Intercultural Adaptation of Chinese Students Studying in Thailand

A Case of a Thai Private University

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) explore whether Chinese students' English and Thai language proficiency has an impact on their intercultural adaptation in Thailand; 2) explore whether the length of time of Chinese students study in Thailand has an impact on their intercultural adaptation; and 3) explore whether daily life culture and classroom culture have an impact on Chinese students' intercultural adaptation. A mixed methods approach was adopted to collect both quantitative and qualitative data through the use of the 33-item questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. A private university in Thailand was selected as the case study. 148 Chinese students at the university were selected as the survey subjects. These students were aged between 18-24 years old and studied at the private university ranging from four months to two years. For semi-structured interviews, nine students were purposely selected and divided into three groups based on the length of time they stayed in Thailand: six months, one year and two years. The questionnaire data analysis showed that the overall mean of the impact of the students’ Chinese and English language proficiency was at the ‘Agree’ level (`X= 3.67/SD=0.87). Secondly, the overall mean of the impact on the length of time needed for adaptation was also at the ‘Agree ’ level (`X= 3.45/SD=0.91). In addition, the overall means of the impact of daily life and classroom culture on their cultural adaptation were both at the ‘Agree’ level respectively (X= 3.41/SD=0.85; X= 3.53/SD=0.94). The analysis of the semi-structured interview data revealed that the language proficiency affected Chinese students’ intercultural adaptation. At each stage of studying abroad, Chinese students faced different intercultural challenges. Daily life and classroom culture also had varying degrees of impact on intercultural adaptation. This study recommends that schools provide more assistance in life and study to Chinese students during their studies, and that Chinese students should continue to improve themselves to better adapt to studying and living in Thailand.