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Why Can it Be Hard to Perceive Emotions in Unknown Languages Very Different From Our Own?

Elia lives in northern Arizona, alongside the Navajo Nation. He grew up in France and learned English as a second language, but he knows very little Navajo. When he overhears Navajo being spoken, he has a hard time picking up any emotional tones at all, such as anger or sadness, or even perceiving whether he’s hearing a question or a statement. Why might that be? This is part of a complete episode.

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