and present relevant results, debates, and conclusions. All contributions must be based on empirical studies of a qualitative, quantitative or mixed nature, as required by RNLAEL. It is therefore expected that there will be a systematic collection and analysis of data from which verifiable results on emotion in second languages (processing, expression, perception, semantic construction) will be presented and discussed.
We are looking for papers that shed light on questions such as the following:
- How is the "mental space" of emotions formed and how is this organisation reflected in language? Are there differences between L1 and L2?
- What linguistic and sociocultural factors condition the difference in emotional resonance between L1 and L2?
- What role does linguistic competence play in the perception and experience of emotionality in L2?
- How do emotions influence the language learning process? How do they affect memory or attention?
- What specific aspects of language communicate speakers' emotions and how do they affect interactions?
- What role do learners' own references and representations play in the construction of emotional space and how are they incorporated into the new language?
- What effect does the reinforcement of both emotional identity and emotional linguistics have on motivation for communication in L2?
Proposals may be submitted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French or Italian. If you wish to submit in another language, please consult us.
Bibliographical references
Blanco Canales, A. (2024). Models of affective assessment of Spanish lexicon as a second language. Signos: Linguistics Studies Journal, 57, 116, 652–677.
Blanco Canales, A. and Bernardo Jiménez, A. (in press). Emotional stimuli in the learning context and their effect on lexical memory.
Bond, M. and Lai, T.-M. (1986). Embarrassment and code-switching into a second language. Journal of Social Psychology, 126, 2, 179–186
Cook, S. R., and Dewaele, J.M. (2021). ‘The English language enables me to visit my pain’. Exploring experiences of using a later-learned language in the healing journey of survivors of sexuality persecution. International Journal of Bilingualism, 26(2), 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069211033032
Dewaele, J.M. (2010). Emotions in multiple languages. Basingstoke. England: Palgrave Macmillan.
Dolan, R. J. (2002). Emotion, Cognition, and Behaviour. Science 298, 1191–1194.
Harris, C. L., Ayçiçeği, A. and Gleason, J. B. (2003). Taboo Words and Reprimands Elicit Greater Autonomic Reactivity in a First Language Than in a Second Language. Applied Psycholinguistics 24, 561–579. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716403000286
Hernández Muñoz, N. and Blanco Canales, A. (2023). Emotional factors of early vocabulary in Spanish as a second language. Bilingualism, 26, 3, 476–489
Hinojosa, J. A., Moreno, E. M., and Ferré, P. (2019). Affective neurolinguistics: Towards a framework for reconciling language and emotion. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience 49, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-017-1006-3
Javier, R. and Marcos, L. (1989). The role of stress on language independence and code-switching phenomena. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 18, 5, 449–472.
Keysar, B., Hayakawa, S. L., and An, S. G. (2012). The foreign-language effect: thinking in a foreign tongue reduces decision biases. Psychological science, 23(6), 661–668. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611432178
Lindquist, K. A., MacCormack, J. K., and Shablack, H. (2015). The role of language in emotion: Predictions from psychological constructionism. Frontiers in Psychology 6, Article 444. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00444
Pavlenko, A. (2012). Affective processing in bilingual speakers: Disembodied cognition? International Journal of Psychology 47, 405–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2012.743665.
Robinson, C. and Altarriba, J. (2014). The interrelationship between emotion, cognition, and bilingualism. Yearbook of the Poznan Linguistic Meeting 1, 103–117.
