English Proficiency and Happiness: The Mediation of Income Satisfaction and Leisure Satisfaction and the Moderation of the National Economy

Abstract

This study, using databases from the AsiaBarometer Surveys 2006 and 2007, empirically investigates whether and how English proficiency and happiness are linked in 14 East and Southeast Asian countries or regions. Based on the large-scale dataset of 14,811 respondents, we conducted hierarchical regression analyses and found that: (i) English proficiency is positively associated with happiness; (ii) the focal relationship is partly mediated by income and leisure satisfaction; and (iii) the focal relationship is negatively moderated by the national economy. These findings show the instrumentality of English learning in a globalized world and enrich our understanding about the influence factors of happiness, and contribute to the literature on English proficiency and happiness as well.