Intercultural communication between Local and International Students in Taiwan

Abstract

This research examined the intercultural communication between local Taiwanese and international students. The focal point was to examine if the objectives of the government of Taiwan, Taiwanese scholarship donors, and Taiwanese universities that host international students were achieved in terms of the internationalization of Taiwanese universities and fostering the interaction of local and foreign students. International educational exchange allows foreign students and host country nationals, alike, to gain intercultural competence, which can improve intergroup and international relations. However, notable differences in language, cultural norms, and patterns of behavior may lead to communication barriers and difficulties in interaction between domestic and foreign students. Through an investigation of the intercultural relationship, between local and international students, the researcher examined the intercultural communication experience, of international and Taiwanese students, and the difficulties faced and strategies employed by those students studying in a culturally diverse environment. In this study, Contact theory, Espoused theory and Theory in use were used as the theoretical framework to analyze the behavior, of the groups involved. Local as well as international students were selected as the main participants of the study. Qualitative techniques were the main method of inquiry. Data collection consisted of 17 in depth interviews and 4 questionnaires with open-ended questions (a total of 10 local Taiwanese and 11 international students) as well as document review. Findings revealed that most of the experience shared between the two groups was quite different. Contact took place, between the groups; however, the amount of contact and what actually took place within those contact periods varied. It was also revealed that students acted contrary to their beliefs in termsof intercultural interaction. Key words: intercultural communication, host country nationals, foreign studentThis research examined the intercultural communication between local Taiwanese and international students. The focal point was to examine if the objectives of the government of Taiwan, Taiwanese scholarship donors, and Taiwanese universities that host international students were achieved in terms of the internationalization of Taiwanese universities and fostering the interaction of local and foreign students. International educational exchange allows foreign students and host country nationals, alike, to gain intercultural competence, which can improve intergroup and international relations. However, notable differences in language, cultural norms, and patterns of behavior may lead to communication barriers and difficulties in interaction between domestic and foreign students. Through an investigation of the intercultural relationship, between local and international students, the researcher examined the intercultural communication experience, of international and Taiwanese students, and the difficulties faced and strategies employed by those students studying in a culturally diverse environment. In this study, Contact theory, Espoused theory and Theory in use were used as the theoretical framework to analyze the behavior, of the groups involved. Local as well as international students were selected as the main participants of the study. Qualitative techniques were the main method of inquiry. Data collection consisted of 17 in depth interviews and 4 questionnaires with open-ended questions (a total of 10 local Taiwanese and 11 international students) as well as document review. Findings revealed that most of the experience shared between the two groups was quite different. Contact took place, between the groups; however, the amount of contact and what actually took place within those contact periods varied. It was also revealed that students acted contrary to their beliefs in termsof intercultural interaction. Key words: intercultural communication, host country nationals, foreign student