The Study On The Cross-cultural Adaptation Of WeChat Emoji Among International Students In China From The Perspective Of "Face"

In the information age,online media are closely related to the cross-cultural adaptation of international students coming to China.WeChat emoji,as an important online communication tool in the Chinese-speaking world,has posed adaptation problems for international students and presented cultural phenomena that are worth explaining.This study uses "face" as a theoretical perspective to investigate the cross-cultural adaptation of international students to WeChat emoji,and its significance include solving the confusion of international students,improving the interpretation of local culture,and enriching the research results of the discipline.This study adopted a qualitative research method,interviewed 19 international students in depth,and organized a participatory group discussion,finally collecting a total of 21 cases.The study found that for international students,emojis whose expression features are consistent with actual emotions do not cause adaptation problem.The most notable problem is from emojis whose expression features are negatively inconsistent with actual emotions,typically like [Smile].A Series of emojis including [Doge],[Let Me See],[Onlooker],[Smirk] also pose some adaption problems,as the association between their appearence and implications is not obvious.In addition,international students generally have difficulty in understanding Chinese people’s behavior of swiping emojis in WeChat group chats.Guided by the theory of "face",this study concludes that: the WeChat emoji that international students have difficulty adapting to show the formal harmony of face culture;the group chat emoji phenomenon that international students feel hard to understand highlights the other-oriented operational feature of face culture;the ambiguity and precision that international students perceive from WeChat emoji reflect the distinctive spatial sense of face culture.Finally,this paper summarizes the essence of "face" from WeChat emoji: a product of relationship.Influenced by the face culture,Chinese people always concern for others and social harmony,and emphasize interaction and comparison among people.