Are There Two Stories? the Effect of Language on Emotional Expressiveness Among Chinese Migrants in Canada

This study examined the effect of L1(Mandarin) vs. L2(English) on Chinese migrants’ emotional expressiveness when telling their migration story. 40 interviews were randomized into L1 vs. L2 conditions. Quantitative findings suggested that Chinese migrants express more emotions especially implicitly when using L2. Qualitative findings revealed unique patterns of emotional expressions.