Social Inclusion (ISSN: 2183–2803)
2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92
DOI: 10.17645/si. 5i1.824
A icle
Academic In eg a ion o Mainland Chinese S uden s in Ge many
Hanwei Li 1,2
1Facul y o Educa ion, Uni e si y o Tampe e, 33100 Tampe e, Finland; E-Mail: hanwei.li@s a .u a. i
2Biele eld G adua e School in His o y and Sociology, Uni e si y o Biele eld, 33615 Biele eld, Ge many
Submi ed: 15 No embe 2016 | Accep ed: 27 Feb ua y 2017 | Published: 28 Ma ch 2017
Abs ac
This a icle p esen s an analysis o he academic in eg a ion expe iences o mainland Chinese e ia y-le el s uden s in
Ge many. Using Tin o’s model, he a icle explo es he challenges ha Chinese s uden s ace du ing hei academic in eg a-
ion, he s a egies hey employ, and he ela ionship be ween academic and social in eg a ion. The da a we e collec ed in
sp ing 2016 by in e iewing 26 mainland Chinese s uden s s udying ei he in Ge man uni e si ies o uni e si ies o applied
sciences. Fou majo challenges we e iden i ied and analyzed: language ba ie , knowledge gap, pedagogical di e ences,
and cul u al di e ences. An impo an ou come o he s udy p esen ed is ha social in eg a ion se es as a acili a o o
enhancing academic in eg a ion, bu is no a p e equisi e o academic success. G oup lea ning wi h pee s was ound o
enhance lea ning ou comes. O e all, Chinese s uden s ha e exploi ed hei own ad an ages in academic in eg a ion by
explo ing easible s a egies and bene i ing om hei pas lea ning expe iences. I is sugges ed ha academic in eg a ion
as a long and challenging p ocess o in e na ional s uden s should be acknowledged by he Ge man HEIs, and ha mo e
ins i u ional suppo and guidance a e needed.
Keywo ds
academic in eg a ion; Chinese s uden ; Ge many; highe educa ion; social in eg a ion
Issue
This a icle is pa o he issue “In e na ional Mig a ion and E hnic In eg a ion”, edi ed by Yaojun Li (Uni e si y o Manch-
es e , UK) and An hony Hea h (Uni e si y o Ox o d, UK).
© 2017 by he au ho ; licensee Cogi a io (Lisbon, Po ugal). This a icle is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons A ibu-
ion 4.0 In e na ional License (CC BY).
1. In oduc ion
While he mig a ion s udies li e a u e gene ally ocuses
on he in eg a ion o labo mig an s, amily mig an s, and
asylum seeke s, he e is less esea ch ocusing on he in-
eg a ion o in e na ional s uden s. This is pa ly because
in e na ional s uden mobili y is o en seen as ‘ empo-
a y’, and in e na ional s uden s cons i u e a ‘less p ob-
lema ic’ g oup o o eign a i als. Howe e , he numbe
o s uden s pu suing s udies ab oad con inues o su ge
as highe educa ion ins i u ions a ound he wo ld com-
pe e o he mos alen ed s uden s, and uni e si y en-
olmen con inues o inc ease wo ldwide. In e na ional
s uden s ha e become he key a ge o many coun ies’
ba le ields o global compe i ion o b igh es and bes .
Canada, o example, has ecen ly changed i s elec onic
immig a ion selec ion sys em o make i easie o in e -
na ional s uden s o become ci izens. I coun s hal o
s uden s’ ime spen s udying in Canada owa d he pe-
iod o esidence equi ed o ci izenship (Smi h, 2017).
Meanwhile, many Eu opean coun ies, such as Ge many,
F ance, he Ne he lands, and Finland, ha e also pu sued
a policy o allowing in e na ional uni e si y g adua es an
ex ension o hei esidence pe mi s o job seeking a e
g adua ion. In e na ional s uden s a e no longe classed
as ‘ empo a y mig an s’, a he i is hoped ha hei s ay
in he hos coun y will inc ease mo i a ion o long- e m
se lemen , and ha hei empo a y mo emen could
be pa o a delibe a e s a egy o pe manen mig a-
ion (T emblay, 2005). Thus, in eg a ion o in e na ional
s uden s has become opical and dese es mo e schol-
a ly a en ion.
Ne e heless, in e na ional s uden s s ill only cons i-
u e a mino i y o he o al e ia y s uden popula ion.
