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This project examined both quantitative and qualitative data about how American domestic undergraduates perceived Chinese international students’ (CISs) reticence and face concerns. A quasi-experimental design about American students’ ratings of a fictional CIS described in scenarios demonstrated that the reticent CIS was rated as more typical, less likable, and less socially-approved. A thematic analysis of American students’ impression about CISs suggested: 1) some Americans stigmatized CISs due to their poor English and reticence in classroom; 2) others were more open-minded to approach CISs’ reticence with intercultural communication competence by taking CISs’ perspective. The findings indicated: the stereotype that typical CISs are reticent leads to Americans’ negative evaluations of CISs; while perspective-taking skills resulted in better intercultural-communication experience.

Since the global economic recession in 2008, Chinese undergraduate students have quickly risen to be the largest international student population in American colleges and universities, forming a monoethnic group that often isolates itself from domestic students on campuses. This study explores how twelve Chinese undergraduate students utilized on-campus employment as a means of engaging host nationals to improve language skills and engage in cross-cultural interactions. Thematic analysis affirms the efficacy of the university workplace as an educational space outside of the classroom. Based on these findings, various policy recommendations are proposed to improve the management of international student employees.

Chinese international students represent one sixth of the international post-secondary student population present in Anglophone Canada. A popular field of study for this demographic is engineering. Considering differences in cultural background and English language barriers, Chinese international students face their own unique set of challenges in university classrooms where collaborative work has become a standard measure to instruct and assess material. Four face-to-face focus groups with fourteen Chinese international students examined how collaborative work with non-Chinese peers shapes the self-perceptions of English language skills by Chinese international students. Using Saldaña’s approach to coding as the selected method, the data generated categories, a concept and a key assertion. Participants’ perceptions of English language are shaped by efficiency, embarrassment and confidence. A desired goal of Chinese international students, which is only achieved by very few, is English language fluency. Suggesting an interrelated relationship, the key assertion proposes that language competence and perceptions develop in four stages. Perceptions and language competence transition through a non-linear process, which ranges from Shock, to the Brutal Upward Learning Curve, Acceptance and eventually Confident Mastery. Focus group participants demonstrated a high level of accurate self-assessment and are forced to adopt a dismissive attitude which allows them to move past negative experiences and perceptions and develop a strong sense of confidence which is necessary for survival.

Huizinga, Rick H. 2016. Bridging the Divide: Understanding interactions between international and home students in U.S. secondary schools. Master's Thesis in Education. University of Jyväskylä. Department of Education. The increasing numbers of international students have been well-documented in universities around the world—particularly in English-speaking nations such as the United States. Less documented, however, is the similar growth of international student numbers in private secondary schools in the United States. Unlike in university international programs, little research has been done on the topic of interactions between home and international students at this educational level. Using a qualitative research design with the intention of discovering certain trends and themes, Chinese international students were surveyed in order to further understand and characterize student interactions in American high schools. An inductive qualitative approach was deemed necessary for its ability to understand the entirety of the international student experience as it relates to their interactions with home students at school. The resulting thematic analysis found that large divisions exist between the two groups of students. Though positive interactions do occur, Chinese international students feel largely separated from home students, thus impacting their ability to interact further. Positive interactions were two-fold—those focused on class-time “helping” relationships, and those deeper-level “friendship” interactions often made during informal school events. Schools and teachers were found to play a role in fostering the interactions, while at the same time enacting practices or policies that deepened division. After further analysis of the discovered themes within the Intergroup Contact Theory and the Social Identity Theory, several practical suggestions were explored for schools to examine.