The Research Project
The Research Project
Prepared by:
Shnyar Ghafur Abdullah
Sumaya Kamal Jalal
Supervised By:
Wazha Marif Abdullah, MA in TESOL
2023-2024
Abstract
This research examines the impact of cultural variations on emotional language within
the United Kingdom. The primary focus is on how culture influences the way individuals express
emotions through spoken language. The study hypothesizes that the culture of the UK is deeply
intertwined with its emotional spoken language. Using a sociolinguistic framework, this research
explores the relationship between language and society, analyzing how cultural norms shape
emotional expression. Data were collected through surveys and analyzed to understand these
cultural influences. The findings reveal significant cultural impacts on emotional language,
highlighting the importance of considering cultural context in sociolinguistic studies.
Introduction:
The most important thing to be indicated is the problem of the research which is culture
has an impact on the way people speaking. In this paper cultural influences on emotional spoken
language, even if the culture of somewhere is appropriate by the terms of if it is acceptable or
not across the world will be discussed.
This research aims to investigate the dynamic relationship between culture and
emotional language within the realm of sociolinguistics. By examining how cultural factors
influence the expression, interpretation, and perception of emotions in communication, the study
seeks to shed light on the complex interplay between language, culture, and emotions.
How do cultural norms, values, and social practices shape the use, interpretation, and
perception of emotional language in interpersonal communication across different cultural
contexts? Is the research question.
This research is about emotional language reflection culturally; in other words it is the
way people express their emotion with their language according to their society or cultural
background that’s why the research scope is through a sociolinguistic perspective because it
indicates the relationship between language and society. Also this hypothesis can be proved or
not through a questionnaire in United Kingdom regions and emotional spoken language because
emotions mostly reveals in speaking not writing, in informal way of speaking not formal.
I. Theoretical Framework and Literature Review:
This section is dedicated to the theoretical background which means introducing readers
to the terms that we use or making the readers aware about the research hypothesis and the
literature review which is about others who introduce similar hypothesis.
Sociolinguistics
So, what is sociolinguistics? As Herk {2012} answers this question and according to him
the usual answer is something like “The scientific study of the relationship(s) between language
and society.” Which is true enough, therefore the sociolinguists study the relationship between
language and society, Herk {2012}. In addition Trudgill (1974: 32) states that “sociolinguistics is
a part of linguistics which is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon”
which means it sees language as a social act and relates language’s meaning in action or context.
Further, it is a derivational word or it is multidisciplinary form sociology and linguistics,
sociology refers to a science of society; and linguistics refers to a science of language, as it is
obvious it is study of language from the perspective of society and it explains how individuals
speak differently in different social contexts, (Holmes, 2001).
The other thing that needs to be introduced is term of culture which plays a significant
role in forming human beings’ intellectuality, personality, behaviors, and attitudes. It affects the
process of communication, which involves exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings,
and emotions by using speech, signals, writing, and behavior, (Mahmood & Hussein, 2019).
“While in the West the self is viewed as independent, self-contained, and autonomous, it is
considered interdependent in Asian, African, Latin-American and many southern European
cultures” (Markus and Kitayama 1991,p. 225).
Culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that
characterize a group of people. It encompasses the ways in which individuals within a particular
community or society interact, communicate, and understand the world, (Sharifian, 2014).
As for the key components of culture, it includes: 1. Believes and values: Beliefs
represent the ideas and convictions that people hold to be true, while values are the principles or
standards that guide behavior. These elements shape individuals' perspectives and influence
decision-making, (Sharifian, 2014).
Norms: Norms are the accepted standards of behavior within a culture. They define what
is considered appropriate or inappropriate, shaping how individuals interact with one another,
(Sharifian, 2014).
Symbols and language: Symbols are objects, words, or gestures that carry shared
meanings within a culture. Language, as a symbolic system, is a fundamental component of
culture, enabling communication and the transmission of cultural knowledge, (Sharifian, 2014).
