新文化衝擊下的成長--台灣學生赴美交換求學經驗 / The Acculturation Process and Influence of Taiwanese Exchange Students in the United States. Major Professor: Dr. Lienti Bei & Dr. Sharon A. DeVaney. With the increasing globalization of university education, the exchange programs among universities have become a hot topic that many students would be interested in. Every year thousands of exchange students from Taiwan select schools in the foreign countries, especial universities in the United States, as their exchange destination in order to learn foreign languages and to experience different cultures. Although the number of exchange students from Taiwan has been increasing annually, little research has investigated the acculturation process and reflections of exchange students in the host countries. The objectives of this research was to take a first step in exploring the impacts on Taiwan exchange students’ learning attitudes and socialization to the new culture that encountered during their study in the US. In addition, to understand the transition of students’ learning attitude and cross-culture adjustment that took place from their arrival in the United States to returning to their home countries. Therefore, three central questions was first generated to form the core of this study :1) What are the differences in class between the participants’ home universities and host universities? 2) What are the culture differences between the participants’ home country and host country? 3) How did the participants adjust themselves to fit into the different situations and how do they feel about the adjustment? The acculturation process and transition of exchange students’ learning attitude was examined here with a phenomengical and experimental research design. In order to understand thoroughly the exchange students’ learning and acculturation experiences in the US, this study arranged in-depth interviews with eight exchange student who had their exchange experiences in the US. Based on Hofestede’s four dimensions of culture and the differences between Socratic learning and Confucian learning, the study structured the research questions for the in-depth interviews. In addition, a questionnaire amended according to Hofestede’s four dimensions of culture was distributed to 26 former or prospective exchange students who selected for study at the universities in the US as a support data. Through the in-depth interviews and the analysis of questionnaire, the study found that interactions between professors and students in American classes are much higher than those in Taiwanese classes. This came from not only the differences of culture but also instructional arrangements of classes in American universities. The lower distance of American culture and the encouragement to the in class interaction did promote the exchange students’ participation in the US. In addition, given that the exchange students’ higher inclination and preferences to American or western culture and learning methods, they are more likely to have integrative or bicultural strategies to proceed their studies in the US. In sum, the study showed that exchange students rarely encounter problems of cultural adjustments, learning barriers or lack interpersonal communication that took place among students who pursue degrees in the US. Many of the exchange students maintained their original cultural identities and characteristics for expression in appropriate contests, such as collectivist relationship with classmates; however, they could also add a new behavioral repertoire to participate in American culture. Therefore, the study anticipates that exchange students integrated both the Confucian and the Socratic learning approaches and performed even better by American academic standards.

本論文旨在以民族誌研究方法觀察美國國際交流協會(CIEE)留學生的華語習得期間之文化適應。身為一位CIEE的校友，以及目前在國立政治大學就讀華語文教學碩士學程，並擔任CIEE 語言助理，作者想要透過CIEE美國學生在台灣的經驗來觀察他們學習華語的過程。 本研究提出，美國學生在台灣留學時，同常會經過四種文化適應的發展過程:(1)期待(2)文化衝擊 (3)迷失 (4)適應。研究結果顯示，雖然大部分的人都覺得東亞洲美國學生不可能經驗文化衝擊, 本研究發現正因為他們缺乏了文化衝擊之意識, 使他們在華語習得習期間無法順利適應文化以及學習語言。因此為了有效的幫助華語為第二語言學生學習華語，作者建議學生與老師應該增加文化衝擊之意識。 / This qualitative research study investigates exchange students from the United States (America) in the program of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), in terms of their experiences during their process of acculturation while acquiring Chinese Mandarin language skills. Previously as a study abroad program student in National Chengchi University, Taipei, and currently as a graduate student in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language Master’s Program, and Language Coordinator of CIEE, (a study abroad program on the same campus), the author proposes to do a case study on the program’s students. The purpose is to understand the effects of cultural experience in second language acquisition by American students through ethnographic methods. The author proposes that in order to effectively acquire Chinese Mandarin language, it could be important for tracking American students’ acculturation process of 1. Anticipation, 2. Cultural Shock, 3. Disorientation, and 4. Adaptation. It is observed that although most people assume that East-Asian Americans experience less culture shock due to their Asian heritage, the study shows that their lack of ‘culture shock awareness’ in fact puts them at a disadvantage, which delays their adaptation, and impedes upon their success in Mandarin language training. The study concludes that decreasing social distance and promoting social interaction through acculturation in classrooms may be effective methods for both East-Asian and non-East-Asian American students to become successful in acquiring Chinese Mandarin language. Thus, it is suggested that students and teachers should increase their level of culture shock awareness in the study abroad context in order to assist Chinese as a second language (CSL) learners.

