A Study On The Life Experiences Of Short-term Overseas Students From Indonesia

Now in china, with the development of comprehensive national strength and international standing,an increasing number of foreign students are attracted to study here. At present, overseas students fromAsia tops the list, among which are mainly students from Indonesia for a long period of time. InIndonesia, the gradually flourished "study in china" has its both historical and realistic reasons. Thehistory of Chinese Indonesian dates back to2000years ago. There were as many as2million ChineseIndonesian when the new china was found. However, the Suharto government has forbidden theirpeople to learn Chinese since1966to1988. The new government has gradually opened up to Chineseafter Suharto’s step down. The learning desire, which has been depressed for years, gradually recovered.Thus, a growing number of Indonesian chose to take a training, or rather, a short-term training in china.Although there are many studies on overseas students, very few of them fucus on the Indonesians’ shortterm overseas students.Based on qualitative research, this thesis, employs phenomenological method to study Indonesiashort term students’ life in four aspects: daily life, interpersonal communication, learning situation, andpsychological states. It arms to know the characteristics of their life experience and reveal thesignificance,or in other words, the essence of study in china. Research shows the Indonesia overseasstudents suffer from some adaptative problems which involves, culture, natural environment and livingcondition. Relatives and Indonesian friends forms the major social support system for them.Their socialhub, formed by their own country students, is confined in their single culture circle. Theircommunication with Chinese stays in a superficial level, rather than deep in thoughts or feelings.TheIndonesia short-term overseas students come to learn Chinese mainly for a instrumental motivation.Most of them do not have a clear goal or strong will.Thus, their learning enthusiasm is not high. Thoughthere exist some adaptative problems, in general, the Indonesia overseas students maintain a good stateof mind. They are in good mood,but homesickness is common. All in all, after analyzing the Indonesiaoverseas students’experience and percipience on four aspects, the author concludes that the essencesignificance of their studying in China is "tour experience". The Indonesia overseas students’ essentialidentity is "tourist".