Language, Emotion, and Belonging: Does Medium of Instruction Moderate the Link Between Emotional Awareness and Social Adjustment?

Abstract

Adolescence  is  a  pivotal  developmental  phase wherein language functions not only as a medium of instruction but also as a critical scaffold for emotional expression and social identity. In the Indian  context,  the  choice  between  Hindi  and English  as  the  medium  of  instruction  (MoI) reflects deeper sociocultural dynamics that may shape how adolescents understand and regulate their emotions. This study investigates whether MoI  moderates  the  relationship  between emotional  awareness  and  social  adjustment among 80 adolescents (aged 14–19) from Hindi- and  English-medium  schools  in  Ranchi, Jharkhand.  Using  the  Clarity  subscale  of  the Hindi-adapted Trait Meta-Mood Scale (Singh & Sharma,  2013)  and  relevant  dimensions  of Mathur’s (1999) Social Intelligence Scale, data were collected via stratified random sampling and analyzed using independent samples t-tests and Pearson correlations. Results revealed that Hindi- medium students scored significantly higher than English-medium  peers  on  both  emotional awareness (M = 38.60 vs. 35.40, p = 0.006) and social  adjustment  (M  =  76.20  vs.  72.10,  p  = 0.023). Girls also reported higher levels on both variables  compared  to  boys  (p  <  0.05). Importantly,  the  correlation  between  emotional awareness  and  social adjustment  was  stronger among Hindi-medium students (r = 0.61) than English-medium students (r = 0.41), suggesting MoI moderates this link. These findings support the linguistic congruence hypothesis and highlight the role of native-language education in fostering socio-emotional  well-being.  The  study underscores  the  need  for  culturally  and linguistically responsive mental health frameworks in Indian schools.