Embarrassment guides language choice

For billions of bilinguals, many communicative acts involve a choice between languages. Here, we evaluate the theory that bilinguals choose a language to regulate their emotional reactions. We present four experiments demonstrating that language choice could be guided by anticipated emotional impact. Across several languages (Chinese, English, and Spanish), 1083 bilinguals from China, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Spain preferred a foreign language to speak about embarrassing topics, and this preference was associated with expecting fewer serious emotional and interpersonal consequences. Language preference was a function of native-ness rather than its associated culture, as the effect was evident even when languages were crossed (English native/Spanish foreign, Spanish native/English foreign). Foreign language use increases emotional distance, and bilinguals prefer using a foreign language over a native language to avoid feeling the embarrassment of discussing aversive topics. Hence, language choice could be an emotional regulation tool for bilinguals.