n the article “Exploring the exchange student’s global minds in a study abroad project” by John et al(2015), the authors present a research which aims to determine how the students improve themselves in the foreign environment and how they construct their global minds. Meanwhile in the article “Intercultural Communication as Revealed in Language Learning Histories” by Doman(2014), the author reveals the important factors which either hinder or enhance students’ English learning abilities. Throughout this paper, I will synthesize the two articles by the following ideas. Firstly motivation plays an important role in students’ international learning experience. Meanwhile, culture differences hinder students’ English learning process and sometimes could make their lives even harder in a foreign country. Finally, to improve intercultural communication abilities as well as English speaking skills, group activities and authentic products are also mentioned by both the authors. Students who are motivated to learn and communicate always have relatively positive mentalities which encourage them to reach out from their “comfort zone”. Many international students tend to avoid what they are unfamiliar with. They always stay in their small social bubbles and even use their native languages to communicate with which would not enhance their English skill or help establish intercultural communications apparently. Without getting in touch with the local students, it is hard for them to actually perceive the beauty of local culture or to develop global relations. On the contrary, those who dare to reach out would easily find opportunities to practice speaking English and expanding their social circle. As a result, they would not only get acquainted to English but also gain a much greater chance of establishing successful intercultural communications. “Persons who are motivated to communicate means that he or she has an initial wish to communicate”(NCA2007:7) For an international students, it is important to have an initial wish both in communicating and English learning. No matter what methods they try, without a basic motivation, if they simply do not want to do that, there is no way for them to be successful. While having initial motivation is important, international students also face the problem of culture differences in their global studying and English learning experience. Between two distinct cultures, despite differences in habits like living and eating which can be adapted relatively easily, those differences in values and beliefs cause the most stress. As minorities in the new environment, most of the international students were forced to change their ideas and sometimes even compromise to the local culture. During group projects, instead of separating out each parts of the project and work individually, international students were forced to work step by step within the group; which they consider not efficient. Also, due to their difference in beliefs and values, some international students tend to be quite and shy which leave the
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Culture stereotypes are not only set on international students, in fact, the most common ones are set on the local American students. As mentioned in “Intercultural Communication as Revealed in Language Learning Histories” by Doman(2014), “Americans are too loud, I don’t like to talk to them.” Before coming to the states, I was implemented a stereotyped impression that American students mostly party all night and don’t care about their study as much as the Chinese students. Ironically, this has been proven to be so wrong as I actually entered and lived in Case western reserve university for a semester. Almost every student here studies very hard and cares, from my perspective, too much about their scores. I still remembered last Halloween when almost nobody dressed up due to the upcoming mid term exams. Instead of going to the parties, students, especially the local American students chose to work in the libraries. Ironically, it was the Chinese students who joined the most parties during the Halloween. Furthermore, in Chinese society, there is a widely spread conception that American students learned less during their high school so that Chinese students would always lead a step ahead while studying. However, what I found is that most American students have even stronger bases among many subjects and they are more creative most of the time. One of my friends spent a lot of time during his high school doing researches on biology and as a result, his understandings on bio is far ahead of
Culture stereotypes are not only set on international students, in fact, the most common ones are set on the local American students. As mentioned in “Intercultural Communication as Revealed in Language Learning Histories” by Doman(2014), “Americans are too loud, I don’t like to talk to them.” Before coming to the states, I was implemented a stereotyped impression that American students mostly party all night and don’t care about their study as much as the Chinese students. Ironically, this has been proven to be so wrong as I actually entered and lived in Case western reserve university for a semester. Almost every student here studies very hard and cares, from my perspective, too much about their scores. I still remembered last Halloween when almost nobody dressed up due to the upcoming mid term exams. Instead of going to the parties, students, especially the local American students chose to work in the libraries. Ironically, it was the Chinese students who joined the most parties during the Halloween. Furthermore, in Chinese society, there is a widely spread conception that American students learned less during their high school so that Chinese students would always lead a step ahead while studying. However, what I found is that most American students have even stronger bases among many subjects and they are more creative most of the time. One of my friends spent a lot of time during his high school doing researches on biology and as a result, his understandings on bio is far ahead of