A Corpus-Based Analysis of Bilingual Learners’ Moral Judgments: Challenging the Notion of ‘Two Souls in a Bilingual Mind’

Wenhsien Yang; David Goodman; Li-zu Yang

doi:10.5294/laclil.2026.19.1.4

Authors

Wenhsien Yang Author National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3762-3696
David Goodman Author National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9361-2724
Li-zu Yang Author National Pingtung University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6465-5976

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5294/laclil.2026.19.1.4

Keywords:

Bilingual education, moral judgments, cognitive system, verbal production, higher education

Abstract

This study provides empirical evidence challenging the notion that bilingualism fosters separate cognitive systems. By demonstrating that bilingual learners exhibit flexibility rather than cognitive division in moral judgments across languages, the research contributes to understanding bilingual cognitive processes and offers pedagogical implications for bilingual education. Situated within Taiwan’s bilingual education policy, this mixed-methods study investigates moral reasoning among bilingual university students through structured interviews in both L1 (Mandarin Chinese) and L2 (English). Detailed analyses, including lexical and sentiment analysis, reveal no statistically significant differences in moral judgment across languages, though subtle differences in lexical richness, sentiment expression, and reasoning strategies were observed. These findings emphasize the need for scaffolding, culturally responsive teaching, and strategic questioning techniques to enhance learners’ cognitive and linguistic engagement in English Medium Instruction (EMI) settings. The study underscores the importance of flexibility and adaptability in bilingual education, challenging the skepticism of ‘two souls in a bilingual mind.’

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