Chinese s uden s a e he mos nume ous o he in e na-
ional e ia y-le el s uden s (UNESCO Ins i u e o S a is-
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 80
ics, 2016). In 2013, o e 4.1 million Chinese we e s udy-
ing ab oad, ep esen ing 1.8 pe cen o all e ia y en ol-
men s globally (UNESCO Ins i u e o S a is ics, 2016). Be-
ween he in oduc ion o Deng Xiaoping’s opening pol-
icy in he 1970s and 2015, a ound ou million Chinese
s uden s wen ab oad o s udy, and his igu e inc eases
by app oxima ely 19 pe cen annually. In 2016, abou
520,000 Chinese s uden s mo ed o s udy ab oad (Min-
is y o Educa ion o P. R. o China, 2016).
Chinese s uden mig a ion mos ly aims a he English-
speaking coun ies (Chen & Ross, 2015; Gu & Schweis-
u h, 2006; Kajanus, 2016), while Ge many is he mos
popula des ina ion among he non-English-speaking
coun ies. Acco ding o he Ins i u e o In e na ional Ed-
uca ion, abou 30,511 Chinese s uden s we e s udying
in Ge many in 2015, making hem he second la ges
g oup o in e na ional s uden s in Ge many (a e Tu k-
ish s uden s). The sha e o Chinese s uden s o he in-
e na ional s uden popula ion in Ge many is a ound
en pe cen (Wissenscha Wel o en, 2016). Al hough
mos deg ee p og ams a e s ill o e ed in Ge man lan-
guage (Bessey, 2012), Ge many has become an inc eas-
ingly popula choice o highe educa ion among Chi-
nese s uden s.
Ge many is a popula des ina ion among Chinese
s uden s o se e al easons. Fi s , i is one o he ew
coun ies o o e all na ionali ies high quali y highe
educa ion ee o cha ge o o modes ui ion ees,
which is a majo a ac i e ac o o in e na ional s u-
den s. Bo h English- and Ge man- augh p og ams a e
p o ided o in e na ional s uden s. Unlike many non-
English-speaking coun ies ha a e ec ui ing in e na-
ional s uden s o English- augh p og ams, mos in-
e na ional s uden s s udy on Ge man- augh p og ams
alongside na i e Ge man s uden s. Ge man language is
augh in uni e si ies ac oss he globe and language in-
s i u es such as he Goe he Ins i u . Ge many also a -
anges es ablished s anda dized Ge man language es s
(DSH and Tes DaF) in many coun ies in he wo ld, whe e
s uden s can ob ain a language ce i ica e in suppo o
hei applica ions o s udies in Ge many. Fo hose s u-
den s who canno each he equi emen o begin hei
academic s udies in Ge many, i is possible o s a he
s udies in he S udienkollegs (S udienkolleg ü ausländis-
che S udie ende) a Ge man colleges and uni e si ies.
These s udies unc ion as a ‘b idge’ o help in e na ional
s uden s enhance hei Ge man language skills, and be-
come acquain ed wi h Ge man academic cul u e. Fu -
he , Ge many has an o ganiza ion specialized in p omo -
ing academic mobili y be ween Ge many and o he coun-
ies. The Ge man Academic Exchange Se ice DAAD
(Deu sche Akademische Aus auschdiens ) o e s in o -
ma ion on s udying in Ge many, on selec ing a uni e si y,
on admission c i e ia, and on p epa ing o emba k on
s udies in Ge many. I also o e s a ious ypes o schol-
a ships o s uden s ac oss he globe o exchange, s udy-
ing Ge man language, o s udying on deg ee p og ams.
The DAAD has o ices in many coun ies o he wo ld, in-
cluding China, ha ac i ely o e in o ma ion on how o
apply o s udy in Ge many, and on academic collabo a-
ion and mobili y. Fo example, in China he DAAD has i s
own social ne wo k accoun s on WeCha and Weibo ha
ou inely dis ibu e in o ma ion on he applica ion p o-
cess o s udying in Ge many, p esen s in oduc ions o
speci ic Ge man uni e si ies and ci ies, and ep oduces
es imonials om cu en s uden s.