Rituals and Traditions: Rituals and traditions are repeated and symbolic activities that
hold cultural significance. They may include ceremonies, celebrations, and rites of passage,
contributing to a sense of identity and continuity within a community, (Sharifian, 2014).
Art and expression: Artistic expressions, including literature, music, visual arts, and
performing arts, are integral to culture. They serve as outlets for creativity, cultural
representation, and the exploration of shared themes, (Sharifian, 2014).
Material culture: Material culture encompasses the physical objects and artifacts created
or used by a society. This includes tools, clothing, architecture, technology, and other tangible
elements that reflect cultural practices, (Sharifian, 2014).
Culture identity: Cultural identity refers to the sense of belonging and identification with
a particular cultural group. It involves the shared experiences, values, and practices that connect
individuals to their cultural heritage, (Sharifian, 2014).
Additionally It's important to note that culture is not static; it evolves over time through
interactions, exchanges, and adaptations. Additionally, individuals may belong to multiple
cultures simultaneously, as they navigate different social contexts and identities, (Sharifian,
2014).
Types of Culture:
Material culture, an essential type of culture is material culture that refers to the material
or physical objects and resources that is used by people to define their perceptions and behavior.
It includes services, factories, religious places, education system, house and health, economic
infrastructures like energy capabilities, transportation etc. and financial infrastructures like
insurance, banking etc. and numerous other things. Non material culture, this type of culture
refers to non physical ideas that a person has. It includes language, norms, rules, beliefs and
values. It also refers to things that could not touch, feel and taste, Hitesh Bhasin (2020).
Firstly, perhaps the most important term to define here is „emotion‟, because this
research deals with language and emotion. In a non- linguistic sense, „emotion‟ can be defined
as a feeling that is caused by a certain situation or event, or even as the part of a person’s
character that specifically consists of feelings as opposed to thoughts. In a linguistic sense,
Pavlenko classifies emotions as “speech acts that are inseparable from the rhetorical goals of the
speaker” (Pavlenko 2005, quoted in Bonnici 2009: 63). She also offers the view that the
vocalization of emotions is “relative to the interactional context and linguistic histories of
speakers” (Pavlenko 2005, 12}. Therefore accordingly the way in which any given speaker
verbally expresses emotion is shaped by their specific linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Emotional Language
There are a number of ways in which cultures do differ in their emotional expressions.
One important way is through what are coined as display rules ,which specify who can show
which emotion to whom and when. Cultures differ also in some of the specific events which are
likely to call forth an emotion. For example, some foods are considered a delicacy in one culture
but evoke feelings of disgust in another culture, not to mention that there are differences found
even within a specific culture (Ekman, 2021). For instance, we are confronted with the need to
interpret our intercultural business partner’s emotional expressions or to infer why our East
Asian friend did not retaliate but reacted with shame when we got angry with them ( Leersnyder,
Boiger, and Mesquita, (2015).
Although the specific event varies (e.g., the type of food), the general theme (e.g.,
ingesting something repulsive as a cause for disgust, or ingesting something attractive as a cause
as of enjoyment) remains a universal experience and this is a good model for all the emotions.
The specific event which makes someone angry may be different from what makes someone
from another culture angry, but the theme will be the same. Anger can be brought forth by
something that is provocative, insulting, or frustrating, to name just a few of the anger themes.
Although, what you may find provocative, insulting or frustrating may not be the same across or
within cultures Ekman, (2021). There are cultural differences in the emotion norms an ideal
emotions that can be understood from each culture’s valued ways of relating Leersnyder, Boiger,
and Mesquit (2015).
