Language Use and Proficiency in Bilingual Children’s Subjective Well-being

Growing evidence suggests a relationship between a child’s bilingual experience and their subjective well-being (SWB). This chapter investigates how primary school bilingual children’s language use and proficiency affect their SWB. Data were collected from 25 6–12-year-old English—Chinese bilinguals in Singapore through online surveys and semi-structured online interviews. The findings show that at home and school, children used English and Chinese with more balance. In contrast, English was used predominantly with peers and in various activities. Backward multiple regression analyses reveal that children’s better-perceived health is significantly predicted by children’s exposure to Chinese as the first language (L1) and their English proficiency. In terms of children’s general health-related quality of life (HRQoL), younger children and those with higher English proficiency demonstrated a better HRQoL. Themes drawn out from the interview data revealed that (1) children found bilingualism to be important and practiced it for communication purposes; (2) their language use, Chinese, in particular, was influenced by grandparents, parents, and peers; and (3) children reported a higher number of positive experiences involving English than Chinese. They also mentioned more negative experiences with Chinese than English. The data showed that both children’s language exposure and proficiency matter to their SWB.