Having described the purpose of the study, reviewed the literature, and outlined the methodology, this chapter provides the findings and analysis of data collected for this study.
Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews which were undertaken with 11 international ICDF scholarship recipients, who are studying in Taiwan or have studied in Taiwan and 10 Taiwanese students who study with or have studied with international students in Taiwan.
This section of the study outlines the chief findings and results, in addition to their meaning and significance.
Three areas of intercultural communication evolved from this analysis, contact with little communication, cultural differences in classroom interaction, and difficulty making friends and socializing with Taiwanese students. Within these themes, subthemes were also identified. The themes are accompanied by examples from interviewees.
Themes of contact with limited communication, cultural differences in classroom interaction, and difficulty in making friends with Taiwanese students came up in the interviews, from all participants. Other themes, such as language barrier and clashes in cultural norms were also observed.
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Intercultural Communication Experience
Contact with limited communication
More than half of the international students reported they felt open and comfortable communicating, with people from different cultures (A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I). All, except two, Taiwanese students also reported that they were open to intercultural communication (L, N, O, P R, S, T, U). Contact with little communication emerged as one of the most prevalent themes.
Both international and local Taiwanese students reported that they did have actual contact experience, with each other, but the amount of contact and what took place between them in those contact periods varied. International students reported they had minimal contact with Taiwanese students. More than half the international students who were interviewed claimed that they rarely engaged in intercultural contact with Taiwanese students, yet they did not expect to have more (B, C, E, F, H, J, K). Most Taiwanese students, however, claimed to hardly have intercultural interaction as well, but they expected to have more (L, M, P, Q, R, S, T, U).
Likewise, the groups were asked about the frequency in which they studied together.
International students reported that the maximum amount of time, in which they studied with local Taiwanese students, in any given week, would be two. Person a commented, ―Maybe twice a week, I would do school related work, with local students‖. Other than that, they seldom did.
Taiwanese students reported that they often studied with international students. They did so up to four times per week (P).
Similarly, international students shared mixed feeling whether or not purposefully arranging international and Taiwanese students to interact would help them to get along better.
Some said it would, some said it would not, while others said it depends on other factors. Person J explained, ―Yes, I think it would help. Many times, I think local students are afraid to interact, because they are not confident, in speaking English and have never been exposed to people from other countries‖. Person F stated, ―NO, because the interaction could take place just to get the project done, and after that there may be little or no interaction‖. Person A uttered, ―Doing things by force never work for anyone in any organization, there will always be some level of resentment. And, this resentment will eventually become obvious in the final stages, of the
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group work‖. On the other hand, Taiwanese students believed it would. Interviewee L explained
―Yes. It usually helps because people are shy in the beginning. A purposeful arrangement takes the first step to let them talk and know about each other‖.
Most international students believed locals would not interact with them, if they did not have projects, which they must do together. (B, C, D, E, F, G, I). Participant I stated, ―Not much, if there is no group project, Taiwanese students see no need to talk to you‖. Similarly, participant H stated, ―No, I do not think they would interact freely, because local students are very shy and reserved‖. Locals believed otherwise. All, expect person M, believed that local Taiwanese students would interact with international students, even if they did not have group projects, which require both groups to work together.
Most international and Taiwanese students believed that the more students interact with each other, the more they get along (C, D, E, F, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P, Q, R, S), Participant A, however, expressed this sentiment,
―In intercultural interaction there needs to be understanding. If one person cannot understand another culture and continuously criticizes that culture then the more he interacts with someone from the said culture, the more they will not get along‖.
Regarding research question one, both international and local students share the experience of rarely engaging in contact with the opposite group. Most international students sensed that, if they were not asked to work together, locals would not even interact with them.
Thus, both international and local students made contact with each other; however, it seemed limited communication was done, during those contact experiences.
Cultural differences in classroom interaction
In regards to the theme of cultural differences in classroom interaction, the advantage and disadvantages, of having both international and Taiwanese students study together in the same classroom was looked at and the theme aroused. When it came to the advantages and
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disadvantages of having international and Taiwanese students in the same classroom, it was reported that several advantages included developing lasting friendships, understanding different cultures, and building cross cultural connections. Participant A stated,
The main advantage is cultural experience. I would not say cultural understanding, because some people are stubborn, in their own understandings. So, having both locals and foreigners in the same class room can help to improve each individual‘s cultural experience, whether that is a good or a bad experience.
Participant D commented,
To overcome the issue of having Taiwanese students open up, it is better to be patient with them. It may also help to try to be a little funny-get them to laugh a bit, especially, because I view most of them as being a bit childish. Finally, it is always good to show interest in their likes, and talk to them about what they value the most.
Participant E explained,
Sometimes I use sign language to help, when communicating with local students or Google translate. Other times, I try getting feedback to see whether the message sent is the same received; this goes a long way in avoiding misinterpretations.
Participant L (Taiwanese student) commented,
One difficulty faced is having different customs and cultures...I would usually avoid controversial topics and try to explain myself better, when I have something to say. I will ask and learn more about their culture and customs to avoid misunderstanding.