In addi ion, Ge many is one o he i s coun ies in
he EU o ac i ely seek o imp o e in e na ional s uden s’
access o he labo ma ke . In he con ex o he ecen
poli ical deba e, in e na ional s uden s we e iden i ied
as u u e skilled wo ke s. The aim was o make access o
he labo ma ke easie o hem, especially in he in o -
ma ion echnology sec o . In e na ional g adua es hold-
ing a deg ee om a Ge man uni e si y a e in a a o able
posi ion o ge ing job o e s. Mo eo e , due o hei
linguis ic skills and in e cul u al communica ion skills, in-
e na ional s uden s can se e as ‘connec o s’ be ween
hei coun ies o o igin and des ina ion. The la e ac o
is pa icula ly ele an o he expo -o ien ed Ge man
economy (Aksakal & Schmid -Ve ke k, 2014).
Gi en his policy con ex , he e has been g owing
conce n o e he ex en o which Ge man highe edu-
ca ion ins i u ions (HEIs) manage o p o ide app op ia e
and esponsi e academic and pe sonal suppo o he in-
eg a ion o in e na ional s uden s. While nume ous su -
eys ha e examined he mac o-le el ends in s uden
mobili y and he quali y o Ge man HEIs, less a en ion
has been paid o he expe iences o indi idual in e na-
ional s uden s.
The pu pose o his pape is o in es iga e how Chi-
nese s uden s in eg a e in o Ge man academic en i on-
men s, wha challenges hey encoun e while s udying in
Ge many, and wha coping s a egies hey adop o such
challenges. The ollowing esea ch ques ions guided he
s udy p esen ed he e: (1) wha challenges do mainland
Chinese s uden s encoun e while s udying and li ing in
Ge many? (2) Wha s a egies do Chinese s uden s use o
o e come challenges in hei academic in eg a ion? and
(3) Is he e a connec ion be ween academic and social in-
eg a ion among Chinese s uden s s udying in Ge many?
2. In eg a ion o In e na ional S uden s: The Resea ch
Con ex
In ea lie esea ch on he academic and social in eg a-
ion and s udy p og ess o in e na ional s uden s in a
o eign academic se ing, he e ms ‘in eg a ion’, ‘adap-
a ion’, and ‘accul u a ion’ ha e been used in e change-
ably in di e en se ings, ca ying la gely simila conno-
a ions. This a icle chooses o use he e m ‘in eg a ion’
because in eg a ion can be seen bo h as a goal and a
p ocess. When i comes o social ela ions, he goal o
he Ge man in eg a ion policy is ha o eign newcom-
e s will es ablish a ela i ely obus ela ionship wi h he
hos communi y, while no abandoning hei home e h-
nic communi y and e hnic iden i y (Süssmu h, 2009). As
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 81
a goal in eg a ion e e s a si ua ion in which newcome s
ha e a ained a leas a mode a e le el o language and
cul u al compe ence wi hin he coun y o se lemen
ha ensu es hei abili y o h i e. I also implies ha mi-
g an s ac i ely y o become a pa o he su ounding
socie y (Budy a-Budzyńska, 2011). I can be said ha a
success ul adap a ion p esupposes ha newcome s in e-
g a e in o hei new li ing en i onmen s, which in u n is
usually a esul o a success ul accul u a ion p ocess.
2.1. Academic and Social In eg a ion
Tin o (1975, 1997) de eloped a model o s uden a i-
ion ha laid a heo e ical ounda ion o s udying e -
ia y s uden e en ion. In his model, Tin o es ablished
he app oxima e pa i y be ween social and academic in-
eg a ion in hei e ec s on d opou . The cen al concep
p oposed in Tin o’s model is ha a s uden ’s in eg a ion
in o he social and academic sys ems o he highe educa-
ion ins i u ion is wha ul ima ely esul s in pe se e ance
o d opou . The highe he deg ee o in eg a ion o he
s uden s in o he college sys em, he less likely hey a e
o ail o ul ill a commi men and achie e goals leading o
he comple ion o hei deg ee p og ams. A pe son’s aca-
demic in eg a ion can be measu ed in e ms o he g ade
pe o mance and in ellec ual de elopmen achie ed du -
ing s udies. While in e na ional s uden s en e uni e si y
wi h a ious backg ounds and mo i a ions, hei in eg a-
ion in o he highe educa ion sys em will ul ima ely de-
e mine hei pe se e ance o d opou . Tin o desc ibes
wo impe a i e condi ions o success ul e en ion: (1) in-
s i u ional expe iences (in ol ing he educa ion sys em);
and (2) academic and social in eg a ion. Those who eel
a home, pa icipa e ac i ely in ex a-cu icula ac i i ies,
and eel connec ed wi h ellow s uden s and eache s a e
mo e likely o pe se e e in hei s udies.
