The Acculturation Of Chinese Students Studying In The U.S. And Pedagogical Implications For College English Teaching

Due to the different cultural norms and values between Chinese and American cultures, Chinese students studying in the U.S. are inevitably experiencing a series of challenges in adjusting to a new linguistic, academic, social, and cultural environment while staying in America. These problems can cause formidable barriers to their success in terms of academic performance as well as social adaption. The thesis aims to investigate these oversea students’ acculturation experience, including the difficulties they are undergoing, the strategies they have adopted, and the role English language plays. The three research questions are based on the exploration of the most preferred acculturation strategy they have adopted, and the correlated factors affecting the outcome of their intercultural adaptation.The data collection procedures comprise the application of a questionnaire packet and an interview. The participants of the study are50students from Mainland China studying in an American university. They were asked to fill out self-report questionnaires about their demographic information, acculturation strategies, and correlated factors. Ten students of them were randomly selected for the interview thereafter concerning the intercultural model they follow and their English study experience. Both the quantitative and qualitative results indicated that Integration strategy is the predominant one preferred by most participants. And variables such as age of arrival, length of stay, involvement with host country, individual personality, host environment and institution support are factors positively associated with their acculturation process. In the last chapter, conclusion on the basis of research discussion and analysis, and pedagogical implications for College English Teaching are put forward. The present study implicates that more attention should be paid to raise cultural awareness of both teachers and students, incorporate cultural elements into College English Teaching, and promote intercultural competence of college students. Finally, limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research are presented respectively.