Research On The Cross-cultural Adaptation Of The International Students In China

With the development of international students education in China, the numbers of internationalstudents studying in Chinese universities from all over the world is increasing rapidly. Therefore, it isrealistic to research the cross-cultural adaptation of international students. At present, the informedresearch is macroscopic and theoretical and most of them are about the adaptation of internationalstudents in developed countries. There is a lack of profound empirical research on cross-culturaladaptation of international students in China and factors influencing in the academic circles.This study focuses upon the status of cross-cultural adaptation of international students and itsinfluencing factors, its object is the international students who have grown up in their native countriesand completed early socialization. The study takes empirically test by means of combiningquantitative research methods and qualitative research methods, with quantitative research as itsprimary means while qualitative research as secondary one. Through questionnaire survey and depthinterview are carried out from different perspectives among international students from differentcountries in Nanjing universities in order to explore the main factors contributing to the psychologicaladaptation and social cultural adaptation process of international students in China socially andindividually. The study explores the impact of nationality, gender, age, specialty, education degree,prior transitional experience, staying length in China, Chinese language proficiency as individualpredictors of cross-cultural adaptation process among international students. The important impact ofsocial structural factors is clearly explained from two aspects such as values and culture habitus.On the basis of the questionnaire, some problems in the process of cross-cultural adaptation ofinternational students are pointed out: there is more problems for international students meet somedifficulties and setback in the orientation of human communications, which democracies in thedisapproval of communication patterns and communication habits due to the change in theenvironment and cultural difference between different countries. In the aspect of life satisfaction,international students feel difficult to adapt the bad sanitary habits of local people, poor quality ofservice and the behavior that lack of public consciousness, as well as the mode of dealings.From the statistics and analysis by using SPSS19.0, we discover that individual factors impact thecross-cultural adaptation of international students in Nanjing universities to varying degrees and exitindividual variation. In general, male students’ adaptation is much better than female students in therespect of life satisfaction. Chinese language level has an impact on the communication adaptation, but the impact is not apparent. The communication adaptation conditions of the students whoseChinese language proficiency (HSK) are elementary is even better than the students whose HSK areintermediate. In addition, the prior transitional experience also influences the communicationadaptation of international students. But these studies provide evidence that individual factors onlycontribute partly to the cross-cultural adaptation process. The greater impact factors are due to thesocial structural factors such as differences in values and cultural habitus. For example, it is verydifficult for international students to involve in Chinese social life, especially to make friends withChinese people due to language barrier, The different social communication styles influenced byculture value prevent the contact among international students and Chinese counterparts.“CulturalInertia” resists the mutual contact and understanding as well.