A study of the process of cross-cultural adjustment and second language acquistion of Taiwanese students on an American university campus (China).

摘要

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the process of cross-cultural adjustment affects second language acquisition for Taiwanese students on an American university campus. The sample consists of a group of Taiwanese students studying on the same American university campus. Semi-structured in-depth interviews will be conducted to gather data about subjects' daily life experiences. Personal information relevant to second language acquisition such as academic majors, degree programs, age, gender, length of stay in the United States, number of years studying English were also included.; Based on the theoretical constructs of cross-cultural adjustment, attitudes and motivation, acculturation model of second language acquisition, social and psychological distance, and perceived social distance, one interview question was analyzed and examined at a time.; The findings of this study suggest that the deciding factors for better adjustment and more successful second language acquisition were the subjects' determination to acquire the English language through contacts with native speakers of English, their willingness to initiate and maintain social contacts with Americans, their frequent use of the English language as their main communication medium whenever and wherever it is possible. The factors that had kept some of the subjects socially and psychologically distant from the target culture, the target population, and American society were their perceived inability to communicate competently with native speakers, their perceived lack of sufficient cultural knowledge to initiate conversations with Americans, their lack of self-confidence, and their fear of making mistakes during conversations with Americans.; As a result of this study, a number of implications for program planning and recommendations for future research have been developed to help professionals involved with international students and English as a Second Language field better understand Taiwanese second language adult learners.