| This study addresses the academic challenges graduate Chinese students face when they move from Eastern to Western university environments and English becomes the language of instruction. To address these issues, this study aims to understand the Chinese students' academic background in China, the methods through which they learned English, and their beliefs, expectations, and misconceptions in relation to academic success, courses, professors, assessments, and grades when they come to study in a medium-sized U.S. university. Data were collected through interviews with four Chinese graduate students who have been in the U.S. for nine months or longer. Each participant was interviewed during three individual sessions. Then, the interviews were transcribed and analyzed. The results indicated that the Chinese educational system favors conservative attitudes toward knowledge based on reproductive models of thinking, which align with the purpose of Chinese education. However, these attitudes may not transfer to Western academic environments and may clash with the purpose of Western education, which favors experimentation and innovation. In addition, the participants' preparedness for English immersion can be misleading for both Chinese students and U.S. faculty. Lastly, the participants believed that in order to succeed at the university, they had to improve their communicative strategies and change their attitudes to learning. These findings may be useful for identifying and understanding Chinese students' attitudes and specific academic needs within the different cultures and sub-cultures at the university. They may also assist U.S. instructors in developing curricula, assessments, and classroom practices that take Chinese students' needs into account. |
