The impact of bilingualism on hate speech perception and slur appropriation: An initial study of Italian UK residents

The complex relationship between bilingualism and emotions has been extensively studied since the early 2000s, but the potential impact of bilingualism on speakers’ perceptions and reactions to an emotionally loaded topic such as hate speech has been overlooked. This chapter reports the first investigation of this kind, examining whether hate speech perception differs for late bilinguals in their first language (L1) versus their second language (L2), and how bilingual experience factors such as length of residence in the L2 country and language dominance may predict these perceptions. This research also explores whether the same factors, along with identifying with a sexual or ethnic minority, may predict bilinguals’ perception of appropriateness in using slurs to react to hate speech, and whether bilinguals would appropriate slurs themselves. The bilingual group surveyed consists of 43 highly proficient L1 Italian speakers of L2 English, who grew up in Italy until at least the age of 16 and have been in the UK for an average of 5 years. The results indicate that the participants perceive hate speech rather similarly in their L1 and L2. Importantly, despite the overall higher familiarity with L1 hate words, a longer period of residence in the UK is associated with L1 hate words becoming less accessible in terms of familiarity, use, and imageability, while L2 words become less offensive. Moreover, slur appropriation is not predicted by any of the bilingual experience variables, but only by whether participants identify as part of a minority. The findings are discussed with reference to bilingualism research on L1 attrition and emotion, and by highlighting the implications of considering bilinguals’ unique perceptions of hate speech from both linguistic and interdisciplinary perspectives.