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Q: How can we help Chinese students to integrate better at Western universities?
This follows from a previous question ('What are the main culture shock issues facing Chinese people in coming to the West?'), which received some good replies.
As a bit of a brain storm, let's say that we are the International Student Liasion Office at a mid-to-high-ranking university in an English speaking country. We've been trying very hard to encourage Chinese students to study at the university, but in their feedback the Chinese students report feelings of isolation, an inability to assimilate, of having few Western friends...and various other issues.
What could we do as the ISLO to rectify these difficulties and help Chinese and Western students to integrate more?
I have done this a few times already.
What I do is to explain to them in detail foreign customs, culture and ideosincracy. I do emphazise the need for them to forget their customs for a while, thus reducing isolation feelings, to seek making new western friends and not hang around with their Chinese piers all the time.
I also stress to them that at western universities, you do read ahead of the lecture, and go to class to resolve your doubts. And that there are two groups there, one that concentrate on studying and learning, and another on parties and fun. This second group does not last over two years.
Those that paid attention to my words, are still abroad doing advance studies in their particular fields, and at least one will stay working there after finishing his Phd.
it must be done while they are in china, the problem is no integrity in chinese schools. they think they can go abroad and plagirize (i know it's spelled wrong i just dont know the correct spelling at this fAcking minute)) where da hell was i...
also the bisggest problem with the schools is a serious lack of social development. they go abroad they have no social skills whatsoever no foundation of a personality, no set principles of their own. their entire life was someone else telling them what to do. their entire idea of friendship is using someone or brown nosing the teacher. they hav e no clue how to formulate an idea on their own from start to finish. my clarity is going
HappyExPat and Crimochina are right, the preperation has to begin in China. Once they have already come to America, they're so culture shocked, they go in their little shell and it'll be difficult for stuff to sink in.
I remember, at my university, there was a group of Chinese students. I was too shy to say hi because they were ALWAYS in a group together. I was taking a Mandarin class and thought I could ask them about culture or whatever, and it didn't happen. Someone should prepare them for what's coming. If they know they will be going to your university, you should send them an email (with links to sites) about the important cultural differences and what is expected of them in the classroom, the school rules...basically a play-by-play guide to living in America. And they'll need to know that they have to be more outgoing, because it will be difficult to make any friends if they don't say hello first. Even if its just the person beside them in class, that's fine. You can't go to America and just mind your own business, you will be very unhappy.
They need to know what to expect long before they ever step foot in America, or they will have a bad experience. Isn't that true when going to another country to live, no matter where it is?
yian:
I'm kind of undecided on your post. Some cultural orientation prior to departure could be of use, depending on, of course, who it's led by. On the other hand, it's very easy to generalise too widely. For example, I have a colleague who was told by her English tutor that all we eat in the west are sandwiches. True, we eat a lot of them, but not exclusively. What you and others mention regarding plagiarism is all too true. I think this is something that should definitely be explained before leaving. I've personally encountered Chinese students who have been denied degrees because of it; all that money wasted!
crimochina:
it shouldnt be just explained they should fail the class for it, that is the only way to get it
Jnusb416:
I have told some of my students before that plagiarism is serious business in America, that many times not only will you fail the class, but you can get kicked out of college for it. I have one student that I know of who will go to America. I don't know if he's going there for school, or just to follow his parents, but maybe I should talk to him about it and see if he needs any help.
RobertaM:
Actually it doesn't have to start in China...and it really can't. Why? Because even if you're from the country that the school is in- as a teacher, you might not fully understand the local culture of the location of the school. Not to mention having students from all locations in China arriving at one university. It's nice to know something of the country and the generals about school- but you're students will get nothing out of it when it comes to assimilating into the university culture. What you want the students entering to fully understand should be provided directly by the school in a uniform fashion so that you're more able to pinpoint any misunderstandings and misconceptions.
Shining_brow:
Just one thing, Jnus... when did this become all about America? Is the concept of culture shock in America different to culture shock in any other part of the world??
do universities from the west hold Q&A to recruit studends?
maybe this would go along way to helping
There is a big difference.. HUGE difference between being told about the culture shock of living in a foreign country and actually going through it. You can tell them all you want, but until it's reality, they truly won't understand. Especially if they've never been outside of China, or anywhere in the west.
The best you can do is tell them about the west, explain the differences, and then tell them about culture shock, and give them tools to help them deal/cope with it.
kchur:
Agreed. Before coming to China, I read a buttload of books and a few websites about living here, but I didn't really get what any of them were going on about till I had already been here about a year.
