Journal: Journal of Higher Education Research DOI: 10.32629/jher.v7i4.5415
Abstract
This study investigates international postgraduate students’ intercultural communication experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on communication challenges, coping strategies, and the perceived development of intercultural awareness. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with eight international postgraduate students in the United Kingdom, the study adopts a qualitative approach to explore participants’ lived experiences. The findings suggest that communication challenges arose from linguistic barriers, cultural differences, and the restrictions associated with COVID-19. To navigate these difficulties, participants employed reduction strategies, compensatory strategies, and strategies extending beyond immediate interactions. The findings also indicate that intercultural encounters contributed to shifts in students’ intercultural awareness, influencing their perceptions of cultural differences and responses to subsequent communication challenges. Conversely, intercultural awareness shaped how participants interpreted and managed these experiences. The study offers pedagogical implications for supporting international students’ intercultural development and promoting more inclusive practices within higher education contexts.
Keywords
intercultural communication, communication challenges, coping strategies, intercultural awareness, international students
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[2]Chang, D.-F., Chou, W.-C., Titrek, O., Biasutti, M., Detecting the institutional mediation of push–pull factors on international students’ satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability. 2021; 13(21): 11848.
[3]Liu, Y., Shirley, T., Without Crossing a Border: Exploring the Impact of Shifting Study Abroad Online on Students' Learning and Intercultural Competence Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Online Learning. 2021; 25(1): 182-194.
[4]Humphreys, G., Baker, W., Developing intercultural awareness from short-term study abroad: insights from an interview study of Japanese students. Language and Intercultural Communication. 2021; 21(2): 260-275.
[5]Sherry, M., Thomas, P., Chui, W.H., International students: A vulnerable student population. Higher Education. 2010; 60(1): 33-46.
[6]Baker, W., Culture and complexity through English as a lingua franca: Rethinking competences and pedagogy in ELT. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca. 2015; 4(1): 9-30.
[7]Hua, T.K., Mohd Nor, N.F., Jaradat, M.N., Communication Strategies Among EFL Students-An Examination Of Frequency Of Use And Types Of Strategies Used. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies. 2012; 12(3).
[8]Baker, W. (2009) Intercultural awareness and intercultural communication through English: An investigation of Thai English language users in higher education. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Southampton, Southampton.
[9]Vu, N.T., College-level students’ development of intercultural communicative competence: a quantitative study in Vietnam. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research. 2021; 51(2): 208-227.
[10]Byram, M., Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Philadelphia, PA: Multilingual Matters; 1997.
[11]Dörnyei, Z., On the teachability of communication strategies. TESOL Quarterly. 1995; 29(1): 55-86.
[12]British Educational Research Association [BERA], Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, London: BERA; 2018.
[13]Braun, V., Clarke, V., Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology. 2006; 3(2): 77-101.
[14]Jenkins, J., English as a lingua franca: Interpretations and attitudes. World Englishes. 2009; 28(2): 200-207.
[15]Halic, O., Greenberg, K., Paulus, T.M., Language and academic identity: A study of the experiences of non-native English speaking international students. International Education. 2009; 38(2): 73-93.
[16]Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M., Transnational connections, competences and identities: Experiences of Chinese international students after their return “home”. British Educational Research Journal. 2015; 41(6): 947-970.
[17]Darvin, R., Norton, B., Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 2015; 35: 36-56.
[18]Holliday, A., Culture as constraint or resource: Essentialist versus non-essentialist views. IATEFL 2000 Dublin Conference Selections. 2000.
[19]Ellis, R., The study of second language acquisition, Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1994.
[20]Brown, L., An ethnographic study of the friendship patterns of international students in England: An attempt to recreate home through conational interaction. International Journal of Educational Research. 2009; 48(3): 184-193.
[21]Wei, M., Ku, T.Y., Russell, D.W., Mallinckrodt, B., Liao, K., Moderating effects of three coping strategies and self-esteem on perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms: A minority stress model for Asian international students. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 2008; 55(4): 451.
[22]Ward, C., Bochner, S., Furnham, A., The Psychology of Culture Shock, London: Routledge; 2020.
[23]Dörnyei, Z., Ushioda, E., Motivation, language identity and the L2 self, Bristol: Multilingual Matters; 2009.
[24]Matsuo, C., A dialogic critique of Michael Byram’s intercultural communicative competence model: Proposal for a dialogic pedagogy. Comprehensive Study on Language Education Methods and Cross-Linguistic Proficiency Evaluation Methods for Asian Languages: Final Report. 2014; 3-22.
[25]Sun, J., Hagedorn, L.S., Homesickness at college: Its impact on academic performance and retention. Journal of College Student Development. 2016; 57(8): 943-957.
[26]Deardorff, D.K., Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education. 2006; 10(3): 241-266.
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