S2 E12: Language and Emotions – Prof. Jean-Marc Dewaele

Welcome back to another episode of MLST! In this episode, we’re going to talk about how our emotions, and identity, are tied to our languages to the leading expert in the field – Jean-Marc Dewaele. Jean-Marc is a Professor of Applied Linguistics & Multilingualism at the Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics at Birkbeck University of London.

His research focuses on language and emotions very broadly, and from many different perspectives, with his main interests being individual differences, psychology of language learning, foreign language acquisition and multilingualism. He has done research on the challenges that multilinguals face in communicating and recognising emotions in different contexts, such as emotional resonance of languages, loving in a second language, or swearing in a second language. He has also done research on psychotherapy in a second language, , but also classroom emotions and language anxiety.

As if he’s not busy enough, he is the director of the Centre for Multilingual and Multicultural Research, and the Scholarships and Awards Officer of the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning, plus he is a member of the executive committee at the London Second Language Forum. He is the General Editor of the Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, and he won the Equality and Diversity Research Award from the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy in 2013, and the Robert Gardner Award for Excellence in L2 and Bilingualism research from IALSP in 2016.

Originally from Belgium, he speaks French, Dutch, English, and Spanish.