The Relationship Between Psychological Well‐Being and Second Language Skills Among Refugee Students in Primary Education

Abstract

Teachers of young refugees express concerns about their students’ psychological well‐being and suspect underlying trauma is a hurdle for learning the host country language. This study examines how psychological well‐being (including post‐traumatic stress, internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior, and protective resources) relate to host country language skills. Participants were 4‐ to 8‐year‐old students with a refugee background in the Netherlands ( N  = 132). Results showed that, beyond age and duration of stay, post‐traumatic stress and protective resources of trauma explained significant variance in Dutch language proficiency. Internalizing and externalizing behaviors were not associated with Dutch language proficiency. Exploratory analyses suggested a potential nonlinear relationship, indicating that students with (very) high levels of post‐traumatic stress or (very) few trauma protective resources struggle most with learning the host country language. Longitudinal research is crucial for a deeper understanding of the interplay between post‐traumatic stress, protective resources of trauma, and language learning.