Page 34 - ELG1704 Apr Issue 446

PEOPLE

JEAN-MARC
DEWAELE
CV

Professor of Applied
Linguistics and
Multilingualism at Birkbeck,
University of London.

General editor of the
International Journal of
Bilingual Education and
Bilingualism.
President of the
International Association of
Multilingualism.
Winner of the Robert
C. Gardner Award for
Excellence in Second
Language and Bilingualism
Research (2016) from the
International Association
of Language and Social
Psychology.
He holds a collection of
MAs (Spanish, Romance
Philology, International and
If you write a love letter, you’d better make European Law, Eastern
sure you get the grammar right! European Affairs, Language
Pathology) and a PhD in
Romance Languages from
the Vrije Universiteit Brussel,
Belgium.
for students. ‘Teachers can’t change a student’s per- out realising it is a gun, and then finding out you
sonality,’ Dewaele says. ‘If a student is anxious they actually killed someone.’ This, he said, was what He also won the humorous
won’t be able to make him not anxious, but anxiety got him thinking about expressing emotions in a award for ‘Most obscene
doesn’t need to be an insurmountable obstacle.’ foreign language – and the unspoken rules that go title of a peer-reviewed
Anxious students can still be helped to learn. with it. ‘If you have a foreign accent,’ he explains, scientific article’ with his
And anyway, apparently there is no personality ‘the effects of your words will never be the same of research ‘Christ fucking
type more or less connected with good language those of a first-language user – you won’t be judged shit merde!’’ Language
learning. ‘There is no typical profile for millionaires according to the same criteria. Preferences for Swearing
– it’s the same for language learners,’ he explains. ‘[This is the case] especially if you swear, as peo- Among Maximally Proficient
‘How good they become is more linked to motiva- ple might think that, as a foreigner, you don’t know Multilinguals (2013).
tion, work habits and lots of different things.’ the exact meaning and emotional resonance of the
Dewaele is fascinated by emotions and language, word and may be more inclined to excuse you.’ So,
but does he himself feel different when he speaks next time you need to insult someone in a foreign
in another language? He said he doesn’t, but that language, you should just play up your accent?
research he carried out on more than 1,000 multi- ‘Don’t take me up on that!’ he warns.
linguals highlighted that most people do. For some Given their cultural significance, should we teach 8
people, this means not feeling as confident, and for swear words? ‘They are a crucial aspect of socio-
others, feeling much freer. People can also experi- pragmatic competence,’ he says, ‘but the trouble is,
ence feelings of difference because they may use a they can’t be included in the curriculum as they of his research
language in a certain context, he says. ‘I feel more are not politically correct. However, students need
academic in English than I do in Dutch or French to be aware of swear words, they need to know they papers contain the
because those are the languages I use at home with are ‘red flag’ words and that, as second-language word ‘swear’ in
my wife and daughter, and I normally don’t discuss speakers, they don’t have the same linguistic rights
academic matters with them.’ as first-language speakers.’ the title
And what made Dewaele carry out all the re- Swearing aside, what would Dewaele like to see
search about swearing habits in a foreign language? change about foreign language learning overall? ‘It
The professor tells how he called a Greek colonel would be great to make language teaching more ef-
something akin to ‘imbecile’ in Greek because he ficient,’ he said. ‘The one thing I find so dispiriting
had been tricked into believing that it meant some- is meeting people in different countries who have CLAUDIA
thing else. ‘Thankfully he realised I was just a fool, had years of foreign language education and are CIVININI
and I didn’t end up in prison,’ he said, laughing. unable to have a basic conversation.’ Chief reporter,
‘I remember being so intrigued by the fact that this He pledges to keep working on this problem. ‘I won’t EL Gazette.
funny word that didn’t mean anything to me could change the world,’ he says, ‘but I am having fun.’
have so much power. It’s like shooting a gun with-

editorial@elgazette.com 35

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