ERNA ANDRIYANTI (UNIVERSITAS NEGERI YOGYAKARTA)

INTERCULTURAL ADAPTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: NARRATIVES FROM INDONESIA : INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND GLOBAL COMPETENCIES

The unavoidable forces of globalization have made numerous universities across the world prioritize internationalization, for example by sending their pupils to overseas institutions as international students. It is hoped that these students will, among others, have global academic experiences and develop their intercultural competence due to their direct interactions with people from diverse cultural background. However, studies found that many international students found difficulties in adapting to new environments which are culturally different from their home countries. This ongoing narrative inquiry aimed at exploring the transitional experiences of four international students from a university in Indonesia in their intercultural adaptation while having one-semester stay in two European and one Asian countries. Some data were collected through a written narrative frame and other will be collected through in-depth interview. Findings from their written narratives show the presence of combination of intercultural adaptation in terms of language, social interaction, personal development, and academic involvement. Measures to anticipate unexpected encounters were also done even before departure, especially due to their concerns of different cultures in the host countries and their home country. Results from the interviews will reveal more dimensions of their intercultural adaptation.

Erna Andriyanti is a Professor in Sociolinguistics in Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, Australia. Her field and research interests include sociolinguistics, multilingualism, educational linguistics, and the cultural aspects of language education.