3. English is the Default Language? A Study of International Students’ Language Needs in the Chinese Higher Education Context

Author(s):  
Yongyan Zheng ◽  
Ting Zhang
English Today ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Song

To be engaged in the economic, political and technological processes of globalization, higher education institutions around the world have included internationalization as part of their long-term mission, and China is no exception. The number of international students on campus is a well-recognized index of the universities’ internationalized status. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People's Republic of China, in 2016 there were 442,773 international students studying in China, 209,966 of whom were enrolled in degree programmes in Chinese higher education institutions, and 63,867 (47.42%) studied as postgraduate students (MOE, 2017).


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson Maekele Tsegay ◽  
Mulugeta Zemuy Zegergish ◽  
Muhammad Azeem Ashraf

Using qualitative research methods, this study explores international students’ socio-cultural adjustment experiences in Chinese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The study indicates that many international students in China are facing linguistic and cultural challenges. They have limited interaction with Chinese students and the local people, which results in shallow socio-cultural understanding of China and its people. Although they are inadequate, Chinese HEIs are tackling these challenges by providing various supporting mechanisms such as offering introductory Chinese language course/s, organizing orientation programmes and partnering international and Chinese students. The study helps (Chinese) HEIs to enhance their services to international students and boost students’ experiences.


Author(s):  
Xue Lan Rong ◽  
Shuguang Wang

A theoretical model of positioned, positioning, and repositioning is used to conceptualize the evolving process of the internationalization of Chinese higher education and answer the following three questions: (a) How have the quantitative trends of Chinese students studying abroad and international students studying in China changed over the past 30 years? (b) What are the differences between Chinese students studying abroad and international students studying in China in recent years, in terms of the host and sending countries, the level of study, and the fields of study, and what do the differences mean when compared to those in other countries? (c) What are the challenges, opportunities, and strategies in the years to come? To answer the first question, a compilation of descriptive quantitative data is used from numerous large national and international data sources, which reports a long-term upward trend (with some fluctuations) of inbound international students in China and outbound Chinese international students around the world over the past 30 years. To answer the second question, using general international mobile student profiles for context, data were compared of inbound international students in China and the United States in terms of both level of study and field of study. These revealed imbalanced patterns: Chinese outbound students are more likely to be in certain fields (e.g., STEM, business) and at graduate levels, but international students in China are more likely to be undergraduate students and non-degreed students in the humanities and language studies. Based on the data for the first two questions, the issues are synthesized in order to present the opportunities and challenges regarding the continuation of China’s internationalization of its higher education, especially with respect to inbound international students. In terms of issues and opportunities, economic and other impacts (such as political, financial, and pandemic related) are highlighted and call China’s attention to maintaining and expanding the strengths of its higher education system while considering competition from neighboring countries. Six major challenges are identified in this area, and suggestions are provided.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6831
Author(s):  
Mei Tian ◽  
Genshu Lu ◽  
Hongbiao Yin ◽  
Lijie Li

Student engagement has been attracting attention in the discussion of higher education (HE) quality. Despite the rapid increase of international students in China, little understanding has been gained for quality management on these students’ engagement in learning. This paper focuses on international undergraduate students in Chinese higher education institutions, exploring the nature and characteristics of their academic engagement and the environmental factors influencing the engagement. The discussion was based on a synthesis of the findings of two studies, i.e., an exploratory qualitative study following a small group of international students at a research university and a large-scale survey involving 1428 international students at 34 Chinese universities. The analyses revealed less than satisfactory levels of international students’ engagement, with a high proportion of the participants being passively or ineffectively involved in learning. The qualitative findings highlighted pedagogical and attitudinal factors that affected international students’ engagement. The survey results indicated six environmental factors, categorized into three groups, having significant effects on the respondents’ engagement. Although located in China, the analyses bear implications for practitioners striving for the sustainable development of international education in a broader range of contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-37
Author(s):  
Jian Li

Abstract This study aims to exploring the “The Belt and Road” international higher education. This research uses a qualitative method to explore the learning perceptions of 22 international students from South-Asian countries studying in Chinese learning programs at three Chinese higher education institutions. The findings argue that the international students from South-Asian countries’ various attitudes towards the learning and teaching approaches as well as their communications with international classmates, Chinese students and teachers all shaped their learning perceptions of learning Chinese. Moreover, the findings reveal those international students’ cognitive (e.g., thoughts, beliefs, and ideas), affective (e.g., feelings and emotions) and conative (e.g., tendency or disposition) learning perceptions as parts of their psychological mechanisms interacted with institutional or cross-cultural contexts. This study also highlights the importance of making sense of these complexities to understand international students’ learning perceptions. The implications of stimulating their learning perceptions are also discussed.


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