Exploring the Influence of Chinese Cultural Background on Chinese-English Bilinguals' Use of Sexist Swear and Taboo Words: A Comparative Analysis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: There’s evidence that bilingualism can significantly affect speakers' language use due to different levels of understanding of the cultures behind different languages and different abilities to perceive language’s emotional and logical expression. This study narrows down the topic to Chinese and English sexist swear and taboo words (therefore S-T words) and explores the effect of cultural background on bilinguals’ use of sexist S-T words in their first language and second language (therefore L1 and L2), giving out possible explanations of the interrelationship between cultural background and the use of sexist S-T words by reviewing previous literature. By making the comparative analysis between Chinese and English cultural backgrounds, this study finally infers that the ideology of sexism is reflected in both languages and cultures they belong to, while different rules of emotional expression, different language structures, and different attitudes towards sex in Chinese and Western cultures are possible factors that influence bilinguals’ use of sexist S-T words in both languages. English is more open and direct on emotional expression, and the thought of individual liberalism supports individuals expressing their feelings; by contrast, China has the traditional thought of harmony, thus, Chinese speakers are more likely to express ideas implicitly. On the language structure aspect, as a high context culture with a pictographic writing system, Chinese is considered to be more offensive than English in the cognition of Chinese-English bilinguals. Moreover, Asians have more conservative sexual attitudes than their Hispanic and Euro-American peers.
Authors: Shaochen Zhao, Chenxian Hu
Institution: Renmin University of China
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4410619692