The Impact of National Language Proficiency on Personal Life Satisfaction—An Empirical Analysis Based on the 2017 China General Social Survey

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between Mandarin proficiency and life satisfaction in China using data from the 2017 China General Social Survey. Drawing on the literature on language and well-being, we hypothesize that Mandarin proficiency is positively associated with life satisfaction and that this relationship may be moderated by factors such as gender, region, urban-rural status, and household income. We employed multiple regression analyses to test our hypotheses, controlling for various demographic and socioeconomic variables. The results show a positive and significant relationship between Mandarin proficiency and life satisfaction and support the moderating effects of gender, region, urban-rural status, and household income. Our findings have implications for language policy and suggest that promoting Mandarin proficiency can help improve individuals' life satisfaction and well-being in China.