SFU What Challenges Do Chinese Students Experience when Studying in Canada Questions

Discussion

Challenges Chinese students face and how they overcome them  

Universities in China are making huge strides in an attempt to overcome these challenges. For instance, they are working in collaboration with the Canadian government to ensure Chinese students receive the best services in the country. There are now 131 Chinese institutions in the top 1,000 worldwide, with 18 in the top 300, according to the recently released 2020 World University rankings (Costigan et al., 2018). This bracket is widely regarded as the most goal globally, as it is based on institutional performance in scientific and learning outcomes. Regarding the top 2,000 institutions, Canada has 29 and nine in the top 250. China’s colleges are already starting to incorporate education of equivalent quality to that offered by Canadian universities, and if this trend continues, more Chinese students will seek a similar education in China. 

Canada is ranked first in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rankings for education. (Government of Canada, 2014) In 2012, more than 180 countries chose to study abroad in Canada. (Government of Canada, 2014) Canada has been attracting international students for many years and has more than 700 scholarship programs for promising international students, including a partnership with China. (Government of Canada, 2014) International students from China comprise 30.45% of all international students in Canada, making them the largest international student population in Canada at post-secondary institutions. (Zhang & Beck, 2014) However, international students all encounter educational, social, and cultural adjustment difficulties, and English language proficiency is a major challenge that they consistently confront throughout their studies. (Zhang & Beck, 2014) In addition, the approach to post-secondary education in Canada is potentially different from the Chinese education system. (Lin et al., 2019) Besides, the deeply rooted cultural beliefs and practices of Chinese students put them at odds with the individualistic culture of the West. (Lin et al., 2019) Chinese students say that prejudice through primary identity signifiers such as skin color, language use, and cultural practices is still a phenomenon that persists. (Lin et al., 2019) Some people stereotype Chinese students and believe subconsciously that Chinese students are inadequate in English and thus not sufficient to compete with local students. (Lin et al., 2019) Actually, Chinese students lack a similar learning environment in Canada, such as individual or group presentations, which contributes to their psychological stress. (Lin et al., 2019) Second language learners’ responses, attitudes? and feelings about the language they are learning and the local culture can greatly impact their learning effectiveness. (Zhang & Beck, 2014) According to research, students who make the decision to study abroad on their own and are given support from others will be happier, less stressed, and faster in adapting to a new country or moving abroad than those who believe they were compelled to do so. (Chirkov et al., 2008)