A Contrastive Study of Emotional Ratings for English Words Between Chinese EFL Learners and English Native Speakers: Based on the Embodied Cognition

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2020.05.005

Abstract

Abstract:

To investigate the differences and similarities in emotional ratings for English words between Chinese EFL learners and English native speakers, this study conducts the emotional ratings for English words among 2000 non English majors in China by means of paper pencil method. And L2 database of emotional ratings of English words along valence, arousal and dominance dimensions is built. Based on the comparison of emotional ratings between Chinese EFL learners and English native speakers, this study finds that: (1) In terms of valence dimension, the ratings provided by Chinese EFL learners and those provided by English native speakers present positive correlations, but English native speakers rate a number of words as more pleasant or more unpleasant, while Chinese EFL learners rate as moderately pleasant or unpleasant. (2) The ratings of arousal also show that the ratings provided by Chinese EFL learners and those by English native speakers are positively correlated. But the former is generally higher than the latter. Specifically speaking, the ratings made by Chinese EFL learners present higher arousal while the ratings made by English native speakers present lower arousal. (3) The ratings of dominance also show a positive correlation between Chinese EFL learners and English native speakers, but no significant differences are found. All the findings suggest that English native speakers have stronger emotional experience than Chinese EFL learners when rating English words, which is in accord with the theory of low embodied cognition for unbalanced second language learners.

Key words: emotional rating, Chinese EFL learners, English native speakers, embodied cognition

CLC Number:

H319

XIE Shiyu, NI Chuanbin. A Contrastive Study of Emotional Ratings for English Words Between Chinese EFL Learners and English Native Speakers: Based on the Embodied Cognition[J]. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, 2020, 20(5): 34-48.

Figures/Tables 13

References 48

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维度	词数	最小值	最大值	平均值	方差
效价_中	3508	-3.45	3.70	0.48	0.93
唤醒度_中	3508	-2.90	3.50	0.43	0.65
优势度_中	3508	-2.51	3.45	0.60	0.79
效价_英	3508	-4.59	4.41	0.50	1.55
唤醒度_英	3508	-4.25	3.43	-1.11	1.15
优势度_英	3508	-3.58	3.58	0.57	1.15

	维度	标准差	差值95%的置信区间		t	自由度	显著性 (双尾)
	维度	标准差	下限	上限	t	自由度	显著性 (双尾)
配对1	效价_中&效价_英	1.07	-0.07	0.01	-1.70	3507	0.09
配对2	唤醒度_中&唤醒度_英	1.03	1.51	1.58	88.44	3507	0.00
配对3	优势度_中&优势度_英	1.05	-0.01	0.06	1.23	3507	0.22

	维度	词数	相关性
配对1	效价_中&效价_英	3508	0.74
配对2	唤醒度_中&唤醒度_英	3508	0.46
配对3	优势度_中&优势度_英	3508	0.48

词序	单词	效价 _中	唤醒度 _中	优势度 _中	效价 _英	唤醒度 _英	优势度 _英
194	delight	1.42	1.30	1.14	4.01	0.02	2.86
2497	annoy	-1.17	0.60	-0.03	-3.14	0.05	-0.45
513	hostile	0.05	0.90	-0.09	-3.31	0.49	-0.80
2941	tumor	-0.26	0.40	-0.71	-3.69	0.41	-3.13
词序	单词	效价 _中	唤醒度 _中	优势度 _中	效价 _英	唤醒度 _英	优势度 _英
2814	hijack	-0.52	0.65	-1.14	-3.95	1.38	-2.43
2070	jail	-0.43	0.68	-0.03	-3.86	-0.66	-1.36
17	corporation	2.03	1.40	1.19	-1.48	-0.34	-0.66
2428	outbreak	0.41	0.32	0.65	-3.16	0.48	-2.00
2317	widow	0.51	-0.15	1.11	-3.40	-1.88	-1.10
2579	torture	-0.30	0.48	-0.27	-4.50	0.11	-2.80

词序	单词	效价 _中	唤醒度 _中	优势度 _中	效价 _英	唤醒度 _英	优势度 _英
300	complete	1.78	1.88	1.26	1.88	-3.04	2.71
232	discuss	0.73	1.82	1.21	1.11	-2.80	1.80
1314	specific	0.74	1.51	1.36	0.60	-3.06	1.11
860	share	1.31	2.15	1.86	1.53	-2.25	1.80
3034	fresh	2.30	1.08	2.11	2.09	-3.31	1.60
3001	fare	0.13	0.89	0.06	-0.18	-3.38	-1.25
166	practice	0.73	1.13	1.54	0.90	-3.13	1.39
1527	department	1.55	1.03	1.64	0.41	-3.13	-0.21
676	dull	-0.39	-0.05	-0.38	-2.00	-4.16	-0.36
167	scene	0.68	0.28	1.08	1.18	-3.81	0.36