Negotiating Differences in Learning and Intercultural Communication

Abstract

Research on ethnic Chinese students studying in a Western (New Zealand) learning environment exposed differences in communication and learning between their first culture and the host culture. Thirteen ethnic Chinese students in a New Zealand university business school participated in an 18-month ethnographic study. The findings indicate that these students were not prepared for the dialogic nature of classroom communication, which created difficulties in listening, understanding, and interacting. Written assignments embodied different expectations of writing styles, and understandings of critical analysis and plagiarism. The findings raise challenges for teachers in responding to difference rather than deficit approaches to teaching and learning, for ethnic Chinese students to be better prepared for the new learning environment, and for host institutions and local students to find ways of developing diversity awareness and appreciation.

The development of social presence in online Arabic learning communities

“…Development of an online community is an important aspect of social learning, as the community provides the place where learners can develop trust in others, share their new knowledge, and learn from and with each other. However, there is also research that suggests that cultural values affect the way people learn, and may determine success or failure in learning (Gunawardena, Nolla, Wilson & Lopez-Islas, 2001;Holmes, 2004;Tu, 2001;Yildiz & Bichelmeyer, 2003). If cultural preferences do affect how learners become part of, and interact in an online community, then these factors must be considered in the way a course is designed, to enable all students to have equal opportunity for successful learning.…”

Measuring efficiency of the banking industry before and after the recent financial crisis: some international evidence

“…As Holmes (2004) asserts, there are "unexplained conventions" that students must adapt to for success in western universities: The "onus is on these Chinese students to reconstruct and renegotiate their primary culture learning and communication styles to accommodate another way", a process, Holmes claims, that disadvantages and further differentiates students (p. 303). Tran (2011) argues that "reciprocal adaptation from international students and academic staff rather than the onus of adaptation being placed on international students is paramount to the enhancement of teaching and learning and the sustainable development of international education."…”

Extending Support for English Language Learning: A University Outreach Program

“…The majority of colleges and universities require evidence of English proficiency for admission, generally measured by a standardized proficiency test such as the TOEFL; however, students may still be unprepared for differences in dialect, speed of discourse, academic language, expectations for accuracy in written work, oral and written discourse patterns, and large amounts of required reading (Andrade, 2009;Cheng, Myles, & Curtis, 2004;Holmes, 2004;Huang, 2004;Schutz & Richards, 2003). Additionally, cultural differences potentially affect adjustment and may contribute to homesickness, isolation, and clustering among co-cultural peers (Hechanova-Alampay, Beehr, Christiansen, & Van Horn, 2002;Lacina, 2002;Meyer, 2001).…”