The p edic i e alidi y o Tin o’s model was es ed
in a ious se ings. One s udy sugges ed ha s uden s’
academic in eg a ion, oge he wi h educa ional objec-
i es, p edic s hei pe sis ence in he HEIs (Be s &
Smi h, 1991). In addi ion o o mal s udies, in o mal in-
e ac ion wi h acul y membe s plays a i al ole in he
s uden s’ academic in eg a ion (Te enzini & Pasca ella,
1977). Howe e , Tin o’s model does no speci y he p o-
cess by which ins i u ional expe iences a ec s uden
lea ning. While s uden cha ac e is ics p io o en y may
a ec hei academic in eg a ion, he ins i u ional expe-
ience esul s in a ce ain s udy e o and ul ima ely in
s uden pe sis ence. A s udy by Se e iens and Schmid
(2009) examining ins i u ional expe iences o s uden
lea ning, ound a di ec posi i e e ec o he lea ning
en i onmen on in e na ional s uden s’ p og ess in hei
s udies. A p oblem-based lea ning en i onmen , mo e
han con en ional p og ams, helped s uden s o de elop
hei cogni i e skills and s imula ed hem o acqui e new
knowledge. P oblem-based lea ning also appea ed o be
success ul in s imula ing s uden s o ob ain c edi s, and
achie e a highe le el o social and academic in eg a ion.
One o he key hemes among he s udies using
Tin o’s model is he ela ionship be ween academic
and social in eg a ion. The indings o Mannan (2007)
show ha academic and social in eg a ion complemen
each o he among unde g adua es. Howe e , Rien ies,
Beausae , G ohne , Nieman s e d ie and Komme s
(2012), who examined he alidi y o educa o s’ imp es-
sions, ound ha in e na ional s uden s a e insu icien ly
adjus ed o highe educa ion in hei hos coun ies, bo h
academically and socially, and ha he ex en o hei
academic success is mul i ace ed. In e na ional s uden s
wi h a (mixed) wes e n backg ound we e be e academi-
cally and socially in eg a ed, and achie ed a highe s udy
pe o mance han did domes ic s uden s. By con as ,
in e na ional s uden s wi h a non-wes e n backg ound
we e less socially in eg a ed, bu s ill achie ed a simila
s udy pe o mance. The social adjus men o s uden s
was nega i ely ela ed o hei s udy pe o mance. These
indings sugges ha he ela ionship be ween academic
and social in eg a ion p ocesses is complex in na u e and
me i s u he in es iga ion.
Resea ch on he social in eg a ion o in e na ional s u-
den s has pa icula ly emphasized he posi i e e ec o
es ablishing social ne wo ks wi h hos na ionals (Bochne ,
McLeod, & Lin, 1977a; Coles & Swami, 2012). Resea ch
has also shown ha in e na ional s uden s epo less
homesickness, less loneliness, and g ea e sa is ac ion i
hey ha e mo e hos -na ional iends (Chu ch, 1982; Hen-
d ickson, Rosen, & Aune, 2011). Con ac s wi h hos na-
ionals ha e also been shown o enable in e na ional s u-
den s o de elop local ne wo ks, a ain a be e unde -
s anding o local cul u es, and acqui e he necessa y so-
cial skills (Li & Gasse , 2005). Ye in p ac ice i may be
di icul o make con ac s wi h hos -na ionals. I is ela-
i ely easy o in e na ional s uden s o o m iendship
ne wo ks wi h co-na ional s uden s (Bochne , McLeod, &
Lin, 1977b; Fu nham & Alibhai, 1985; Hend ickson e al.,
2011). While con ac wi h co-na ionals can play a i al ole
in he in e na ional s uden s’ social ne wo ks, engage-
men wi h co-na ionals may inhibi hem om o ming
iendship ne wo ks wi h ep esen a i es o he hos soci-
e y (Chu ch, 1982), and om acqui ing o imp o ing skills
in he hos language (Maundeni, 2001), which impedes
in e cul u al lea ning p ocesses (Kim, 2000). Acco dingly,
Kim (2000) a gues ha co-na ional con ac s only o e
sho - e m suppo , while con ac s and iendships wi h
hos -na ionals a e mo e impo an o social in eg a ion.
