Mainland Chinese Undergraduates’ Experiences and Responses to Classroom Practices in U.S. Colleges

• In Event: Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: Postsecondary Institutions’ Role in Developing Global Citizens: U.S. and International Student Skill Development

Abstract

Despite the rapid increase in mainland Chinese undergraduates in the U.S., very little is known about their experiences, and most discourse around the phenomenon adopts a deficit perspective. This study follows 18 freshmen and sophomores over one year to examine how they experience and respond to classroom practices in U.S. colleges. Data collection involved a questionnaire, three semi-structured interviews, and four structured journals. Findings reveal that Chinese students face challenges with writing, reading, speaking, and listening, but draw on personal, social, institutional, and technological resources to overcome the difficulties they face. This study highlights the agency of Chinese students and aims to increase intercultural understanding between students and faculty in addition to improving college policies that address students’ needs.

Author

• Tang T. Heng, Teachers College, Columbia University