Another way that emotions can differ across cultures is through our use of language to
understand and express our emotions. Languages differ in the words they have for emotions, not
only in terms of the number of words for each emotion, but the extent to which a word gives
subtle nuances or combines emotions or tells us what caused the emotion. The Germans have the
evocative word schadenfreude for that distinctive pleasure when you learn of a misfortune which
has befallen an enemy. English speakers have no single word for that feeling, although we do
feel the emotion. Not having a word for an emotional state may well influence emotional
experience. Without being able to name feelings, it may be harder to distinguish them, think
about them, and so on (Ekman, 2021). Cultural contexts differ with respect to their relationship
goals (Rothbaum, Pott, Azuma, Miyake & ,Weiss, 2000). In several studies, Tsai and her
colleagues found that European Americans ideally want to feel high-activation positive states,
such as excitement and elation, whereas East Asians prefer low-activation positive states, such as
peaceful and serene feelings (e.g, Tsai et al., 2006).
Universals and facial expressions of emotion can serve as a model for understanding
other aspects of social behavior. In part our social behavior is constructed by experience; in part
it is constructed as a result of our evolution as a species. What has been adaptive to us in our
lives is malleable, and may vary from one family setting to another, among different social
classes and ethnic groups within a culture and across cultures. What has been adaptive to our
species, to our history on this planet, may not always be adaptive to our current life experience.
How much we are influenced by individual experience and how much by our evolutionary
history varies, depending upon what aspect of our behavior we are considering (Ekman, 2021).
For example, in most individualistic cultural contexts, like the United States or Belgium,
relationship partners remain autonomous and support each other’s independence, among others
by helping each other to maintain self-esteem (Heine, Lehman, Markus & ,Kitayama, 1999; Kim
&Markus, 1999).
Literature Review:
In this study, three other previous studies were considered and summarized that were
close to the same topic of this study, but their scopes and their methods are different. For
example, this research’s scope is sociolinguistic but those three are semiotic, psychological and
biological also cultural perspectives.
The first study by Jean-Marc Dewaele “Culture and Emotional Language” explores how
culture influences the way people express emotions through language. The researchers looked at
how individuals from different cultural backgrounds communicate their feelings and found
interesting differences between Eastern and Western cultures which means it is a comparative
between their cultural influences and norms on their emotional language, Dewaele (2014).
They discovered that in Western cultures, where individualism is valued, people tend to
freely express their emotions as a way of asserting their independence. On the other hand, in
Eastern cultures that emphasize interdependence, individuals often show emotional restraint to
maintain harmony within the group, Dewaele (2014).
To reach these conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from multilingual individuals
who navigate between different cultural norms and languages. By using both quantitative and
qualitative approaches, they were able to compare general patterns across cultures while also
exploring individual perspectives on emotional expression, Dewaele (2014).
To sum up the ideas the study highlights the importance of considering cultural
influences on emotional language to improve cross-cultural communication and understanding,
Dewaele (2014).
Zulfugarovna says that language and culture are deeply linked. Language needs culture to
make sense, and culture needs language to be structured. The study finds that both language and
cultural background influence how we show and understand emotions. For example, Western
and Eastern cultures express emotions differently. The study also discusses how different
cultural histories and technology affect emotional communication, Zulfugarovna (2023).
The third one is Matsumoto and Hwang’s study “Culture and Emotion: The integration
of Biological and Cultural Contributions” that looks at how both biology and culture shape
emotions. They suggest that some emotions are natural and the same for everyone, while others
are shaped by the culture we live in. They make three key points: emotions are different from
other feelings, there are both natural and cultural emotions, and different parts of emotions (like
reactions and meanings) should be studied separately, Matsumoto and Hwang (2012).
They found that basic emotions like happiness and sadness are felt by everyone, but the
reasons for these emotions and how this study shows them can differ between cultures. Cultural
rules tell us how to express our emotions, even if the initial feeling is the same. The words we
use for emotions show both similarities and differences across cultures, Matsumoto and Hwang
(2012).
By looking at many other studies, the authors concluded that biology affects immediate
emotional reactions, while culture shapes the meanings and expressions of these emotions.
