Exploring the roles of openness to experience, emotions, and proficiency levels in bilingual students’ happiness

Aims and objectives: Limited attention has been paid to whether and how bilinguals’ multiple language status is related to their well-being. Thus, this research aims to explore whether and how bilingual proficiency interacts with the relationships between personality, emotions, and happiness in bilinguals. Methodology: This study employed a survey questionnaire approach. Data and analysis: A sample of 277 bilingual college students in the United States participated in the project. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted. Findings and conclusion: Results suggested that positive emotion fully mediated the relationship between openness to experience and happiness, and bilingual proficiency moderated the relationship between openness to experience and emotions. Originality: This study unpacked the link between openness to experience and happiness through mediators of different emotions. Importantly, this study highlighted the different moderating impacts of bilingual proficiency on the relationship between openness to experience and emotions. Implications: This study presents several implications related to positive language education practices.