Vietnamese learners' experiences of culture shock and adaptability in different International contexts

Abstract

Culture shock is a normal phenomenon and consequence of the individual’s movement from one place to another. That is, the sudden change between the old milieu and the new one is the central rationale for inducing culture shock. Especially students, who are vulnerable, insecure, disoriented, anxious, and even forlorn, etc., due to cultural conflicts. This writing centralized on studying aspects of culture shock recognized via Vietnamese students’ insights during the process of living and studying overseas. The purpose of the study was to clarify the types of cultural conflict challenges faced by these students; as well as their adaptability and settlement to these difficulties. This study is qualitative descriptive research, utilizing semi-structured Interviews based on the Vietnamese International students’ shares to gather and analyze data. The study results exhibited four prominent aspects of culture shock, respectively ‘Language Barriers’, ‘Natural Environments’, ‘Culinary Culture’, and ‘Social Behavior’. That is, whatever Vietnamese students made an effort to change their faintness or better themselves in accordance with the host country’s cultural context, these challenges have kept up to negatively impact their academic life and daily activities. Overall, the thesis suggests all International students taking part in the interview experienced more or less culture shocks due to the contradictions between one’s familiar environment and a foreign host country environment. In addition, some important findings in this study were somewhat underrated or ignored in the previous related studies. Therefore, this thesis was completed with the importance of the new findings favorable refinement and extension of affiliated studies in the upcoming; along with practical benefits for the preparation and getting ready of Vietnamese students who aspire to study abroad in the future.