Abstract:

This article focuses on intercultural learning of Chinese international stu¬dents in Lithuanian higher education. Investigating the influences on their learning experiences and the strategies that students employ in the intercultural study environment, this research also discussesrelevant and problematic aspects of interculturality in the context of Lithuanian universities. In this study the experience of 15 Chinese international students, who had chosen to study in two universities in Lithuania (Vytautas Magnus University or Vilnius University), was investigated. Individual, semi-structured qualitative interviews were used to collect the relevant data. The results indicated that students’ learning experience was personal and did not indicate any clear distinctions between students or across institutions. However, they were strongly related to, and limited by the established specific teaching and learning traditions, systems and styles, perceptions of new academic environment, differences in educational practices, classroom activities and academic performance as well as national contexts. The positive learning experiences were related to a large number of factors, such as good university teacher-student relationships, the benevolence of teachers towards the students, university teachers' tolerance towards other cultures. Chinese students marked the following factors as negative: the lack of English language proficiency, challenges in academic reading and writing, and also insufficient interaction with local students, which significantly reduced the level of their learning experiences. Useful learning strategies, improving language proficiency while learning, interacting with local students, and learning more about Lithuanian culture were identified as strategies used by the students to cope with encountered difficulties. To meet these challenges, it is important to review and adapt educational practices, to rethink pedagogical intentions regarding international experiences, to include intercultural pedagogies into teaching programmes and to realign them to the needs of international students.

Keywords:

Chinese international student, intercultural learning, student’s-learning experience, Lithuanian universities.