Use of languages in bilingual's everyday life

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to know how bilinguals use the languages they own in their everyday lives, especially in emotional and cognitive contexts. Do they perceive, and express emotions based on a particular language? Does the first language remain forever the language of the heart? Is it only the first language the favourite channel to communicate and do cognitive tasks? In the existent literature, there is not an order about the factors that lead bilinguals to prefer one language than another. This research is going to answer these following questions: do bilingual subjects use only the first language in cognitive contexts and to express their primary emotions? In which contexts, cognitive and emotional, it is preferred the L1 despite the L2 or vice-versa? In the cases in which it is more used the second language, does it happen in cognitive or emotional contexts? Many variables are going to be analysed such as the order and the context of acquisition of both languages, the frequency and the context of use, the people with whom the languages are applied. To do this, it was created a questionnaire and it was shared to immigrant subjects because of they possess particular stories and past experiences that can influence their linguistic decisions about recollecting memories. Moreover, they are all multilingual and have faced late new cultures and languages, that can affect their concepts about emotions.