Moral Foreign Language Effect (MFLE) with presenter Arnold Arao

ABSTRACT

In foreign language learning, learners engage with the language through learning opportunities and utilize what they acquire. Language itself is seen as a passive—knowledge to be acquired. However, recent research has indicated that the language individuals use, whether their mother tongue or a foreign language, can affect what people do and even how people think. This phenomenon has been referred to as the Moral Foreign Language Effect (MFLE). Though much current research has focused on foreign language learners with significant (> 1 year) overseas experience, little has yet been done to examine the effect on foreign language learners with little or no international experience. An investigation was conducted specifically looking at whether the language an individual uses can alter his / her moral decision making. Japanese university students were presented with moral dilemmas involving life or death situations. These were given to students in both Japanese and English. Though…