As it is examined and concluded by many researchers, studying abroad has been common when students are trying to receive higher quality education. Cross-cultural adjustment is also regarded as a compulsory term to consider, and the way to get involved in the host culture has also been deeply investigated in this procedure. Therefore, this paper aims at identifying the factors that cause cultural barriers, as well as finding solutions to cope with them. In this study, a case study research method is employed and the result will be beneficial to support future research in similar fields.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2009, Higher Education to 2030, Globalization, OECD, Paris, 2.
Savicki V, 2008, Developing Intercultural Competence and Transformation: Theory, Research, and Application in International Education, Stylus, Sterling, VA.
Hoffa WW, 2007, A History of U.S. Study Abroad: Beginnings to 1965, The Forum on Education Abroad, Carlisle, PA.
Brown L, 2009, An Ethnographic Study of the Friendship Patterns of International Students in England: An Attempt to Recreate Home Through Conational Interaction. International Journal of Educational Research, 48(3): 184–193.
Salisbury MH, 2011, The Effect of Study Abroad on Intercultural Competence among Undergraduate College Students, PhD dissertation, University of Iowa.
Spencer L, Ritchie J, Lewis J, et al., 2003, Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A Framework for Assessing Research Evidence, Government Chief Social Researcher’s Office, Cabinet Office, London.
Hayes RL, Lin HR, 1994, Coming to America: Developing Social Support Systems for International Students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 22(1): 7–16.
Gudykunst WB, 2005, An Anxiety/Uncertainty Management (AUM) Theory of Strangers’ Intercultural Adjustment, in Gudykunst WB, (ed.), Theorizing About Intercultural Communication, SAGE Publications, USA, 419–457.
Nizami ZA, 1998, Social Support and Adjustment in International Students, Master’s thesis, California State University.
Hendrickson B, Rosen D, Aune RK, 2011, An Analysis of Friendship Networks, Social Connectedness, Homesickness, and Satisfaction Levels of International Students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(3): 281–295.
Kim HS, Sherman DK, Taylor SE, 2008, Culture and Social Support. American Psychologist, 63(6): 518.
Bochner S, 1982, The Social Psychology of Cross-Cultural Relations. Cultures in Contact: Studies in Cross-Cultural Interaction, (1): 5–44.
Alina S, 2015, ‘You Cannot Talk with All of the Strangers in a Pub’: A Longitudinal Case Study of International Postgraduate Students’ Social Ties at a British University. High Education, (69): 225–241.
Cohen L, Manion L, Morrison K, 2011, Research Methods in Education, Routledge, Abingdon, 7.
Bryman A, 2012, Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Marshall C, Rossman GB, 1995, Designing Qualitative Research, Sage, Newbury Park, CA.
Coleman J, 2001, What is ‘Residence Abroad’ for? Intercultural Competence and the Linguistic, Cultural, Academic, Personal and Professional Objectives of Student Residence Abroad, in Fuzzy Boundaries? Reflections on Modern Languages and the Humanities, CILT, London, 121–140.
Klomegah RY, 2006, Social Factors Relating to Alienation Experienced by International Students in the United States. College Student Journal, 40(2): 303.
Bochner S, McLeod BM, Lin A, 1977, Friendship Patterns of Overseas Students: A Functional Model. International Journal of Psychology, 12(4): 277–294.
Kim YY, 2000, Becoming Intercultural: An Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.