Statement of the
PROBLEM
The Chinese Student Perspective
Over the past few decades, increasing numbers of international students have been enrolling in American universities. Students from China alone make up over ⅓ of all international students in the United States.
Number of International Students in the US
(by Country of Origin)
The cultural and linguistic differences between China and the US can cause Chinese students to experience acute anxiety when they begin their studies in the US. Poor communication and cultural misunderstandings between students and their professors can negatively affect academic performance.
Hofstede Cultural Dimensions:
China vs the US
The American Faculty Perspective
University faculty also often lack access to institution-wide cross-cultural training. Thus, they may have difficulty empathizing with Chinese students, whom they perceive to be uncommunicative or disinterested in their studies (Wu et al. 3). These perceptions can compound the students’ anxieties and hinder their acculturation and education.
Number of Chinese Students in US Higher Education (Between Academic Years 2010/11 and 2020/21)
The potential long-term effects of Chinese students’ dissatisfaction with the American university experience could include reduced numbers of these students in the US, which would create a financial strain particularly for smaller, regional institutions (Ellis).
Effective communication between students and faculty
Yu Xu and Ruth Davidhizar
is critical to learning outcomes.