Communication Gaps between International and US Born Students - Research Paper Example

Introduction

This study aims at investigating how international and US-born students interact with one another and how communication gaps develop and impact their relationships in the learning environment.

Method

Qualitative Research

Data Validity

Study Process

Studies’ Analysis

Findings

Differing Perceptions

Stereotyping

Orienting International Students to American Lifestyle

Cultural Differences

Discussion

Wrong Impressions

Personal Perceptions

Conclusion

Both international and local students have a significantly positive attitude towards communicating with one another but perceptions prevent them from initiating the first interaction

Introduction

Some of the problems that international students face in the USA include communication gaps that exist between the US-born students and international students. These gaps are associated with differences in how students perceive one another in terms of cultural differences as well as the influence of stereotypical arguments. With reference to attitudes in communication, international students are observed to perceive US-born students as intimidating in terms of language use in both the classroom and the social environment. In communication, attitudes contribute to low interaction between US-born students and international students whom they interact with either in class or during extracurricular activities. Additionally, the use of slang in the US context also contributes to language barriers such that students from both the US and international countries face difficulties in expressing themselves to each other. These and other factors associated with exposure differences are among factors influencing communication gaps between the two groups. Based on these factors, this study aims at investigating how students interact with one another and how communication gaps develop and impact relationships.

Methods

Qualitative Secondary Research

This study takes into account qualitative secondary research on previous findings on the subject of communication gaps and how they influence relationships between international and US-born students. Qualitative secondary research is taken into account to make sure that it provides reliable information associated with the topic at hand. The merit of using this method is to delimit the factor of time mismanagement in the collection of data using a real sample. This strategy provides a comparative platform for various studies and their findings leading to the identification of thematic patterns associated with communication between international students and US-born students.Data Validity

Application of secondary data benefits the study in that it does not allow the collection of fresh information. Through the utilization of readily available data, the study will develop patterns and themes that relate to the topic at hand while benefiting from possible identification of bias. Bias in research relates to how data is collected and processed and the number of assumptions taken into account. By the inclusion of various studies, assumptions made in one study are likely to be missing in another therefore leading to the collection of reliable and valid qualitative data. In this regard, if one study has unnoticeable bias, results from the other studies are likely to resolve the inaccuracy problem associated with the misleading study.Study Process

With reference to the materials that are selected for the case, it is observed that various studies have differing findings that require close comparison. For instance, some studies show that American students have attitudes that stand to alienate international students and therefore, international students do not make an effort of communicating with US-born students (Jessica, 2012). These two findings indicate that there are possible discrepancies regarding the participants of each study and the reliability of the outcome. In addition, some studies show that international students going to urban institutions in the USA face a set of challenges that international students in non-urban areas do not. The level of information accessible to US-born and international students differs from one region to another. Therefore, schools situated in non-urban areas in the USA produce different results regarding how they perceive communication with international students as compared to urban schools. Some of the observed behaviours in these samples include fear of international students based on cultural differences and lack of information regarding the differences between local and foreign students. However, international students in urban US institutions report that their American counterparts do not make efforts to communicate with them because they are perceived differently in terms of fashion, language use, cultural activities, and social contact. Studies’ Analysis

In the selection of the research method, observed results of these studies have been taken into account showcasing that various samples have been investigated regarding how communication attitudes serve as a foundation for student relationships. If one study was considered in this analysis, bias in the findings would be associated with the sample of international and us-born students considered. By accounting for the changes in geographical regions and exposure differences of each set of students taken as participants in a study, a broader look at the communication gaps that exist in these student groups is achieved. However, if this study considered only one case, it would be summarizing the results of that case failing to prove or disprove whether there are communication differences that hinder international and US-born students from developing sustainable and reliable communication.

Findings

Different Perceptions

The study by Jessica (2012) investigated what international students had to say about the US-born students as well as how US-born students perceived their international counterparts. A mixture of results was obtained from the study since a variety of questions were asked and each group of students was allowed to provide the most honest response it could imagine of. One of the questions regarding this study included asking US-born students how much they liked hanging around international students. There were mixed reactions to this question in that some of the students reported that they did not care about international students as they did not have them in their classes. Others reported that they made friends from the people they hanged around regardless of whether they were national or international students. In one instance, a student stated that he did not perceive international students to be different from locals and he would consider being friends with international students if they had shared interests.

International students responded to the same question differently showcasing that they feared US-born students due to their language perceptions. Most of international students are not English speakers and they are therefore not fluent in expressing themselves. This is considered a communication barrier by the international students from communicating with American students. However, the study did not find a correlation between language and communication relationships. Exposure Differences

A study by the university of Iowa (2016) different levels of exposure have different communication impacts on students. Given the nature of the Iowa university, most of the students it enrolls locally are from nearby communities and do not have a connection with international students who are enrolled in the same higher education institutions. With the study aimed at finding out how local students perceived the international counterparts, results indicated that US-born students in Iowa had a negative perception towards associating with international students. Most of the negative attitude was associated with fear that international students did not make social significance in US. However, the study by Lumma-Sellenthin (2012) also reported that this perception was associated with the lack of information on how international communities related with each other in both economic, political, and social terms. In the interests of social exchange and cultural awareness, students brought up in traditional settings have minimal associations with international students as they do not perceive their relationships to be mutually meaningful.Orienting International Students to American Lifestyle

While most studies will focus on the usefulness of communication links between international and local students, how does account for the features required to ensure that these communication barriers do not disrupt the learning environment. The study by McCarthy (2014) an example of research that takes into account some programs undertaken in a variety of universities to ensure that international and local students can interact in the learning environment without communication gaps. Examples of the initiatives undertaken to ensure that communication barriers existing between different categories of students Oregon state university's American Survival program sounds for the difficulties international students face rated into the American customs (McCarthy, 2014). The study shows that international students are faced by challenges such as culture shock, language barriers through the use of slang, and other aspects of social lives such as difficulties in banking and navigation through the cities (Torres & Wicks-Asbun, 2014). Oregon State University's program ensures that students are acquainted with the American lifestyle and to prevent them from being anti-social. Based on the communication challenges that exist in terms of language use, most international students complained that they faced difficulties in understanding or expressing themselves to US-born students.

