A Study Of Intercultural Adaptation Of Overseas Students From North Africa And Middle East

According to the globalization of world economic in the 21 st century, cultural and educational exchanges between countries become more frequent, and China’s economic rapidly grown in the past three decades, leading to China’s education development and the number of international students rapidly increasing. Inter-culturality has become not only inevitable issue, but also became routine of every day’s life, therefore; student’s cross-cultural adaptation has got the attention of researchers.From the cross-cultural communication and intercultural adaptation theories, the author conducts research-with a sample of four universities in Guangzhou city for North Africa and Middle East students- intercultural and psychological and academic adaptation. The questionnaires and interviews showed that the problems and difficulties encountered students in intercultural adaptation process are the following aspects:1. Socio-cultural adaptation aspects to local people’s life and behaviors. For instances: difficult adaption to local food and local culture, health insurance, public health, and other medical services, dealing with administrative issues, understanding of local humor culture, tolerance of local government to students organizations and religious activities.2. Psychological adaptation aspects. For instances: insomnia, lack of appetite, health security, homesickness, undue fatigue, lack of sense belongingness and other psychological adjustment problems.3. Academic adaptation aspects. For instances: lack of academic competitive environment and student’s respect to academic activities disciplines.Through cross-analysis between student’s basic information(age, cross-cultural experience, HSK Holders, etc.) and theirs culture adaptation, we have found the Students who have intercultural adaptation experiences are better in cultural adaptation than those who don’t have any intercultural adaptation experience. Those who have passed(HSK) tests before arriving to china are better in an intercultural adaptation than those who haven’t had(HSK) tests, especially in academic adaptation. Students who have pre insights about China are overall better in an intercultural adaptation than those who have no clue about China. 25-30 year-old students are slightly better to adapt the local cuisine than 18-24 students on one hand. On the other hand 18-24-year-olds is better in climate adaptation than 25-30 year old students. Students who have been in China 1-6 months are better to adapt to local culture and local religion culture than those who’ve been in china for more than one year. Undergraduate students are more satisfy to academic situation than postgraduate students and so on.Investigation found that there are some communications obstacles between Chinese students and MENA(Middle East and North Africa) students,the most apparent obstacle are religious and cultural differences. Communication obstacles between Chinese students and MENA students represented in the cultural and language differences and individual freedom.Finally, we made interviews and gained specific descriptions of MENA student’s interculture adaptation; the cultural conflict between MENA students and Chinese students and its reason. Which finally result to the totality recommendations and countermeasure.