Through this it is understood how emotions can be both universal and specific to different
cultures, Matsumoto and Hwang (2012).
The year of the first study discussed was 2014, and the second study was in 2023, the
third one was in 2012 while this study’s year is 2024. The first study’s scope is cultural and
cognitive psychology, and applied linguistics, exploring how culture influences emotional
language. The second study's scope is the semiotic dimension of language, culture, and emotions
in communications. Simultaneously, the third one’s perspective is biological, and this research's
scope is through a sociolinguistic perspective.
The methods for collecting data in the first one were interviews, surveys, and
experimental studies on bilingual and multilingual individuals. The method used in the second
research involves content analysis of linguistic expressions related to emotions, cultural norms,
and communication patterns, and the third one employs a literature review. However, this
research's method is a Google Form survey on monolingual and native speakers in the United
Kingdom. In contrast to the second research, this study does not rely solely on a qualitative
approach but on both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Another gap or difference from the first research is that it involves cross-cultural
comparisons to examine how emotions are perceived and expressed differently in various
cultural contexts between Eastern and Western individuals and the third one as well, in which the
comparisons help test hypotheses about the relative contributions of biology and culture to
different types and domains of emotions. For example, the research might compare how
emotions like happiness or anger are expressed in individualistic cultures (like the United States)
versus collectivistic cultures (like Japan). However, this research does not involve a comparison
but focuses on British individual native speakers in different regions.
Methodology:
This research was conducted using a Google Forms survey through which fifteen
responses from native British citizens were received from the cities and areas of Glasgow,
London, Manchester, Norwich, Bolton, Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Leicestershire, and Edinburgh.
In terms of gender, 53.3% (8) of the participants were male. 40% (6) of the participants were
female. And 6.7% (1) of the participants preferred not to say their gender.
Regarding age, 33.3% (5) of the participants were between 25 – 30. 26.7% (4) of them were over
40 years of age. 20% (3) were between 30 – 35 years. And the other 20% (3) of them were
between 18 – 25 years of age.
The limitations encountered when collecting this survey was the inability to reach the desired
number of participants for the study. At first, the aim was to achieve thirty responses, but only
fifteen of them were received. Additionally, input was acquired in only nine cities or areas in the
UK which is a moderately small number to rely on, considering the fact that UK is a large and
diverse country.
Discussion:
This research aims to investigate the interplay relationship between culture and
emotional language within the realm of sociolinguistics. Its hypothesis is that the culture of the
United Kingdom is intertwined with its emotional spoken and informal language. The research
question is: “Does culture of the United Kingdom influences their emotional spoken and
informal language?” The questionnaire will be analyzed and discussed here to reveal whether
culture has an influence on emotional spoken language in the United Kingdom.
This research was conducted using a Google Form survey with all of the participants
being United Kingdom natives. The questions consist of ten questions about greeting, getting
help, invitation, congratulating, consolation, apologizing, visiting, thanking, expressing love, and
birthday wishes.
These are the questions of the questionnaire with the most repetitive answers:
The most frequently used words are “boss” and “sir,” which indicates that in British
culture, people are very respectful of those who are older and more experienced than themselves,
and this is reflected in the way they speak. And one of the previous studies that was discussed, it
was discovered that in Western cultures, where individualism is valued, people tend to freely
express their variations of emotions as a way of asserting their independence. This is also
reflected in these answers because they used different and independent words like “Hey,”
“Hello,” and “Hello sir,” etc.
On the one hand, these independent responses express the independence of the individual
and their lack of attachment to traditional modes of public reply and speech. This also indicates
emotional expression varieties or variations in their culture and the way they speak. On the other
hand, the use of “Good morning” more than four times reflects the attachment of individuals in
the community to the formal ways of speaking and responding and the general norms of their
culture.
