Chinese Students in Barcelona (Spain). Culture Shock and Adaptation Strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the case of culture shock and adaptation among Chinese students in Barcelona. This is an empirical study conducted from a multicultural context with a research approach both qualitative and quantitative by randomly selecting a sample of 109 study participants, all Chinese students at the University of Barcelona. Information was collected through social software (WeChat/WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram), email and/or face to face to identify forms of cultural shock and to list and evaluate possible intercultural adaptation strategies and the most appropriate ones.  This article utilises a part of the target sample and refers only to short period of time. The results open up a number of reflections with positive implications for international students who find it difficult to adapt to different cultures from the moment they arrive in Spain. The results also suggest new ideas with respect to student’s form of participation and collaboration.