This research explored the impact of Chinese international students’ cultural values on their study in the UK, especially when they used English as a tool to learn in the higher education institutions. It was designed to reveal patterns in the challenges and experiences encountered by Chinese international students as they adapted to the English-speaking academic environment in the UK over time; and look into the relationships between these experiences and their Chinese cultural values. This longitudinal study was an academic-year-long investigation of academic experiences of the Chinese international students studying postgraduate taught programs across three different Schools in a UK university, from three months after their arrival in January 2022 until August 2002, when they approached the end of their study. Both qualitative and quantitative research were conducted at two data collection periods, including two rounds of semi-structured questionnaires with Likert scales and open-ended questions; and in-depth semi-structured interviews of 14 selected survey participants. The findings of this study unveiled the distinctive features characterizing the academic experiences of Chinese international students in the UK. Meanwhile, the ensuing discussions and analyses based on the findings delved into the influence of Chinese cultural values on their thinking processes and individuals' position within groups during their study in the UK. These influences, often unnoticed by both UK educators and the Chinese students themselves, are encapsulated as the metaphorical "invisible cocoon", which frequently led to mutual misunderstandings between educators and Chinese international students in the UK.

Authors:
Mengxing Zhou, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Mengxing Zhou is a University Doctoral Student at Cardiff University in United Kingdom

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