Participant O (Taiwanese student) stated,
I think the most difficult part is to tell them (international students) what is wrong. For example, when I hear my friend talking, in the class, about ‗Taiwanese are like this, they do what everybody does…… things that she thinks she understands very well, but actually does not. This makes me feel offended….but when we feel offended, we don‘t know how to express ourselves. Now I still have this problem.
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One international interviewee reported that the professors teaching at a slower pace for Taiwanese, whose English ability is relatively limited, is bothersome. Participant A commented,
―One disadvantage of having a mixed classroom of international and Taiwanese students is that sometimes I want to criticize some aspects of Taiwan‘s education system, but I feel that I would be stepping too hard on some people‘s feet; so I refrain from making valid comments or recommendations‖.
Likewise, Taiwanese students reported instances whereby cultural differences in the classroom hinder interaction. Participant O stated, ―The disadvantage is that… like a French friend in my class, often says things that sound very impolite to the teacher, which freaks us out‖.
When it came to the actual interaction experience of international and Taiwanese students studying together in the Taiwanese classroom, international students reported that Taiwanese students were shy and did not speak much. Contact, with Taiwanese, was minimal to none and was almost always limited to contact inside the classroom. Participant C stated,
―In class, the Taiwanese students would generally keep to themselves, except when forced to communicate, for group projects. Taiwanese are more outgoing, when they are the only local student, in the class among international students. Outside of class, for example, in group clubs, they are extremely helpful and engaging and always have lots of questions, about my background‖.
Taiwanese students, however, reported that they often interact with international students, who study with them. They claimed to discuss a broad spectrum of topics ranging from school life to travelling.
Regarding research question one, when it came to having international and Taiwanese students study together, the two groups shared several experiences in relation to cultural differences in the classroom interaction. Some international students experienced feelings of having to hold back from pointing out flaws in the Taiwanese education system, for fear of being penalized or insulting the professors. Some internationals also experience the feeling of interacting with a group of local students they perceive as shy inside the classroom but helpful
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and engaging outside the classroom. Some locals, on the other hand, experienced moments of thinking that international students are rude, because of the way in which they speak to the professors.
Thus, on a regular basis in the Taiwanese intercultural classrooms, various aspects of cultural differences arise, such as trying to communicate with locals, who employ the ―Face saving concept,‖ coping with internationals, when they are disrespecting the host country‘s culture, and refraining from pointing out flaws in the host country‘s educational system . Some view these concerns as matters that hinder intercultural communication, while others view them as matters that enhance the process. Deciding how to handle these issues makes all the difference in whether such an experience pans out to be a positive or a negative one.
Difficulty in making Taiwanese friends
Most international students claimed that Taiwanese students did not discuss topics other than school-related work with them, and the few times when they did international students had to initiate those conversations. (D, E, G, H, I, J, K). Thus, it was rather difficult to actually make friends with Taiwanese students. However, almost all Taiwanese students claimed to discuss topics, other than school-related work, with international students. They also claimed to be the ones, who mostly initiate the conversations (L-S).
Most international students did not spend time with Taiwanese students, outside the classroom. According to them, those outings were not particularly difficult to arrange (A, C, E, F, I, J, K). They just did not put much interest into arranging them. Participant G stated, ―I would say I don‘t spend time with local students outside of the classroom. The difficult thing about that is that neither of us put interest in socializing, outside of the classroom‖. Most Taiwanese also admitted that they did not spend time with international students outside the classroom, but this was partly due to their heavy work-load (L, M, P, Q, R, S, T).
Regarding research question one, the experience of international and local Taiwanese students studying together in a culturally diverse environment in Taiwan was rather limited to a school setting. They rarely interacted with each other outside the classroom. Because
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international and local Taiwanese hardly discussed topics other than school-related ones and rarely spent time together outside the classroom, it was discovered that international students found it difficult to make friends with Taiwanese students. Failure to make time to interact with each other outside the school setting diminishes the chances of forming long-lasting friendships.
This further affects the aim, of scholarship donors and universities, who aspire for the two groups to bond and build lasting friendships.
Difficulties and Strategies Difficulties
Language Barrier
Several difficulties were reportedly faced by students studying in a culturally diverse environment in Taiwan. Several methods of combating these difficulties were also explored.
Language barrier was one such difficulty. Majority, of the international students, reported that Taiwanese students did not feel comfortable speaking English (B, C, D, E, F, I). The international students, themselves, had just a limited knowledge of Chinese, making the language barrier even more pronounced. Participant A explained,
My main difficulty is that of clearly expressing what I want to say in Chinese, since many, of my Taiwanese friends, know little or no English. Sometimes, it is hard to convey deeper meanings or get certain metaphors across. These differences can easily be overcome, by using technology, I use my phone to search for words that I do not know how to say or I use actions to communicate.
In regards to research question one, local and international students experienced instances of being verbally confined while studying together in a culturally diverse environment.
