A Study On Cross Cultural Adaptation Problems Experienced By Kenyan Students In China

In recent years,China's "Silk Road? initiative and the idea of " building a uniform civilized community? having been deeply rooted in the minds of the people,the number of African students studying in China has surged.Due to different levels of social development and huge cultural differences,between China and African countries,African students are more or less challenged by cross-cultural adaptation while studying in China.Through questionnaires and indepth interviews,this paper hopes to have a comprehensive understanding of the cultural adaptation problems faced by African students in China,represented by Kenyan students,and the impact of these cross cultural problems on foreign students.Kim Young Yun's stress-growthadaptation model and John Berry's four fold model are the cross cultural theories employed for the purpose of this study.Guided by the theories,we will explore the psychological,Academic and social cultural adaptation problems experienced during the cross cultural adaptation process and coping strategies of Kenyan students in China in the process of their cultural adaptation.The main research questions in this paper are:1.Cross-cultural adaptation problems encountered by Kenyan students and other African students in China.2.Relevant factors affecting cross-cultural adaptation of Kenyan students in China.3.Measures taken by Kenyan students in China in the process of cultural adaptation.Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data,and SPSS.23 was used to analyze the collected data.It answers the above listed questions from the perspectives of Kenyan students in China and Chinese who have worked closely with Kenyan students,including Chinese teachers and students,foreign student managers,etc.In the study of the influencing factors of Kenyan students' cross-cultural adaptation,this paper puts forward three hypotheses: first,gender is an important factor affecting cross-cultural adaptation;secondly,travel experience in foreign cultures contributes to cross-cultural adaptation;thirdly,there is a significant relationship among academic,psychological and social cross-cultural adaptation.The results show that gender is not an important factor in cross-cultural adaptation among Kenyan students studying in China.Life experience in foreign countries has a great influence on cross-cultural adaptation.There is a significant relationship among academic,psychological and socio-cultural adaptation.The analysis of interview materials shows that the main factors affecting Kenyan students' crosscultural adaptation are language competence,learning support and social interaction.On the basis of discussion and analysis,this paper puts forward some suggestions on the cross-cultural adaptation of Kenyan students and how to help African students cope with the cross-cultural adaptation in international Chinese universities.Although there are abundant studies on cross-cultural adaptation around the world,there are few studies on cross-cultural adaptation of Kenyan students in China.It is hoped that this study can help Kenyan students and other foreigners better cope with the challenges of cross-cultural adaptation while studying abroad,and successfully achieve their learning goals.