Chinese students’ intercultural communication in higher education: Affordances, challenges, and contexts

Globalization—driven by economic and technological advances—has intensified cross-national exchanges in business, culture and knowledge, making intercultural communication competence (ICC) a prerequisite for both personal and professional success. Higher-education institutions therefore seek evidence-based approaches to cultivate ICC among their students. Yet extant research consistently reports that international students, and Chinese students in particular as the largest cohort worldwide, struggle to engage effectively in intercultural interactions and to reap commensurate benefits. The factors underlying this under-participation remain insufficiently explained, and corresponding remedies are lacking.

This thesis investigates the key determinants of Chinese students’ effective engagement in intercultural communication and proposes actionable solutions. Four inter-related studies were conducted. Study 1, a systematic literature review, identified two recurrent challenges: (a) comprehension and production challenge, and (b) the challenge of forming a common ground. Both challenges appear to be highly context-dependent, and no robust interventions have hitherto been documented. Study 2, an empirical investigation, examined the interplay between ICC and context. Findings revealed a reciprocal relationship: students’ perceptions and behavioral reactions both shaped and were shaped by contextual features. Study 3 extended this inquiry to students with limited intercultural experience; the reciprocal relationship persisted and contextual characteristics exerted a pronounced, directional influence on perception and behavior. To isolate and test the causal role of context, Study 4 implemented a structured intercultural setting in which students from diverse cultural backgrounds interacted. Results confirmed that systematically designed contexts significantly modulate students’ affective states and behavioral manifestations, thereby enhancing or impeding engagement.

Integrating evidence across the four studies, we present a context-construction and context-modification approach to address Chinese students’ low engagement in intercultural communication. The proposed approach is transferrable to diverse educational systems and adaptable to learners with varying intercultural histories.