In other words, the responses show a mix of formal and informal greetings, with a
notable frequency of “Good morning” in various forms. This indicates a cultural tendency
towards formality and respect in professional settings. The use of titles like “boss” and “sir”
further reinforces the hierarchical respect typical in British culture. However, informal greetings
like “Hey” and “Hello” suggest an element of casualness and personal independence.
One of the great values in their culture according to their responses in the library context
indicates that they consider or distinguish specific words for specific places like a library where
formality is valued. This may refer to their royalty that they are respectful to higher-ranked
people, which is a value rooted in their culture and transferred to their way of speaking and
emotional language. Also, responses like “Take a rest” and “Help him out” express the
informality or friendliness of the individual’s nature or education in their culture.
To sum up the ideas or to break down the responses into categories, the context of this
question and its responses succinctly highlight traits like directness, informality, consideration
for fatigue, meticulousness, formality, and permission-seeking, providing valuable insights into
the cultural nuances reflected in the respondent’s language and behavior.
“ I'm here for you I feel sorry for your loss. Once
”
“ I'm so sorry to heard that ” Once
“ I am sorry. RP “ Once
“ Please have my sympathy for the passing Once
of your mother. ”
“ Rest in peace. ” Once
“ RIP ” Once
“ I'm really sorry to hear about your mum. I Once
know it'll be hard to deal with, so let me know
if there's anything I can do to be useful. ”
“I am really sorry for that” Once
As mentioned in the theoretical part of the research, rituals are one of the most important
elements of culture, for example, religious rituals, and this is now reflected in the way they speak
and express their expressions. For example, one of the responses, which is “God bless him,”
indicates religious expression because religion, as one of the elements of culture, affects the way
they speak or express words. In addition, responses like “R.I.P. 🕊 may he/her rest in peace,”
religious rituals on them.
Additionally, in British culture, expressions of sympathy and support are often conveyed
with a sense of understatement and sincerity. For instance, “May she rest in peace” is a
traditional and respectful way to offer condolences, expressing a wish for peace for the deceased.
“God bless him” - Similar to the first response, this expresses a wish for spiritual comfort for the
deceased, and “I’m here for you. I feel sorry for your loss.” This response combines an offer of
support with empathy, letting the person know they’re not alone in their grief. “I am sorry. RP”.
“Please have my sympathy for the passing of your mother.” - A formal and respectful expression
of sympathy, offering condolences directly.
In British culture, expressions of sympathy often involve acknowledging the loss with
sincerity, offering support in a respectful manner, and religious expressions. These responses
reflect a range of ways to convey condolences, from traditional expressions of well-wishes for
the deceased to offers of practical assistance for the grieving individual. The emphasis is on
showing empathy and support during a difficult time, while also respecting the cultural norms
surrounding expressions of grief and loss.
In other words, two of the most valuable values that reveals in their culture according to
this survey and the way they respond are royalty and formality traits rooted, since the most
formal trait is here that refer to their royalty that they are respectful to higher-ranked people,
which is a value rooted in their culture and transferred to their way of speaking and emotional
spoken language; as it is known ancient and entrenched British culture emphasizes respect and
formality to a certain extend, therefore those formal and respectful responses reveal that their
culture influences their emotional spoken language, the hypothesis is that culture of the United
Kingdom is intertwined with its emotional spoken language is proved according to the responses
and this study’s data collection.
Conclusion:
The study shows that culture plays a crucial role in shaping how people in the UK
express their emotions through language. The findings confirm that cultural context deeply
influences verbal emotional expressions. This research emphasizes the strong connection
between language and culture and suggests that understanding this relationship is vital for
effective communication in diverse societies. Future research could expand on these findings in
different cultural settings.
References:
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and self: Implications for cognition,
emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224-253.
Matsumoto, D., & Hwang, H. S. (2012). Culture and emotion: The integration of
biological and cultural contributions. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43(1), 91–118.
Sharifian, F. (Ed.). (2015). The Routledge handbook of language and culture. Routledge.