Cross-Cultural Adaptation Study Of Foreign Experts Or Teachers In Chinese Universities In The Chongqing Area

In the 21st century that is characterized by globalization, internationalization and multiculturalism, intercultural communication studies has become an important area of study for social sciences. In recent years, as more and more people relocate for various purposes, the study of cross-cultural adaptation s gaining momentum. Among them the foreign experts or teachers recruited by institutions of higher learning all over the world constitute a special community both for its large number and for the significant contribution they have made to their host institutions.This paper addresses the topic of cultural adaptation of foreign experts in Chinese colleges and universities. For many years, foreign experts are under the supervision of the college's Foreign Affairs Office, who takes care of their accommodation and transport. However, it is found that few foreign experts feel truly comfortable and happy about their stay and work in a Chinese college. That is mainly because they are faced with the challenges posed by cross-cultural adaptation, which they are generally not prepared for.Drawing on the research findings of sociology, communication and psychology, this paper attempts to answer these four research questions:1. What are the foreign teachers'motives and expectations for teaching in China?2. What is the status quo of their cross-cultural adaptation (both psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation) in China?3. What are the factors that hinder or facilitate their cross-cultural adaptation/CCA process?4. What can we Chinese do to facilitate their CCA process?This research combines qualitative method and quantitative method. Based on Colleen Ward's adaptation theory, the author designed a questionnaire to investigate into the foreign experts'adaptation experiences. The results are analyzed with the SPSS. On the basis of the reliability test, correlation analysis and T-test, it is concluded that the hypothesized variables in sociocultural adaptation and psychological adaptation are all correlated with a sojourner's general adaptation process. At the macro level, most of the variables show no significant differences among respondents due to the small number of samples. However, at the micro level, slight differences can still be found in the results.Although the findings of this research need to be testified in future research, they have basically clarified the foreign experts'cross-cultural adaptation process, which may provide significant reference for the selection and training of foreign experts by the relevant departments and institutions in China.