1. Length of stay in Australia
Cultural Adjustment Experiences
of Vietnamese International Students in Australia
Bui Thi Huong Giang, M.A.
Binh Dinh College
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
RESULTS
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION
Different aspects regarding international students’ needs and experiences when they adapt to social and academic environments in English speaking countries have been investigated in the last few decades. This paper explores how Vietnamese international postgraduates adjust to life in Australia. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Vietnamese international postgraduate students who were pursuing their Master or PhD degrees at the University of Queensland. The findings indicate that although having well-prepared prior to their sojourn, most participants encountered such cultural adjustment problems as language barrier, cultural differences, social relationships, unfamiliar educational system and ability to practice critical thinking. A wide range of resources and specific strategies for coping with cultural adjustment problems were also reported. The paper provides useful information for educational stakeholders in Vietnam and Australia to improve students’ experiences and strategies to better prepare for their sojourn and to positively adjust to the host country.
Australia - leading study destination for Asian international students
Vietnam – 4th largest provider of overseas students to Australia
Increase in number of Vietnamese international students (ISs) in Australia
Lack of research on cultural adjustment experiences of Vietnamese ISs
Domains
Pre-sojourn preparation to Australia
Pre- and post-sojourn perceptions of Australia
Cultural adjustment problems in Australia
Family and friendship networks
Strategies for coping with cultural adjustment problems
Openness to seeking counseling to address cultural adjustment problems
Feelings of being a Vietnamese international student
In general, Vietnamese ISs positively adjust to life in Australia despite encountering similar cultural adjustment problems as Asian ISs. => need better English preparation
Friends, family and academic staff are main sources of help and support => develop good social networks
Difficulties in making friends with local people => awareness of cultural differences and development of ICC
University’s counseling center as not priority for help seeking => similar to findings in some other studies
Further research on non-scholarship recipients `
LITERATURE REVIEW
Challenges of ISs when adjusting to a new environment
Pre-sojourn preparation to Australia
Good preparation prior to sojourn to Australia
Sources of information: institutional websites, brochures, toolkit and friends
Pre- and post-sojourn perceptions of Australia
Similar expectations: peaceful and multicultural country; high-quality learning environment; friendly people; chances to improve English proficiency.
Consistent with the reality.
Biggest contrast: few chances to make friends with local students.
Strategies for coping with cultural adjustment problems
Make effort to solve problems
Seek help (friends & family: daily; lecturers/professors or institutional staff: academic)
Openness to seeking counseling to address cultural adjustment problems
Seldom seek help from university’s counseling center
Feelings of being a Vietnamese international student
Feel proud (most Vietnamese ISs have excellent academic performance in Australia)
REFERENCES
Abdullah, S. S. B. (2011). Help seeking behaviour among Malaysian international students in Australia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(23),
Australian Education International (2009). International Student Data for Retrieved 6 September, 2012 from
Berno, T., & Ward, C. (2004). Cross cultural and educational adaptation of Asian students in New Zealand. Research report for Asia: NZ Foundation. Retrieved 11 September, 2012, from
Brisset, C., Safdar, S., Lewis, J. R., & Sabatier, C. (2010). Psychological and sociocultural adaptation of university students in France: The case of Vietnamese international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34(4),
Campbell, J. & Li, M. (2008). Asian students' voices: An empirical study of Asian students' learning experiences at a New Zealand university. Journal of Studies in International Education, 12(4),
Constantine, M. G., Anderson, G. M., Berkel, L. A., Caldwell, L. D., & Utsey, S. O. (2005). Examining the Cultural Adjustment Experiences of African International College Students: A Qualitative Analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(1), 3-13.
Country Profile Vietnam (2012). Retrieved 6 September, 2012 from
Dao, T. K., Lee, D., & Chang, H. L. (2007). Acculturation level, perceived English fluency, perceived social support level, and depression among Taiwanese international students. College Student Journal, 41(2), 287–295.
Jou, Y. H., & Fukada, H. (1996). The causes and influence of transitional stress among Chinese students in Japan. Journal of Social Psychology, 136(4), 501–509.
Wang, C-W., Singh, C., Bird, B., & Ives, G. (2008). The learning experiences of Taiwanese nursing students studying in Australia. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14—150.
How ISs adjust to a new environment
Figure 1. Label in 24pt Arial.
Figure 2. Label in 24pt Arial.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
Research questions
How do Vietnamese international postgraduate students culturally adjust to life in Australia?
What are their specific strategies to cope with difficulties that they encounter when adjusting to life in Australia?
Methodology
Participants
N = 19
Pursuing degree: 3 PhD & 16 MA
Majors: varied
Careers: academic staff at colleges/universities or employers in government sectors in Vietnam
Data collection and procedures
Questionnaire survey (n=19): Closed and open-ended questionnaire
Semi-structured interview (n=4): audio-taped
Data analysis
Manually transcribe interviews into text.
Manually conduct a qualitative content analysis (to code and interpret the data from questionnaire and interviews in terms of commonalities and differences, searching for emerging themes and patterns)
Table 1. Demographic profile of participants (N=19).
Sex
Age
Length of stay in Australia
Financial support
Male
Female
24-27
29-30
30+
40+
<1yr
1yr+
2yrs+
Scholarship
Family 10 9 5 3 1 2 14 16
CONTACT
Bui Thi Huong Giang
Binh Dinh College
Phone:
Website: