Cross-cultural Challenges in Preparation for Higher Education

An Ethnographic Research on Mainland Chinese Students with Conditional Admission to the University of Delaware Studying at the English Language Institute

By TIAN, Chen

The firm economic development of China following its opening to the outside world policy has promised valuable opportunities for its young people to explore the world by studying aboard. In recent years, an unprecedented number of Chinese high school graduates at surprisingly young ages of 16 to 18 are coming to US universities to continue their education. In ELI (English Language Institute) at UD (University of Delaware), there are Chinese students participating in CAP (Conditional Admission Program) to improve their English language proficiency to meet the language requirement of US universities. These students must complete the ELIs High Advanced Level of Academic Purposes Classes, earning grades of B or higher in each subject, before matriculating to their degree program of choice (Undergraduate Conditional Admission, n.d.). How are the challenges of those Chinese students preparing for higher education being met? To find out, in October and November 2008, I conducted an ethnographic research on mainland Chinese students with conditional admission to UD studying at ELI. The target group researched consisted of

fifteen students (eleven male and four female) and their four instructors (one of which is also the assistant director of ELI. By participating in the students
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daily activities in different sites, including ELI, dining halls, library, homestays and dorms, I collected data of their thoughts, study habits and daily routines. The students were not informed that they were being observed in the observation and informal subject interaction stages of the research. Field

notes taken from my participation, including observations and informal interviews, are the major component of my research data. Additionally, formal interviews with both the Chinese students and their instructors were conducted in the final stage. The collected data revealed four significant challenges in preparation for higher education: attitude towards the preparation stage, transition of learning styles, academic English writing skills and cross-cultural social skills. Attitude, which is often seen as an important factor that is critical to success, seems to be the first obstacle that Chinese students have to overcome. Surprisingly, most of the Chinese students see ELI as an agent that prevents them from going to the university. I just dont see why I should

waste my time in ELI, one student told me, Im here to attend the university, not ELI. The attitude is easily noticed by the instructors of the EAP 6 (English for Academic Purpose, Level 6) classes, who are also the decision makers of which student will pass the EAP 6 test and gain admission to university. One instructor, who has been teaching EAP 6 classes for years, pointed out during an interview that the Chinese CAP students always argue that they are ready for the university" and "they think they can go faster than they should. The same instructor also took one Chinese student as an example to explain: This student gets Bs on most of his quizzes. There is a possibility that he will pass the EAP class and go to the university if he does well in the final test. But honestly, I know that staying for one more session is better for him. Hes just
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not ready yet.

However, the endeavors of the instructors seem not to be

understood by some of the students. One student revealed his anger during an informal interview: Its just so clear that ELI wants to make money from the CAP students by keeping them in their EAP classes. This opinion,

unfortunately, is shared by a large percentage of the target group. Why do the students have this resistant attitude? According to my

research data, it may come from the students unrealistic goal they set before coming to US to study in ELI. A student who had just graduated from ELI and was admitted to UD shared his experience that he spent a much longer time in ELI than he anticipated: I planned to stay in ELI for one session to study EAP classes for two months. But when I did the pretest, I was informed that I was only a level four (Intermediate Level) student so I had to spend the past nine months in ELI! This is, in fact, a trend nearly every other Chinese CAP student is experiencing. However, as argued by the assistant director of ELI, their

performances in both their placement tests and their current classes do not support their high expectations". What should be the right attitude towards studying at ELI as a preparation stage for university studies? An EAP 6 instructor shared her

opinion: I can understand that the students are spending a lot money and time on studying in ELI. But the point is, if they go to the university without good preparation, theyll be hurt more and they will find that they are wasting more time and money in the university. The assistant director of ELI believes that the Chinese students should set a realistic goal. She spoke of a particular case when a Chinese students uncle came to ELI arguing for the student. He insisted that his niece be promoted to a higher level and graduate from ELI.

The director simply asked him if this student was qualified and mature enough to attend the university, why didnt she speak for herself? The transition of different learning styles is another challenge for the Chinese students. An instructor who has been teaching in ELI for 13 years

concludes from his experience of working with international students that the majority of Asian students are passive, and that they tend to sit in the classroom quietly. The passive style of learning is also noticed from my

observation of both EAP 6 classes and General English classes at all levels. Compared with international students from other countries, Chinese students seemed to be quiet during class time. They usually chose not to speak until the instructor called their names. Not giving the instructor enough response seemed to have a negative effect on their effectiveness of learning. Lack of interaction with the instructor made them less motivated to participate in class activities. In a General 5 Reading and Writing class, I noticed that the two