Stereotyping

A common stereotype by international students is that US-born students are used to slang and they are likely to only communicate with those who understood them. However, a contradictory finding shows that us born students find it difficult to associate with international students due to their behavior. Some of the cited behaviors include of lack of interest in communicating with others and interaction of international students alone. According to the US-born students, international students isolate themselves and therefore difficulty to reach or communicate with. On the other hand, according to the international students, US-born students are outgoing which is a cultural difference that they don't share. According to Jessica (2010), each of these groups exist in isolation and therefore does not understand the requirements of the other. Cultural Differences

Some studies indicate that there are various differences in how both international and US-born students perceive one another. However, some of these perceptions are gender-based and show how communication attitudes super relationships between international and local students. The integration of stereotypes in social environments is one of the issues challenging communication the between international males and local females. Ideally, are considered to be immoral and in various instances international males consider relationships with US-born females to be meaningless. On the other hand, US-born females are negatively affected by this stereotypical argument such that they also perceive relationships with international students as meaningless since they're perceived to be less moral. On the case of local males against international females, the study shows that international females consider US-born males to be intimidating and likely to take advantage of them.

Discussion

Wrong Impressions

The results have shown that communication gaps exist because of the perceptions each set of students has against the other. While stereotypes have negative outcomes regarding communication between these student groups, most of the students considered in various studies show that students have the wrong impressions of their counterparts. While some of these wrong impressions are not stereotypes, they have a negative impact on communication attitudes. Provided that most international students are not enrolled in community colleges, the finding that local students fear international student is not significantly supported throughout the studies. For studies that have focused on urban institutions where more international students are enrolled, it's observed that both student groups, international and US-born students, have wrong perceptions about the reactions of the other group.

Personal Perceptions and Poor Judgment

In the communication gap cases, the results are consistent in showing that personal perceptions lead to poor relationships that impact communication. International students are found able to communicate with their instructors in the academic setting and therefore, the same is expected with their US-born colleagues. Nonetheless, it is observed that perceptions prevent each group from approaching the other. Cultural differences exist between the two groups and without communication initiation, each group treats the other as aliens by withdrawing from shared social experiences.

Conclusion

Through the use of qualitative research method, a number of secondary studies were analyzed regarding how communication gaps developed and existed between international students and US-born students. Results of the study have indicated that international students as well as US-born students differ in perceptions and end up developing negative communication attitudes. These findings also show that communication gaps are not only based on the nationality of a student but how one group views the other. Different perceptions that are not backed up by valid information and considered stereotypes serve as a problem between international and US-born students. In order to prevent one from entering meaningless relationships, international students opt not to communicate with US-born students in some instances. In other instances, international students are perceived hard to communicate with because of their reserved behaviors. However, one particular observation is that both international and local students have a significantly positive attitude towards communicating with one another but perceptions prevent them from initiating the first interaction.

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In addition, some studies show that international students going to urban institutions in the USA face a set of challenges that international students in non-urban areas do not. The level of information accessible to US-born and international students differs from one region to another. Therefore, schools situated in non-urban areas in the USA produce different results regarding how they perceive communication with international students as compared to urban schools. Some of the observed behaviours in these samples include fear of international students based on cultural differences and lack of information regarding the differences between local and foreign students. However, international students in urban US institutions report that their American counterparts do not make efforts to communicate with them because they are perceived differently in terms of fashion, language use, cultural activities, and social contact. Studies’ Analysis

In the selection of the research method, observed results of these studies have been taken into account showcasing that various samples have been investigated regarding how communication attitudes serve as a foundation for student relationships. If one study was considered in this analysis, bias in the findings would be associated with the sample of international and us-born students considered. By accounting for the changes in geographical regions and exposure differences of each set of students taken as participants in a study, a broader look at the communication gaps that exist in these student groups is achieved. However, if this study considered only one case, it would be summarizing the results of that case failing to prove or disprove whether there are communication differences that hinder international and US-born students from developing sustainable and reliable communication.

Findings

Different Perceptions

The study by Jessica (2012) investigated what international students had to say about the US-born students as well as how US-born students perceived their international counterparts. A mixture of results was obtained from the study since a variety of questions were asked and each group of students was allowed to provide the most honest response it could imagine of. One of the questions regarding this study included asking US-born students how much they liked hanging around international students. There were mixed reactions to this question in that some of the students reported that they did not care about international students as they did not have them in their classes. Others reported that they made friends from the people they hanged around regardless of whether they were national or international students. In one instance, a student stated that he did not perceive international students to be different from locals and he would consider being friends with international students if they had shared interests.

International students responded to the same question differently showcasing that they feared US-born students due to their language perceptions. Most of international students are not English speakers and they are therefore not fluent in expressing themselves. This is considered a communication barrier by the international students from communicating with American students. However, the study did not find a correlation between language and communication relationships. Exposure Differences

A study by the university of Iowa (2016) different levels of exposure have different communication impacts on students. Given the nature of the Iowa university, most of the students it enrolls locally are from nearby communities and do not have a connection with international students who are enrolled in the same higher education institutions. With the study aimed at finding out how local students perceived the international counterparts, results indicated that US-born students in Iowa had a negative perception towards associating with international students. Read More