Local language proficiency, school segregation and school adaptation of migrant children in urban China

Using the two-wave China Education Panel Survey, this study investigates the effect of local language proficiency on migrant children's school adaptation, and the moderating role of school segregation in contemporary urban China. Our analysis delineates three pivotal aspects of school adaptation: learning adaptability, interpersonal relationships, and psychosocial maladjustment. Utilizing two-level mixed-effects models, we uncover that the influence of local language proficiency on school adaptation exhibits variability across different segregation levels in both low and high migrant concentration counties. The effects are acting as a double-edged sword. In counties with low migrant concentration, high language proficiency can enhance migrant children's learning adaptability, self-efficacy, yet it could also bolster their depression levels. In counties with high migrant concentration, high language proficiency improves interpersonal relationships, however, it also increases their school change desire particularly in highly segregated schools. These findings highlight the intricate relationship between language proficiency and the contextual factors affecting migrant children's school adaptation. It suggests the importance of designing educational interventions that not only enhance language acquisition but also address the broader emotional and social challenges faced by migrant children.