2.2. Chinese Lea ne s in Wes e n Highe Educa ion
S udies ocusing on he academic in eg a ion o Chinese
s uden s in wes e n HEIs ha e p oduced mixed and some-
imes con adic o y esul s. Kennedy (2002) ound ha
Chinese cul u e has an in luence on Chinese s uden s’
lea ning s yles: Chinese s uden s a e low in indi idual-
ism and high in collec i ism, and exhibi a s ong sense
o belonging o a social g oup and a p e e ence o wo k
oge he o sol e p oblems (Kennedy, 2002; Nield, 2009;
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 82
Saye s & F anklin, 2008) Some s udies ha e ound ha
s uden s om a Con ucian cul u al backg ound ha e
mo e di icul ies in adjus ing o he wes e n eaching
s yle han do hei wes e n pee s. They may adop a
less ac i e lea ning s a egy, and be hesi an abou oic-
ing hei own opinions in he class oom, while wes e n
s uden s a e mo e used o pa icipa ing ac i ely in class
(Auyeung & Sands, 1996; Duanmu, Li, & Chen, 2009;
S ohschneide & Guss, 1999; Vi a, 2001; Yuen & Lee,
1994). In addi ion, Co azzi and Jin (1997) ha e shown
ha Chinese and B i ish s uden s a e likely o ha e di e -
en expec a ions ega ding s uden s’ and eache s’ oles.
The Chinese s uden s expec a eache o be a ‘knowl-
edge model’ who gi es s uden s clea guidance o hem
o ollow, while B i ish eache s ac mo e as acili a o s
o s uden s’ lea ning by encou aging he lea ne s’ own
c ea i i y and independence.
Howe e , he e a e o he s udies which con a-
dic hese indings, sugges ing ha , con a y o he
Chinese s uden s e eo ype, Chinese lea ne s ha e a
s onge p e e ence o high-le el, meaning–based lea n-
ing s a egies and p e e o a oid o e lea ning. Kennedy
(2002) ound ha Chinese s uden s can adop new lea n-
ing s yles when he lea ning con ex changes and new
lea ning app oaches a e needed. Thus, mo e ac i e and
communica i e modes o lea ning may be p e e ed o
a adi ional eache -cen e ed s yle. Acco ding o Du kin
(2008), Chinese s uden s app oach hei lea ning asks by
adop ing a s a egic a i ude o lea ning. She ound ha
mos Eas Asian mas e ’s s uden s op ed o a middle way
which syne gizes hei own cul u al app oach o c i ical
hinking wi h wes e n-s yle c i ical hinking and deba e
ha a e cul u ally accep able o hem. In his way in e -
na ional s uden s, wi hou being ully accul u a ed, be-
come ‘empa he ic inside s’, who unde s and and alue
he new p ac ices, pe cei ing hem as oppo uni ies o
g ow h and de elopmen . Zhang (2013) also ound ha
some Chinese s uden s would choose a middle way o im-
p o e hei linguis ic compe ence o be e academic in-
eg a ion. Ins ead o app oaching na i e speake s, some
Chinese s uden s ied o make iends wi h o he non-
Chinese s uden s o p ac ice hei English and hus gain
mo e con idence in in e cul u al communica ion.
2.3. Chinese S uden s in Ge many
Gi en he ela i ely la ge numbe o Chinese s uden s in
Ge man HEIs, li le esea ch has so a been conduc ed
on his g oup. The exis ing li e a u e sugges s ha Chi-
nese s uden s s udying in Ge many sha e some p oblems
wi h hose in o he coun ies, such as language issues, i-
nancial s ess, loneliness, and di icul ies in academic in-
eg a ion. Zhu (2012, 2016) explo ed Chinese s uden s’
academic adjus men in ou phases: p e-depa u e, ini-
ial, de eloping, and inal phase. She ound ha Chi-
nese s uden s’ insu icien p epa a ion (language p o-
iciency and knowledge abou Ge man uni e si ies) in
he p e-depa u e phase led o di icul ies in he ini ial
phase. The s uden s o en desc ibed hei ini ial expe i-
ences as a ‘ca as ophe’, as hey we e no a all amil-
ia wi h he academic sys em in Ge many. In he de el-
oping phase, Chinese s uden s epo ed p og ess in Ge -
man language and knowledge abou Ge man uni e si-
ies, which acili a ed hei u he de elopmen . One
majo challenge in he de eloping phase was o nego-
ia e he di e ence in academic expec a ions be ween
home and hos uni e si ies. In he inal phase, Chinese
s uden s showed unde s anding and app ecia ion o he
expec a ions a Ge man uni e si ies. Ge man language
p o iciency, academic suppo , and pe sonal e o o-
ge he in luenced he Chinese s uden s’ academic adjus -
men a Ge man uni e si ies.