Chinese students, who always reacted to the instructor passively, were less focused on class activities. One special element I noticed when observing the Chinese students in their classes is the use of electronic dictionaries. This seems to be a behavior which decreases the chance for them to communicate with their instructors and other students. One instructor explains that it is preferable for students to learn vocabulary by interacting with their instructors. A further important issue noted by another instructor is that for students at higher levels, they should use strategies to guess the meaning of words. Using a dictionary does not exercise their language skills. Another major transition for Chinese students is the application of
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knowledge. In an EAP 6 class, the students were invited to define and explain a list of persuasion skills. They were then asked to and apply these skills to their arguments to prove that they were competent in the use of these skills. Though the Chinese students could define and explain the concepts perfectly, they failed to apply these skills in their own arguments. Chinese education is about defining and explaining knowledge, their instructor analyzed, but in American education, this is only half of the learning process. The other fifty percent is application of knowledge. But to Chinese students themselves, the most significant challenge is the pressure to improve their academic writing skills. All of the Chinese CAP

students mentioned to me in either formal or informal interviews that EAP writing is the most demanding part of their study. To successfully graduate from the EAP 6 class, the students are required to earn a B or better for their overall assessment and an average point of 6.5 for the final writing test. Though some students find it easy to earn a B in their writings, they find the final test extremely hard to pass. The 6.5 policy raises the importance of the final writing test, having a direct influence on whether a student can graduate from EAP 6 or not. In an interview with an EAP 6 class instructor, it is stressed that the test is set for the purpose of making sure that the student is really able to produce academic English at the university level, and that in the form of an in-class final test cheating can be avoided. What makes academic English writing so difficult for Chinese students to learn? In reviewing the Chinese students work and collecting comments from their instructors, I noticed that similar problems appear frequently in the students assignments. The students are not able to write complex sentences

and it is grammatical mistakes that sometimes lead to misunderstanding. One instructor shared her experience of reading EAP students essays: The

sentences Chinese students write are weird in terms of word choices and sentence structure. An EAP 6 class instructor took one student as an example

to analyze: She speaks English fluently --- there is no problem in her speaking because one can still be able to understand simple sentences despite grammar mistakes. But in academic writing, it is just not acceptable. Besides

grammar, the organization and quotation system seem to be confusing to the students as well. An EAP student shared his confusion, saying: I earned a D for my first essay I wrote. It was only when I talked with my instructor did I realize the topic sentence thing and by then I had no idea of how and why I should cite a quotation. It appears that adjusting to English writing methods is particularly challenging to the target group. Finally, lack of cross-cultural social skills is also an obstacle many Chinese students encounter. An instructor at ELI pointed out that sometimes she feels that Chinese students sound very aggressive in their use of English. They use expressions like dont, no, can you which make their speech aggressive. They should learn to use expressions like would you mind if... and is it possible if ...? The same instructor also shared that it is fine for the

Chinese students to make mistakes in ELI because most language instructors understand the cultural differences they are experiencing. But Im not sure if their classmates in the university will be able to understand. The cross-

cultural misunderstanding in interpreting expressions is also noticed in academic communications. An instructor explained that her Chinese students are sometimes confused by her corrections. For example, having

acknowledged the grammatical corrections as an acceptable grammatical

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form, the instructor proceeded to give a more commonly used structure. The student, however, believed that he is correct and does not have to make any changes. Despite learning the interpretation and usage of expressions in different settings, the Chinese students should make an effort to communicate with American as well as other international students. I observed that thirteen out of fifteen Chinese students only socialized with Chinese friends; spending most of their time after ELI classes speaking Chinese. Even during trips and

activities held by ELI, Chinese students seem to enjoy staying together. During an interview, a Chinese student shared this: I dont want to just hang out with Chinese friends and speak only Chinese all the time, but it feels strange for Chinese students to speak English together, and there is little opportunity for us to communicate with UD students. humor of the American students. Although interactions, some is Chinese a students of are confused who with are the social in Besides, I just dont understand the

there

minority

students

successful

communicating with both local and international people. One student who has a part time job working in the university dining hall finds his working experience valuable. From my working experience I learned how to use My working experience helped me a lot in

English to solve problems.

improving both my English and my understanding of American culture. Another student told me that by watching American films, he is able to understand more of the conversations as well as the humor of American people. One student suggested that maybe a well-organized language

partner program will be useful. A regular time should be set and a place should

be arranged for the language partners to meet each week. There is no doubt that studying in another culture will bring challenges to those Chinese students who have just graduated from high schools in China. Very often their adaptations to the new standards of English language proficiency, academic performances, and communication skills take place before they are able to realize the cross-cultural challenges they are facing. However, it is through this process that an international student can be truly prepared for higher education. Although overcoming these cross-cultural

challenges is a demanding task, the experience offers the Chinese students an exceptional opportunity to be exposed to a different culture as an active participant and modify their views of the world. This is, although not

recognized by many students in the target group, an important reason for studying abroad.

