The Effect of Second Language Motivation on Depression in International Students: The Mediating Role of Language Preference

Psychological well-being among international students has received increasing attention. Although some research has indicated a strong correlation between psychological adjustment and second language (L2) motivation, little is known about the links between L2 motivation, language use preference, and mental health. This study surveyed 178 international students and conducted correlation analysis, and mediation analysis. The findings demonstrated a negative correlation between depressed symptoms and the Ideal L2 Self, a subdimension of L2 motivation, and no mediating effect of language preference was observed between L2 motivation and depression. These findings suggest that a strong ideal self in L2 may provide psychological support for international students in multilingual contexts and help alleviate depressive tendencies, offering useful insights for cross-cultural mental health interventions in higher education. Future research could consider increasing the sample size and explore how learning motivation and language preference relate to various mental health indicators. These could offer deeper insights into the mechanisms of cross-cultural adaptation and psychological well-being.