Mo eo e , Chinese s uden s s udying in Ge many
wi h Ge man as he language o ins uc ion epo ed
g ea e challenges in hei academic and social in eg a-
ion (Zhou, 2009). The s udy by Mao (2011) showed ha
only hal o he in e na ional s uden s had s udied Ge -
man be o e a i ing in Ge many, while he es began
lea ning Ge man only on a i ing in he coun y. Conse-
quen ly, less han one hi d o Chinese s uden s aking
pa in he s udy could epo ha hei p o iciency in Ge -
man was ‘good’ o ‘ e y good’, e en hough hei s udies
in a Ge man uni e si y had al eady begun (Mao, 2011).
By examining a g oup o Ge man and a g oup o Chi-
nese s uden s, Luo and Kück (2011) examined he sim-
ila i ies and di e ences be ween hese s uden s’ lea n-
ing beha io s and s yles. They ound ha he lea ning
s yles o he wo g oups we e amazingly close, as bo h
g oups we e o ien ed owa ds imp o ing hei compe-
ence and being c ea i e h ough sel -mo i a ion. In ad-
di ion, hey used simila lea ning me hods, such as sel -
lea ning and asking ques ions, and iewed he lec u e s
as p o essional and mo al examples in academic se ings.
This demons a es ha cul u al di e ences do no neces-
sa ily a ec he lea ning app oaches o Ge man and Chi-
nese s uden s.
Guan (2007) compa ed Chinese and Ge man s uden s’
adjus men a he Uni e si y o B emen and he Uni e -
si y o Gö ingen. His esea ch a he Uni e si y o B emen
he o me esea ch sugges ed ha he concep o sel
played an impo an ole in he adjus men o Chinese s u-
den s; while a he Uni e si y o Gö ingen he ound ha
when acing di icul ies Chinese s uden s used di e en
esou ces om hei Ge man coun e pa s o deal wi h
he p oblem. Mos Chinese s uden s p e e ed o u n o
books and media ins ead o alking wi h na i e Ge mans.
In sum, much o he li e a u e on he academic and
social in eg a ion o in e na ional s uden s adop s a cul-
u al pe spec i e ocusing on he ensions caused by a -
emp s o cope wi h cul u al di e ences in a new en i on-
men . The esea ch p esen ed in his a icle was con ex u-
alized in di e en li e a u es conce ning he na u e o in-
e na ional s uden s’ in e cul u al communica ion and in-
e cul u al expe ience. Ye he emphasis was no placed
on cul u al di e ence as such, bu encompassed a ious
challenges acing he s uden s a ising om cul u al, peda-
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 83
gogical, linguis ic, and ins i u ional pe spec i es ha a e
also due o he s ess o in eg a ing in o he la ge soci-
e al con ex in addi ion o he academic con ex .
Meanwhile, while much a en ion has been paid o
‘cul u al di e ence’, less has been paid o he p ocesses
o lea ning, which may be iden ical ac oss di e en cul-
u al and academic se ings. As he o egoing li e a u e
e iew shows, lea ning s yles may be simila among s u-
den s om di e en cul u al backg ounds. S a egies o
he academic in eg a ion o in e na ional s uden s may
p o e o be jus as use ul when implemen ed in a b and
new academic se ing.
Fo he pu poses o he esea ch p esen ed he e, he
lis o ele an ques ions conce ned how s uden s cope
wi h pedagogical and cul u al di e ences, pa icipa e in
class oom and g oup lea ning, in e ac wi h eache s and
classma es inside and ou side class, and how hey suc-
ceed in hei assessmen s. Social in eg a ion e e s o a
p ocess o s a e whe e s uden s es ablish ela i ely o-
bus ela ionships wi h hos -na ional indi iduals o com-
muni ies and ake pa in di e se social ac i i ies. Since
he ocus o his a icle is on he academic in eg a ion
o Chinese s uden s, he examina ion o hei social in e-
g a ion is limi ed o whe he hei social in eg a ion acil-
i a es hei academic in eg a ion.
