Building on Experience: Meeting the Needs of Chinese Students in British Higher Education

Abstract

Chinese students now form a large proportion of international students in the universities of the English-speaking world. Competition between the 'inner-circle' English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, the UK and USA) is fierce with all the major players expressing concern about the effectiveness of their recruitment efforts. Based on the experiences of a wide range of university teachers and administrators in the UK, this report explores issues in providing effective higher education for students from the People's Republic of China. The main findings are presented in two parts: pastoral issues and academic issues. The findings are contextualized with reference to discussion of related issues in the growing literature on international students, in general, and Chinese students, in particular. Pastoral issues Various pastoral concerns were identified, including the challenges of adjustment faced by students on arrival, the perceived isolation of Chinese students, and the anxieties of some students in relation to health care. Adjustment problems International students are often lonely, isolated and vulnerable; they are also confronted with different cultural conventions. In this situation, misunderstandings are common and the negotiation of relationships can be particularly challenging. Attempts by universities to provide emotional support are often piecemeal and uncoordinated. Some institutions operate 'family networks' where second year students are 'parents' and third year students 'grandparents'. 'Buddy' schemes are also relatively common. Religious groups both within and outside the university tend to be particularly proactive, meeting and greeting new students at the airport, sharing meals and special occasions. Friendship networks with students from a similar cultural background play an important role in adjustment to the new environment. Associations of Chinese students operate on most campuses, with more experienced students well placed to offer practical advice and support to newcomers. There is also an active UK China Students and Scholars Association. Perceived isolation of Chinese students In spite of a strong desire to take an active part in the university life, there is a natural tendency to seek out other Chinese students who have a better understanding both of students' previous experiences and of the challenges now facing them. In many cases, Chinese students seek to live alongside their compatriots. Cultural practices accentuate the differences; cooking and sharing meals, important leisure activities for Chinese, sometimes place them at odds with home students. Health Given that Chinese and Western medical traditions have developed in quite different ways, it is not surprising that there should be difficulties in meeting the expectations of Chinese students and misunderstandings between British health professionals and Chinese students. Focus group discussions indicated that health care is indeed a recurring problem for Chinese students. Various reasons for a reluctance to make use of the B...

The other voices of international higher education: an empirical study of students' perceptions of British university education in China

“…Most studies in the field focus almost exclusively on Chinese students' choices and experiences in English-speaking countries, e.g. the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. (Altbach, 2004;Sin, 2009;McMahon, 2011;Simpson et al, 2010;Fernandes, 2007;Burnett and Gardner, 2006;Edwards and Ran, 2006;Turner, 2006;Ridley, 2004) but there has been relatively little research to date on the educational and socio-cultural experiences of Chinese students who study at British university campuses located outside the 5 UK (with the notable exception of Leung and Waters, 2013). There is, however, a growing literature on international students' experiences of cultures other than their own, including Chinese students' experience of British universities (see Spencer-Oatey and Xiong, 2006;Gu and Schweisfurth, 2010;Schweisfurth and Gu, 2009;Gu, Schweisfurth and Day, 2010).…”

Humor in British academic lectures and Chinese students’ perceptions of it

“…Many British scholars have investigated and reported the difficulties Chinese students face in their daily and academic life (Cortazzi and Jin, 1997;Edwards and Ran, 2006;Edwards et al, 2007;Liu, 2009;Spencer-Oatey and Xiong, 2006). In these investigations, academic matters such as understanding lectures, adapting study skills and studentteacher relationships have been identified as the biggest source of difficulty for Chinese students.…”

“…In these investigations, academic matters such as understanding lectures, adapting study skills and studentteacher relationships have been identified as the biggest source of difficulty for Chinese students. Another repeatedly reported issue regarding Chinese students in Britain is that they experience much less intercultural interaction with native speakers than they expect (Edwards and Ran, 2006;Gu, 2009;Robson and Turner, 2007;Spencer-Oatey and Xiong, 2006;Tian and Lowe, 2009). …”

Reflections on a bilingual peer assisted learning program

“…Commonly identified academic issues that international students (and in particular Chinese students) encounter include becoming accustomed to western notions of student-teacher relationships, implementing self-learning strategies, engaging in team work and group assessments, dealing with language issues, academic writing and plagiarism (Edwards and Ran, 2006;Akoudis and Tran, 2010). Language and learning support programs are largely available in Australian universities (Robertson et al, 2000;Ramburuth and McCormick, 2001;Andrade, 2006).…”