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A Comparative Study Of Intercultural Adjustment Of International Students From The Perspective Of Cultural Distance

Posted on:2013-02-24Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:C H ShiFull Text:PDF
GTID:2247330395460839Subject:English Language and Literature
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With the rapid advancement of globalization, an increasing number of internationalstudents from various countries have swarmed into China to seek education andexperience a different way of life. Different cultural distances between the hostculture and their home culture will lead to different intercultural adjustment processes.Therefore, it is imperative for the host universities or institutions to better understanddistinct problems and difficulties of international students from different culturalbackgrounds in that process so as to provide them with more proper help.The present thesis examines how cultural distance affects the intercultural adjustmentof international students in the Chinese context and tests the cultural distancehypothesis that the greater the gap between home and host cultures is, the moredifficulties newcomers will experience. This research combines quantitative method(a questionnaire survey and statistical analysis) and qualitative method (in-depthinterview analysis). Taking students from Korea and America as an example, it isdesigned to answer the following research questions.(1). How do Korean and American international students adapt to life in China?(2). What are the cultural distances between Korea and China and between Americaand China?(3). To what extent does cultural distance influence the psychological adjustment andsociocultural adjustment of Korean and American international students in China?The data analysis and in-depth interviews show that:(1). As for sociocultural adjustment, American students adjust better than Koreans ininterpersonal interaction adjustment and academic adjustment. However, there are nosignificant differences in their facility adjustment and value adjustment.(2). Korean students adjust psychologically better than American students.(3). The cultural distance between America and China is larger than that between Korea and China.(4). In sociocultural adjustment, the larger the cultural distance between the hostculture and their home culture is, the better the international students are ininterpersonal interaction adjustment. However, the research finds no correlationbetween cultural distance and the other three variables of adjustment, namely facilityadjustment, academic adjustment and value adjustment.(5). The smaller the cultural distance between the host culture and their home cultureis, the better the international students adjust psychologically.This research provides some implications for host institutions or the government ofChina to better help overseas students in intercultural adjustment, and guides studentsfrom other countries to better prepare themselves if they plan to study in China.
Keywords/Search Tags:intercultural adjustment, cultural distance, sociocultural adjustment, psychological adjustment, American and Korean international students
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