The Effects of Culture Shock on The Cultural Adaptation of Overseas Students in Thailand at King Mongkut’s University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.24345Keywords:
Culture Shock, International Students, Cross-Cultural AdaptationAbstract
This paper aims to examine the phenomenon of culture shock experienced by international students studying in Thailand for their master’s degree and explore their strategies for adapting to Thai culture. This research employed a semi-structured interview with eight international students at King Mongkut’s University of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand. The participants completed the open-ended questionnaires and provided responses via a Google Docs link. The writer will use Kalervo Oberg's four stages of culture shock to better understand culture shock and the adaptation process of overseas students studying in Thailand. The research illustrates the causes behind international students' desire to pursue educational institutions in Thailand and their experiences with culture shock across the four stages, along with their adaptation process. The findings suggest that overseas students suffer from culture shock in relation to their surroundings, language, cultural norms, and academic areas.
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