How does cultural background moderate the relationship between enjoyment and willingness to communicate in second language (L2) Chinese learning? This study addresses this question through an empirical investigation involving 457 international L2 Chinese learners in Shandong Province, China. The participants completed a paper-based questionnaire.…

In order to promote Canadian students' mobility to China, it is essential to understand their motivations to study in Chinese universities because it influences their learning experiences. Through the application of the push-pull model as a conceptual framework (Altbach, 1998; Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002), this study explores the factors that…

As Chinese students have become a larger share of the international student population at U.S. universities, their participation in Japanese language classes has increased. However, Chinese student enrollment significantly decreases after the completion of the first Japanese class, and consequently, fewer Chinese students take intermediate or…

This qualitative study explored the experiences of six Chinese and South Korean graduate students in the United States. Semistructured interviews and an interpretive phenomenological approach were used in which three major themes emerged: (a) academic challenges and acculturation, (b) academic support from host institute, and (c) cultural and…

The lack of exchange between international students and host nationals in Japan has long been a pressing issue, yet very little progress has been made to rectify this situation. In this study, we examined this issue by focusing on how international students in Japan perceive cultural contact with their host and home culture members during their…

In recent years there has been an increase in the enrollment of Muslim international students in higher education institutions in China. This research provides a brief overview of the issues that international Muslim students face during their campus life, such as adopting a new culture, lack of understanding from the broader university community,…

In this study we used grounded theory framework to explore how preparation for studying abroad affects the academic success of East Asian undergraduate students in U.S. universities. Based on interviews with 12 participants from China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, we found that knowledge of English language and American culture, which is…

This study employed narrative inquiry to understand the oral English learning motivation of Chinese international students with low oral English proficiency through their academic acculturation stories. Expectancy-value theory served as the theoretical framework to inform the study design and the interpretation of results. Findings suggest all…

This study employs ethnographic inquiry to present the lived experiences of Chinese international students while attending the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. The findings display the transformative experiences of this group, including language acquisition, academic and social challenges, and the strategies by which the cultural…

The Chinese undergraduate student population currently represents 12.8% of all international students enrolled in the United States (Institute for International Education, 2015a). In an effort to understand the experiences of this population in their first year of college in the United States, a phenomenological study was conducted using a…

This qualitative research was conducted on Chinese international students preparing to study in the United States about their expectation and perception of American universities. It explored motivation for pursuing degrees in the United States, expectations of life in the United States, and plans post-graduation. Findings suggest that these…

In this reflection paper, Lihe Huang describes his experience studying abroad in Germany as a visiting scholar. Through the well-designed introductory seminar and study tour arranged by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which provided the grant for Huang's research on foreign languages teaching and intercultural education in Germany, he…

In this article, the author expresses her thoughts and experiences on studying abroad. Yang Huang explains that studying overseas for international students means a lot--not only being away from home but also experiencing quite a few unexpected difficulties. Studying abroad is full of challenges for every student due to the language barrier,…

This study aims to identify the level of acculturative stress and to examine the correlations between acculturative stress or its subcategories and variables such as English language proficiency. The results show that international students were challenged by social interactions, lack of English language proficiency and financial issues. The…

Using interview data from 11 international students, this paper compares international students' experiences at a single American university, and the acculturation issues that they encountered. The students assessed their experiences at the university, both positive and negative, and discussed their perceptions of American ways of doing things.…