Cultural clashes
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Some international students reported having several instances of frustrating interaction with Taiwanese students (C, D, G, I). These frustrating experiences aroused, as a result of clashes in cultural norms and morals, differences in opinion, misinterpretations, lack of understanding, age maturity, and an unwillingness to open up in discussions.
Participant D stated,
My Taiwanese girlfriends could not understand why I only wash my hair once per week and tie it, before I sleep. They thought, I was nasty, and this bothered me…I did not understand why Taiwanese do not shower in the mornings.
Similarly, Taiwanese students reported having moments of frustration with intercultural interaction stemming from being misunderstood as impolite to having foreigners make fun of Asians and thinking Taiwanese are ―Stupid‖ (O).
Regarding research question one, international and local Taiwanese students experienced cultural clashes in the form of clashes with different cultural norms and morals, differences in opinion, misinterpretations, lack of understanding, age maturity, and an unwillingness by local students to open up in discussions.
Strategies
Regarding research question two, both group of students found it difficult communicating, when they came in contact with each other. One international student suggested they start to build understanding in order to combat this obstacle. The participant stated that without understanding, of the different cultures, increased contact would only increase tension. Some local students faced difficulties such as telling international students, when they were wrong.
They also faced the difficulty of trying not to insult the foreign cultures. One local student mentioned that a good strategy to avoid misunderstanding was to ask and learn about foreign cultures, before judging those cultures. Some international students mentioned that it was good to ask for feedback, to ensure effective communication, when communicating with different cultures. Some international students stated that it was difficult to communicate with Taiwanese
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students because they were shy. Some strategies they used to grapple this problem was to be patient with the local students, be funny (get them to laugh), and show interest in their likes.
Regarding research question two, the local Taiwanese claimed that they faced difficulties, of not spending more time, with international students, hence, hindering the chance of developing friendships. Neither of the groups discussed ways of combating this problem. The two groups faced the difficulty of language barrier. One strategy used to combat this problem was non-verbal communication. One strategy used to overcome the difficulty, of having cultural clashes, was to try and understand the different cultures. Some students believed that understanding would lead to greater communication between the groups.
Summary of Findings
The study yielded several findings concerning the intercultural interaction of international and local Taiwanese students. Primarily, the researcher set out to investigate the experience of international and local Taiwanese students, studying in a culturally diverse environment and the difficulties faced and strategies employed to overcome those difficulties. In terms of experience, it was revealed that the two groups had contact with each other. However, that contact was with limited communication. Their accounts of what took place during their contact experience and the amount of time it took place varied by groups. In some cases, locals were perceived as shy, and international students would try to get them to open up by exploring their common interests or cracking jokes. The groups reported that they faced several differences in classroom interaction. They had different takes on what it felt like to study and interact in a classroom with both international and local Taiwanese students. They outlined the benefits as well as the drawbacks to such a situation. International students also reported having difficulties making Taiwanese friends. They did not believe it was particularly hard to make friends with the locals;
however, some international students stated that neither of the two groups involved put much effort into friendships. Language barrier and cultural clashes also proved to be barriers to the intercultural communication process between the two groups. However, the participants highlighted several strategies to combat such difficulties. In terms of language barrier, students reported using technological means to search for words they did not know in the other language.
They also spoke slowly, if the need aroused and stuck to rather simple words while
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communicating. To avoid cultural clashes, participants reported that becoming informed about a culture before passing comments aided, in effective intercultural communication.
Table 4.1 provides a summary of the research questions and their findings.
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Summary of the questions and findings
Questions What are the intercultural communication experiences
of Taiwanese and international students studying, in a culturally diverse environment, in Taiwan?
What are the difficulties faced and strategies employed, in the process of intercultural communication, by students studying, in a culturally diverse environment?
Experiences
Both international and local students share the experience of rarely engaging, in contact, with the opposite group.
Some international students experienced feelings of having to hold back from pointing out flaws, in the Taiwanese education system, for fear of being penalized or insulting the professors.
Some internationals also experience the feeling, of interacting, with a group of local students, they perceive as shy inside the classroom but helpful and engaging outside the classroom.
Some local students experienced moments of thinking that international students are rude, because of the way in which they speak to the professors.
The two groups rarely interacted with each other, outside the classroom.
Local and international students experienced instances, of being verbally confined, while studying together.
International and local Taiwanese students experienced cultural clashes in the form of clashes, with different cultural norms and morals, differences in opinion, misinterpretations, lack of understanding, age maturity, and an unwillingness, by local students, to open up in discussions.
Difficulties
Both group of students found it difficult communicating, when they came in contact with each other.
Some local students faced difficulties such as telling international students, when they were wrong.
They also faced the difficulty of trying not to insult the foreign cultures.
Some international students stated that it was difficult to communicate, with Taiwanese students, because they were shy.
Local Taiwanese students claimed that they faced difficulties, of not spending more time, with international students, hence, hindering the chance of developing friendships.
The two groups faced the difficulty, of language barrier and cultural clashes.
Strategies
One international student suggested they start to build understanding in order to combat this obstacle.
One international student suggested they start to build understanding in order to combat this obstacle.