Expressivity and Pedagogical Linguistics

Abstract This chapter presents some major aspects of how expressivity is connected to the field of pedagogical linguistics in the domains of both L1 language classroom teaching and L2 language acquisition and multilingualism. Specifically, the chapter first sketches the so-called “affective turn” in applied linguistics and illustrates for student teachers in L1 classrooms what kind of affective beliefs are typically evoked by central components of pedagogical linguistics such as grammar and multilingualism. Based on some recent empirical studies, it is concluded that many times there is a mismatch between affective beliefs of student teachers and their actual knowledge systems. The chapter then turns to second language classrooms and some prominent learning challenges in the domain of emotional vocabulary, as well as further cases of expressive language that convey similar meanings and therefore seem to pose analogous learning challenges.