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Despite the inherently meaningful nature of Chinese names, Chinese international students often adopt an English name, particularly when they pursue education in English-speaking countries. Most empirical research on name anglicisation has examined the psychological impact of name change among ethnolinguistic minorities, as well as their experiences with heritage name mispronunciations. Very few studies have looked into the reasons and purposes of adopting an English name. The present study utilises a mixed-methods survey to inquire into the functions and use of English names by Chinese international students in Canada (n = 180), with the goal of providing insight into their name choices, as well as the associated implications for their cross-cultural adaptation. The quantitative and qualitative results suggest that, aside from avoiding name-based discrimination, English names play several adaptive roles, such as facilitating the students' intercultural communication, host connectedness, and integration. Further, English names also provide a route for Chinese international students to stay connected with their heritage culture in a foreign language environment. The findings underscore the importance of respecting language minorities' name choices, whether in their native or the majority language, and call for societal efforts in building a welcoming environment that accepts diverse personal names originating from many different languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory (STCI) assesses latent traits and states of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood to represent the temperamental basis of humor. The present study (1) tested the generalizability of the three-factor model in both state and trait versions of the STCI across European Canadian (N = 489) and first generation Chinese Canadian (N = 147) participants completing the English version of the STCI and (2) compared latent mean differences. Results indicated the confirmatory factor analyses of the three-factor model for European White participants born in Canada and Chinese participants born in China showed adequate fit for both trait and state measures. Furthermore, substantial equivalence of factor model parameters and partial scalar invariance were found for both the state and trait STCI measures. In examining latent mean differences, European White Canadian participants reported significantly higher trait cheerfulness, z = 3.30, p < .001, d = 0.84, and lower trait bad mood z = 3.25, p < .01, d = 0.80 compared to the Chinese Canadian groups. European White Canadian participants reported significantly lower state bad mood, z = 3.59, p < .001, d = 1.15, compared to the Chinese Canadian groups. Limitations and future directions based on study findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China remains the top country of citizenship for international students and female students (married and single) comprise part of Chinese international students. However, female international students as a marginalized group face multiple challenges and parental, marital, personal, and cross-cultural situational barriers. Relying on an auto-ethnographic inquiry, this study digs into my experiences and stories as a Chinese female graduate student in Canada to examine and connect with the academic climate and broader communities. Specifically, the gender-based, culture-based, and race-based challenges that I faced during my studies at a Canadian university including my coping strategies are explored. The constructivist paradigm as a theoretical framework is used to delve into my perceptions and understanding of my lived experiences. Data was collected from my journals, memories, and emails written during my study in Canada. Based on my experience, this study unveils motivation, knowledge, and organizational gaps faced by the female group because of gender inequality, and cross-cultural and cross-racial differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a case study that investigates the learning preferences and strategies of Chinese students learning English as a second language (ESL) in Canadian school settings. It focuses on the interaction between second language (L2) learning methods that the students have adopted from their previous learning experience in China and ESL instruction they have encountered in the North American classroom. Twenty Grade 9-10 Chinese immigrant students in a Canadian urban public high school participated in the study. Data derived from questionnaires and interviews show that the students pragmatically searched for strategies to optimize their English learning by taking advantage of their first language skills and available scaffolding. In particular, they considered the explicit strategies they had experienced in first language (L1) and English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction before their arrival in North America to be valuable. This article proposes a resourceoriented functional approach to teaching and learning ESL. To that end, it argues that language-teaching strategies often used in North American ESL classrooms can integrate more explicit teaching and learning strategies to help students, particularly those with beginner levels of English proficiency, to acquire vocabulary more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many believe that the best way to learn a language is to study it in a country where that language is widely spoken. Underlying this belief is the assumption that study in a naturalistic setting will provide learners with ample opportunities for exposure to the target language and interaction with native-speakers of that language. This article reports the findings from a longitudinal study of the quantity and quality of exposure experienced by 17 Chinese graduate students at a Canadian university. Exposure was measured using a computerized log that participants completed once a month for one week, over a six-month period. Our findings show a general trend toward receptive rather than interactive use of English, and considerable variation among individuals in terms of the amount and type of language use. The discussion explores possible reasons for participants' relatively low amount of oral interaction in English in this naturalistic setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Emerging adults have negative implicit attitude toward shyness in China and Canada. • Their implicit attitude toward shyness were not related to their explicit attitude. • People higher in shyness showed less negative attitude among Canadian students. • No gender difference was found across two studies. The goal of this research was to explore implicit and explicit attitudes about shyness in Canada and Mainland China. In Study 1, Canadian undergraduate students (N = 650) completed a newly developed online version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) focused on shyness, as well as questionnaires about their own shyness and explicit beliefs about shyness. Results suggested that Canadian university students automatically associated shyness with negative words. In Study 2, Chinese undergraduate students (N = 290) completed a newly developed Mandarin Chinese online version of the IAT related to shyness, as well as questionnaires of their own shyness explicit beliefs about shyness. Results indicated that Chinese students also automatically associated shyness with negative words, but differences were observed in the pattern of association with participants' own shyness. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of attitudes toward shyness in both cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the acculturation attitudes and traditionalism of Chinese university students in Canada. Gender differences in traditionalism; Definition of acculturation and its stages; Insights into Chinese acculturation.

Psychological adaptation during acculturation was studied among 68 Chinese sojourners (students and visiting scholars from China and Hong Kong), 28 Chinese immigrant and Chinese-Canadian students, 30 Chinese students and scholars in China, and 33 non-Chinese Canadian students. Each participant completed questionnaires pertaining to various aspects of their lives and personalities, including: health beliefs and behaviours; problems and ways of coping; social contact and acculturation attitudes; psychological and physical health; and subjective adaptation. The Chinese sojourners reported lower English fluency, lower ease of making friendships, more adaptation and communication problems, and lower subjective adaptation than non-Chinese Canadian, or Chinese-Canadian students. The Chinese sojourners experienced less desired and actual contact, more contact incongruity, more separation and less assimilation than Chinese-Canadian students. The Chinese sojourners reacted to their problems with less wishful thinking and self-blame, and more tension reduction, and the seeking of informational support than non-Chinese Canadian students. There were significant differences between groups in health concept and health causation, and believed and utilized health ways. Health causation, and believed and utilised health ways were the most important factors influencing the Chinese sojourners' health status. The Chinese sojourners experienced more problems, but tended to use fewer health ways after-arrival than pre-departure. The Chinese also experienced poorer health, especially poorer psychological health after-arrival than pre-departure. The longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of the Chinese sojourners' Cawte scores supported the U-curve hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]