References : Undergraduate Conditional Admission (n.d.). English Language Institute, University of Delaware. Retrieved from http://www.udel.edu/eli/programs_cap.html

Appendix A : Directions for Further Research Based on the current findings of this research, I would like to introduce the following topics as directions for further research: - Cross-cultural challenges of international students from different countries - Comparing Chinese students studying in different countries - Cross-cultural challenges in teaching international university students

Appendix B : Sample observation note Time: 11/24/08 Site: EAP 6 class There are eight students in this EAP 6 reading and writing class. Two of them are Chinese students, both female. They are marked as s1 and s2. 10:25 Before class starts. S1 and s2 sit together, speaking Chinese. 10:30 The class starts. The instructor reviews Persuasion Principles by drawing a map on the board. However, s1 and s2 do not take any notes. 10: 45 s1 and s2 are asked by the instructor to answer questions. 11:00 They students are asked to write a piece of in-class writing. S1 seems to be not clear about the instructions. She asks s2 in Chinese. ......

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Appendix C : Sample interview script Lin e 1 2 3 4 What, then, do you use computer for? I use it for my study. For reading. I noticed that he was trying to aviod talking about his behavior of playing computer games. Questions Your homestay father calls you Computer Man. Why do you think is that? I guess its because I use computer a lot. Answers Comment s

5 6

So you use online dictionary when you use your computer? I use the google translation tool a lot. Its easier than to cheak words in an electronic dictionary. You said that you do readings on-line. What do you read? Reading online books is part of my homework. I need to do this for my level one reading and writing class. We also have quizs on the readings. But it seems to me that you also play computer games a lot. (slience) How often do you play computer games? How many hours do you spend on playing
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7 8

I had to move on to my point.

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games everyday? 12 I play computer games a lot when I just arrived the US. The school work was easier at that time. Now I only play games at weekends because I got more work to do. I doubted if it was true. So instead of asking him to tell me exact hours of playing, I asked the next question.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

What games do you usually play? I just play them for fun. What were you playing just now? Oh, this is TL8B. Is it a online game that your can play with others? Yes. MC (Another Chinese students at ELI) usually play with me. So you play the game mostly with other students at ELI? No. Most of the players are Chinese students in China. They just like playing games late at night. So do you usually play this game? No. I play different games every day. You just pick up one every time you play? No. Usually it is MC who choose the game. We then play together. Do you think you spend more time on playing computer games in Beijing or here in US? The same, I guess. I did not play games a lot in Beijing. I mom did not allow me to do that when I was at home. She only allow me to play games at weekends. Here in US I dont play much computer Again, I doubted if he was telling me the turth.

21 22 23 24 25

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games either. I only play computer games at weekends. 27 28 Do you think online games has more or less affected your life in US? No. Not at all. I was surprised that he answered no.

......

Appendix D : Sample writing assignment collected WWF EAP V 11/23/2008 Education in America America is one of the most developed countries in the world. Education plays a vital role in the development of America. In 2002, American government invested 745 billion on education (He, Xc 2005). The American education system is divided into 3 parts: primary school, secondary school and higher education. The higher education in the United States offers community college, public university, and private university. More than 4,000 universities can assure almost every American student is accepted into advanced education. (Bridge to College Success p70) All above statements show the importance of education in America. Therefore, this essay will discuss American education. First of all, American education system pays attention to students creativity. Creativity is the forefront of culture. Creativity is what drives many factors in todays world and is essential to living in a free enterprise culture. (Admin 2007 The Importance of Creativity) Going through this world, creativity is around us, for example, clothes, facilities, instruments, and websites and so on, so creativity makes peoples life more colorful. In the United States, elementary schools have rich ways to inspire students creativity. For instance, when an elementary school student writes a composition named My Father, he should interview his parents, neighborhood, and his fathers colleagues. From this composition, this student can develop his independent ability and communication skill. That kind of training makes students more competitive.
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Secondly, every high school student will make presentations for their teachers and classmates. In general, students use some Microsoft tools to help them state their topic. In the interest of making a perfect presentation, every student should do large amount of research. During the research, students have chances to study those subjects. Therefore, they would become a teacher to teach their classmates in the presentation. This kind of project can improve students ability in the language expression, the thinking innovation, organizational coordination and overall reaction fully and effectively in the practical training process. Third, American education mainly focuses on students comprehensive ability. If a student wants to get into a better university, he should get an average B after graduating from the high school. If there is a C for one subject, he has to get A in other subjects to balance his final grade. So every student must pay much effort on their study from the first day of high school. However, evaluation of students not only focuses on the grades of subjects. They also focus on some projects. Every student should have one or more projects such as surveys, community activities, and experiments. Exams only occupy the small part of students final grade. It means students attendance and homework are more important in students evaluation. This kind of evaluation system is propitious to develop students comprehensively. All in all, American education has both advantages and disadvantages. American education mainly focuses on developing students ability and tries to construct a consummate education system for bringing up more and more students who are helpful to America. Appendix E : Sample visual data collected

A Chinese CAP student playing computer games in his home stay.

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A Chinese CAP student in his Listening and Speaking Level 6 Class.

Chinese CAP students sharing Chinese culture in ELI International Fair

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