This chapter introduced the background, the problem statement, research purpose, research questions, the significance of the study, and definition of terms.
Background of the Study
As citizens of a global world, there is an increasing unification and acceptance of the terms and expressions used to express globalization. The environment of business is increasingly complex and more competitive than ever before. Not only for businesses and their managers, but for individuals in the general population that are affected by globalization. Inevitably, globalization brings about interactions and relationships among people who represent different needs, wants, opinions, and desires as expressed by their cultures.
Catastrophic global events, such as the September 11 attacks in the US and the global financial crisis in 2008, have raised the need for sharing and understanding different cultures. As global interaction and cultural differences become important, intercultural competency has received more attention (Chang, 2007). One possible solution to enhancing intercultural competence is promoting international education.
International education offers students the opportunity to explore different countries, cultures, views and ideas (Sheppard, 2004). As Kitsantas (2004) found, studying abroad enhances students’ world view, global perspectives, cross-cultural effectiveness, and increases reflective thought, self-reliance, self-confidence and personal well-being. Obviously, schools are welcoming internationalization because educational exchange programs build their brand reputation with world renowned institutions better able to recruit international students.
High quality education and providing a Chinese learning environment are two niches for attracting international students to study in Taiwan. Trends in higher education system focus on internationalization in order to increase market share and open new markets of opportunity to equip students with the necessary skills that will enable them to compete effectively in the global society.
As global interaction and cultural diversity become important, intercultural competence has received more attention (Chang, 2007). The understanding of the different ways to treat people from different cultural backgrounds has become a very
important issue. Globalization and international education are affected by many levels of culture, the research intended to explore a sample of host families’ learning process of intercultural competence in Taiwan.
Problem Statement
According to the statistical data from Ministry of Education (MOE), in 2015 there are more than 90,000 international students studying in Taiwan. Some students chose to live with host families, especially teenagers and senior high school students.
As a result, the number of host families was increasing rapidly in Taiwan.
While the exchange students naturally undergo changes in different stages of adaptation, it is not a one-way process. To ascertain the true impact of the exchange experience, it is necessary to understand the learning process of intercultural competence of members in the host society.
Previous studies on host families focused more on “how to increase international students’ language and cultural learning” than on understanding host families’ growth in intercultural competence (Brecht & Ingold, 2000; Chen, 2007).
Among reviewing 15 studies about host families, the researcher found no study that exclusively examined how intercultural competence host families attain to deal with cultural differences. To help fill this void, 19 host families and one counselor were interviewed in this study.
Purposes of the Study
The purposes of this study are as follows. First, this study aims to investigate the cultural differences that host families perceive during the intercultural adaptation process. Secondly, the researcher intends to examine the host families’ learning process of attaining intercultural competence.
Research Questions
The three questions generated of this study are.
1. What cultural differences do host families perceive during intercultural adaptation process?
2. What is host families’ learning process to attain intercultural competence?
Significance of the Study
Living and working in this global village, individuals need to interact regularly with those who have different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. While the exchange students naturally undergo changes in different stages of adaptation, it is not a one-way process. Sharing one’s home with someone from another culture and religion is an intensely personal experience. “Mutual“ understanding necessitates looking at both sides of the student-host family relationship (Furnham & Bochner, 1989). To ascertain better the true impact of the exchange experience, it is necessary to understand the learning process of intercultural competence of host families.
With a receptive perspective, members of host society can learn about the new cultures in their community. Trying to understand cultural differences will be the first step to accept and appreciate different cultures. The researcher assumed that this perception of cultural differences is the starting point for the learning process of intercultural competence.
By conducting an in-depth qualitative research of host families, this study seeks to provide a better understanding of cultural differences and host families’ learning process of intercultural competence. In short, this study will contribute to the understanding of the international exchange program, enhancement of the host family quality, and the international education issue in Taiwan.
Definition of Terms
Rotary Club
The Rotary club was born on February 23, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, the world's first and most international service club. The founder of the Rotary club was attorney Paul P. Harris, who gathered with three others to discuss his idea of a group of professionals with a diverse backgrounds getting together to form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Rotary’s Youth Exchange (RYE) Program
Rotary’s Youth Exchange is a study-abroad opportunity for young people who spend anywhere from a few weeks to a full year as an international student hosted by local Rotary clubs.
Host Family
As Gutel (2008) summarized, host family refers to an environment in which a
student lives with a local family from the host culture while engaging in a specified activity, such as studying, or volunteering. The host families provide meals and accommodation for the student in their home.
International Students
Scholars defined international students as individuals who temporarily reside with members of the host society (usually a family) in a foreign country in order to participate in international exchange as students (Paige,1990; Brislin, 1981).
Culture
Culture consists of shared mental programs that condition individuals’ responses to their environment (Hofstede, 1980). This definition highlights the idea that
individuals see culture in everyday behavior, which is controlled by deeply embedded mental programs.
Intercultural Competence
Deardorff (2004) generated a top-rated definition of intercultural competence as
“the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one’s intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (p. 184). Similarly, Gertsen (1990) defined intercultural competence as “the ability to function effectively in another culture” (p.341).