Intercultural Competence as a Predictor of Adaptation of Foreign Students

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the role of intercultural competence in the adaptation process of foreign students studying at Russian universities. The research is based on the author's model of intercultural competence, the main components of which are intercultural stability, intercultural interest, the lack of ethnocentrism and the management of intercultural interaction. The sample of the study consisted of 291 foreign students from Turkmenistan studying at universities in Kazan, Saratov, Penza, Rostov-on-Don, Khabarovsk, 291 students (48.5% — Women, average age is 22 years). We showed that intercultural com petence is a significant predictor in the adaptation of foreign students. We revealed different contribution of intercultural competence components to the effectiveness in the adaptation of foreign students. Among the components of intercultural competence only intercultural stability directly affects sociocultural adaptation. The absence of ethnocentrism reduces the effect of culture shock when a student enters a new cultural environment, but increases the success of his/her adaptation in this environment only together with intercultural stability. Two other components of intercultural competence: intercultural interest and the management of intercultural interaction have an impact on the successful adaptation of foreign students not directly, but through the activation of the desire to interact with Russian students and to increase the self-esteem in the effectiveness of intercultural communication with them. In turn these mediators are directly related to both psychological adaptation and intercultural stability. Thus we revealed the mechanism of intercultural competence influence on the adaptation of foreign students. The obtained results can be used to predict the adaptation of foreign students and to reduce the possible risks of their maladjustment in a new culture.

The role of Cultural Distance in the Adaptation of Arab Students to the Educational Environment of Russian Universities

“…By taking adaptation measures for students from other countries, we can minimize the risk of their maladjustment and help them integrate into the Russian educational space [Gritsenko et al 2021]. According to D. S. Tretyachenko, faculty members at Russian universities need to develop special pedagogical competencies in the socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students [Tretyachenko 2021].…”

Interpersonal Mindfulness, Intergroup Anxiety, and Intercultural Communication Effectiveness Among International Students Studying in Russia

“…Russian versions of The Intergroup Anxiety and The Intercultural Communication Effectiveness scales have been tested in previous studies in Russia and found to have adequate validity and reliability (Gritsenko et al, 2021;Khukhlaev and Bratkina, 2021).…”

“…There are numerous studies on the factors and predictors of the effectiveness of intercultural communication among international students in a new socio-cultural environment, including socio-demographic characteristics, health status, personality traits, tolerance, identity, metastereotypes, cognitive abilities, intercultural competence; cultural intelligence, and so on (Güngör and Bornstein, 2009;de Araujo, 2011;Neuliep, 2012;Jenny, 2013;Bücker et al, 2014;Bierwiaczonek and Waldzus, 2016;Presbitero and Attar, 2018;Thomas, 2018;Solhaug and Kristensen, 2020;Gritsenko et al, 2021;Ma and Xia, 2021;Matera and Catania, 2021;Cao and Meng, 2022;Xiong et al, 2022). The listed variables have a different impact on intercultural communication depending on external and internal conditions, which in turn sets the task of finding new predictors of the effectiveness of intercultural communication among international students.…”

A study on cultural adaptation of Chinese Students in Indonesia

“…Many people find it difficult to adjust to new environment or host environment. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate the crosscultural ability of the students in oversea or internasional student di China [12], [13], [14].…”