International Students’ Perceptions of Social Interaction and Cultural Adaptation in Second Language Acquisition at University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.11531Keywords:
Second Language Acquisition, International Students, Social Interaction, Cultural Adaptation,Abstract
This study examines international students’ perceptions and experiences of social interaction and cultural adaptation in second language acquisition, particularly in learning Bahasa Indonesia. Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, this study involved eight international students who participated in semi-structured interviews, with two participants also involved in observations. The study draws on Long’s (1996) Interaction Hypothesis to examine social interaction and Berry’s (1997) acculturation framework to understand cultural adaptation. The findings identified three themes related to social interaction: communication, negotiation of meaning, and receiving feedback. These themes illustrate how international students described their interactions with Indonesian speakers as opportunities to practice Bahasa Indonesia, clarify meaning, and receive linguistic input and feedback. Regarding cultural adaptation, the findings reflected four acculturation orientations: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization. Rather than functioning as fixed categories, these orientations represented participants’ varying experiences of maintaining aspects of their cultural identities while engaging with Indonesian culture and language. Participants perceived social interaction as supporting their Bahasa Indonesia development by providing opportunities for communication, meaning negotiation, and feedback. Cultural adaptation was also described as shaping their opportunities to engage with Indonesian language and culture in everyday contexts.
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