1. Form a Chinese panel of students to find out what the most pressing problems were for new students as well as continuing students.
2. Once you find the main problems look to peer support groups in order to minimize these problems as much as possible.
-Arrange for Chinese students to arrive at the school no less than 2 weeks early for their first semester. Fill those 2 weeks with general orientations and allow students to slowly experience western culture without any school pressures.
-Have a student liaison group meet the incoming students during orientation (or even have them in contact prior to arrival). During their first month at the school have them with the liaisons as much as possible, perhaps giving credits for the liaisons as a general elective.
-Form a solid Chinese cultural group that meets outside of school- organize trips to local settings with a mixture of Chinese students and western students. Such as local markets, amusements, movies- so that they have a chance to socialize both with other Chinese students but also with native students who are interested.
-Have a staff member/ counselor/ Upper classman who is fluent in Chinese and understands problems that might be specific to students from China. Include mental health checks/ counseling for first year students to be mandatory monthly to check progress and assimilation
-Provide or assist students with low cost ways to stay in touch with parents.
-Provide opportunities for new students to socialize with classmates through dorm activities as well as cultural groups
-Arrange for select popular ethnic items to be sold at a school store or have a monthly bus to an Asian market (if there is one in the area)- maybe have a vote for the popular ethnic items sold at the school store so that it can change monthly.
__________
I would say that it's virtually impossible to tackle this problem prior to students arrival due to the fact that there is no general area that they would be coming from. Also preparing a student to live in a western setting is a lot different than them actually living there. Provide as much background information as possible about the school, it would be better if it were produced by actual Chinese students who are attending the school as well. Allow students to have a liaison/ mentor prior to arriving- and having them in contact through email, would probably be the best bet.
RobertaM:
I'd also love to find out what made you ask this question. It's actually a very pressing problem and a big deterrent to qualified students who are afraid to go abroad. I was a director at an immersion style English program preparing students to study abroad for 3 years and it’s certainly a hard question to tackle. But without a doubt it should be handled on the university end rather than the students end in China just because nothing can really prepare them for it…it’s just a question of proper support.
kchur:
I think what we're mostly talking about is before they leave China.
RobertaM:
Actually the original question was "What could we do as the ISLO to rectify these difficulties and help Chinese and Western students to integrate more?" It was only the personal comments posted that decided that it should be done in China...which I disagree to.
It's a surprise that Chinese students don't integrated as well at Western Universities. Given that they have all the necessary training in China to succeed in Western Universites yet they keep silent when they are there. It is their policy afterall to have the discussions instead of doing written work. I would of thought that would of helped them out, but apparently not.
You have to get them involved in activities that is the only way to make the best out of the situation they are in. They are in a new country with their family members back home in China and they may feel isolated or lost at times. The only way for them to overcome this is to have courage and get involved in activities around the campus and mingle with other people/students. It's all up to them but a good start would be for them to get involved in activities. They can join a chess club, join some kind of club. I heard one time there was a festivity with different nationalities represented and all the nationalities/countries were represented except for china. The table marked for the chinese students were empty because they weren't willing to get involved although they did make up the majority of the student body at that school.
Shining_brow:
I partly suspect you're getting thumbs down because Chinese students are NOT well prepared for western universities... far from it - unless they've had a strict foreign teacher. If they've only had Chinese teachers, they're gonna get pummelled! But yes, activities such as International Food Day...
One thing Chinese students need to understand, is that when they go overseas to study, they won't be 'special'... For years, they've been treated like a precious little snowflake... and when they get overseas, they'll be thinking they are still special, and people will come up to them to make them feel all good and secure and interesting.
Then, they get there.... and they're just another face amongst a very large multi-cultural/multi-racial crowd.
I'd suggest, one of the first things to do when they get to that university, is to find the local Chinese department, and ingratiate themselves with the lecturers and students... hey presto - people who can speak (some of) their language, but who have been there for a little while, and they can hang out with... people who know a bit about the 'real' China.
Which, strangely enough, counters my next point - stop meeting up with your Chinese friends everyday, and get out of the habit of speaking Chinese, and start using the local language - day in, day out. BUT... do have regular get-togethers with your Chinese friends - we all need it, but we need the other stuff more!
And, lastly, football! The world's most popular sport! (and, if it's not big around that uni, find some other sport to take an interest in!!)