本研究共訪問二十位來台唸書的陸生，試圖透過深度訪談了解陸生在台灣所面臨的文化衝擊以及文化適應方法，以及臉書在陸生文化適應扮演的角色。從訪談與線上觀察了解陸生使用臉書表現，探究臉書對於陸生認識台灣與交友的影響，並歸納陸生使用臉書所採用的疑慮消除策略。 研究發現，多數陸生在台灣面臨的壓力為學業壓力、人際關係、意識型態與政策限制。由於受訪者多為碩博士學生，剛來台灣就感受到龐大的學業壓力，直接進入文化衝擊期。多數的文化衝擊，陸生都能透過自我調適或尋求人際管道、大眾媒體調整自我，融入台灣社會。另外，在使用臉書的疑慮消除策略上，多數陸生皆採取被動策略與互動策略。隨著在台時間越久，對台灣社會越熟悉，人際網絡越牢固，陸生使用臉書改採被動策略。由此可知，臉書對於陸生初進入跨文化社會時，提供一個方便觀察與認識台灣的管道。 / By conducting 20 in-depth interviews with Mainland students studying in Taiwan, this research aims to investigate the culture shock that Mainland students are confronted with and their cultural adaptation in Taiwan. Moreover, the role of “Face-book” in cross-cultural adaptation for Mainland students is also a subject of the study. Based on the interviews and online observation, this research seeks to understand the behavior of Mainland students’ using Facebook, and explore how Facebook affects Mainland students’ understanding of Taiwan and interpersonal relations with Taiwanese. Finally, the research attempts to conclude what uncertainty reduction strategies Mainland students adopt with their using Facebook. The research finds that Mainland students are most pressured by academics, interpersonal relations, ideology and policy restrictions for their study in Taiwan. The 17 interviewees are all graduate students, owing to which they experience“culture shock stage”with enormous academic stress in the early days of their living in Taiwan. Most culture shocks could be overcome and they integrate themselves into local society by self-adaptation, interpersonal communication and mass communication. Moreover, most Mainland students use passive and interactive strategies to reduce their uncertainty in Facebook using. The longer they stay in Taiwan, the deeper they understand local society and the stronger they stay in Taiwan, the deeper they understand local society and the stronger their friendship network grows, and then they turn to passive strategies in uncertainty reduction. Therefore, Facebook provides Mainland students with a channel of observing and understanding Taiwan on the initial stage of entering a new culture.

旅居者在進入新文化社會時，往往面臨著跨文化適應的議題。而社群媒體的出現與滲透，也改變著旅居者流動於原文化與主文化之間的樣貌。本研究透過深度訪談探究背負著特殊脈絡的馬來西亞僑生，在進入台灣社會過程中所歷經的文化衝擊與跨文化適應歷程，並以新傳播科技臉書社群平台的角度切入，分析線上管道對馬來西亞僑生的疑慮消除及雙邊文化連結的影響，試圖描繪出臉書在旅台馬來西亞僑生跨文化適應經驗中所扮演的功能與角色。 研究發現，多數馬來西亞僑生在來台前透過人際與媒體管道的接觸而對台灣有著美好的印象，因此進入台灣社會即面臨著種種的文化衝擊，其中包含：生活、語言溝通、學業、人際關係、意識型態與價值觀等五個方面的適應問題。其跨文化適應歷程呈現壓力－調適－成長的螺旋上升模式。在旅居新文化社會台灣的初期，由於擁有較劇烈的衝擊，因此會在臉書採取主動、被動與互動的疑慮消除策略兼用的方式適應台灣，有助於初期龐大壓力的調解；而隨著時間的積累，雖然他們仍會面臨新議題事件的碰撞，但由於日常人際網絡日趨穩固以及跨文化經驗的提升，因此轉向被動策略的臉書使用。 整體來說，臉書為馬來西亞僑生在台灣的跨文化生活所提供的助益包括：資訊獲取與整合、情感支持、維繫關係與發展關係。在旅居初期如同橋樑一般，提供馬來西亞僑生在台灣社會中凝聚與跨越雙邊文化網絡的管道，讓流動於不同脈絡的他們，可以同時發揮不同連結人際網絡的潛力，將衝突化為成長的奠基，從而達到更好的跨文化適應階段，並在成長過後，更加自如地運用臉書作為生活的調味料，點綴其旅居生涯，成為更深層的跨文化能動者。 / Sojourners often come across the issue of cultural adaptation when they step into a new social environment. However, the presence of social media and its penetration change the way sojourners shift between host and ethnic culture. This study is about the cultural adaptation of Overseas Malaysian Chinese students in Taiwan’s social environment, through the social media platform, Facebook. This research analyzes in which way Facebook affects uncertainty reduction and bilateral culture context of the students, therefore demonstrating the functions and the role of Facebook in the cross-cultural adaptation of Overseas Malaysian Chinese students in Taiwan. The study is done through in-depth interviews with the students. This research shows that before most Overseas Malaysian Chinese students arrive, they have a remarkable impression of Taiwan. All these made up through social and media exposure of the country. It is also the reason they encounter culture shock upon their arrival, adaptation problems include living, communication, academic, social relationships, personal ideology and values. The stress – adaptation – growth model shows a rising spiral pattern during the period of adaptation. Due to severe culture shock during the early stage of the sojourners’ arrival, they tend to actively, passively and interactively utilize uncertainty reduction strategies to adapt Taiwan, it is effective to accommodate the high level of stress faced by them. In time, although they would still bump into new issues, they could passively make use of Facebook because they have stronger social networks and more cross-cultural experiences. To conclude, the benefits of Facebook toward Overseas Malaysian Chinese students in Taiwan include, gathering and compiling information, emotional support, sustaining and developing relationships. In the early stage, Facebook acts as a connecting bridge, providing a channel that bonds and breaches bilateral culture contexts, at the same time unleashing the potential their social relations among different ties. Eventually this will improve the cross-cultural adaptation process as conflicts are transformed into a foundation for growth. Subsequently after the growth, they are more casually utilizing Facebook being a condiment in their lives, to enhance the living in the country, as well as being an experienced cross-cultural agent.