The Relationship between Mandarin Language Ability and Sociocultural Adaptation with Cultural Intelligence as Mediator: A Case Study of International Students in Taiwan

Abstract

For international students, they have to face many obstacles living abroad, far away from their host country, such as communication, cultural differences and the need to achieve a successful academic performance. It is crucial to figure out the factors, which helps international students to adjust better in the new environment. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between three variables, which are mandarin language ability, cultural intelligence and sociocultural adaptation by examining on how mandarin language ability can help international students understand Taiwanese culture, which was shown in the level of cultural intelligence and exploring how those factors can help international students to adapt in this unique country through the scale called sociocultural adaptation. For fulfilling the research purpose, a questionnaire was designed and employed to collect the data and Moreover, the sociocultural adaptation does not just imply only about general adaptation like the survival skill but also other aspects such as academic adaptation and interpersonal adaptation.

For international students, they have to face many obstacles living abroad, far away from their host country, such as communication, cultural differences and the need to achieve a successful academic performance. It is crucial to figure out the factors, which helps international students to adjust better in the new environment. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between three variables, which are mandarin language ability, cultural intelligence and sociocultural adaptation by examining on how mandarin language ability can help international students understand Taiwanese culture, which was shown in the level of cultural intelligence and exploring how those factors can help international students to adapt in this unique country through the scale called sociocultural adaptation. For fulfilling the research purpose, a questionnaire was designed and employed to collect the data and Moreover, the sociocultural adaptation does not just imply only about general adaptation like the survival skill but also other aspects such as academic adaptation and interpersonal adaptation.