3. Da a and Me hods
Da a collec ed h ough semi-s uc u ed in e iews we e
used o explo e he challenges and coping s a egies o
academic in eg a ion among Chinese s uden s in Ge -
many. The au ho in e iewed 26 mainland Chinese
e ia y-le el deg ee s uden s in wo Ge man uni e si ies
du ing sp ing and summe 2016. Mos o he in e iew
ques ions (excep hose elici ing demog aphic in o ma-
ion) we e open-ended ques ions enabling s uden s o
alk eely and in dep h wi hin he ange o he esea ch
ques ions, while also allowing lexibili y o del e in o op-
ics which we e no expec ed a he beginning o he s udy.
All in e iews we e conduc ed by he au ho in Manda in
Chinese o lowe he po en ial ba ie o cul u al and lin-
guis ic di e ence, while allowing he s uden s o del e
deepe in o he subjec o in e es . Mos o he in e -
iews we e conduc ed a wo Ge man uni e si ies. Bo h
uni e si ies a e la ge esea ch and eaching HEIs o e ing
ins uc ion in he main academic disciplines.
Mul iple me hods we e used o ec ui in e iewees.
Fi s , he au ho asked he in e na ional o ices o he
wo pa icipa ing uni e si ies o send in i a ions o all
mainland Chinese s uden s egis e ed in hese uni e si-
ies o pa icipa e in he esea ch. The s uden s who ol-
un ee ed o pa icipa e in he esea ch we e con ac ed
by email, ins an message, o elephone. Second, snow-
ball sampling was used. The esea ch pa icipan s we e
encou aged o in i e hei iends and o he mainland
Chinese s uden s who migh be in e es ed in joining he
esea ch. Thi d, a esea ch assis an helped o dis ibu e
he in i a ion o in e iews h ough he local Chinese s u-
den s’ associa ion ne wo k. Among he in e iewees, 16
we e emale and 12 male s uden s. All pa icipan s we e
in hei wen ies wi h an a e age age o 24 yea s o e-
male and 26 o male s uden s. The in e iewees came
om a ious academic backg ounds: i e we e s udy-
ing na u al sciences, ou social sciences, h ee mechani-
cal enginee ing, h ee medicine, h ee compu e science,
h ee spo s managemen , wo a s and humani ies, wo
Ge man linguis ics, one English li e a u e.
Mos o he in e iewees came om u ban middle
and uppe middle class amily backg ounds in China. The
g oup o in e iewees included s uden s who had jus
come o s udy in Ge many o one semes e , and hose
who had come o Ge many o mo e han i e yea s. As
he ime in e al and in eg a ion phases o he in e ie-
wees we e di e se, he au ho was able o explo e which
ea u es o academic in eg a ion mani es in di e en
phases. S uden s who had mo ed o Ge many ecen ly
had esh expe ience o ‘cul u e shock’, while he senio
s uden s ga e li ely accoun s o how hey had managed
o o e come academic in eg a ion p oblems in di e en
s ages and on hei de elopmen ajec o ies. The in e -
iews las ed om one o h ee hou s. The sha ed lan-
guage and cul u al backg ound acili a ed communica-
ion be ween he in e iewe and he in e iewees. All
in e iews we e eco ded and ansc ibed. The in e iew
da a we e analyzed using in e p e a i e con en analysis;
pa icula ly in e es ing insigh s we e w i en down du -
ing he in e iew, bu mos o he analyses we e ca ied
ou on he basis o he in e iew ansc ip s.
In he ollowing sec ion, he challenges and coping
s a egies o Chinese s uden s’ academic in eg a ion in o
Ge many will be discussed in de ail. In p esen ing he
indings, no such pe sonal da a is e ealed ha would
make he in e iewees ecognizable. The anonymi y o
esponden s is p o ec ed, and no eal name is disclosed
in he a icle. In he quo a ions, gende and majo sub-
jec will se e o cha ac e ize he esponden s. Ci a-
ions om he in e iews conduc ed in manda in Chi-
nese we e ansla ed in o English by he au ho .
4. Findings
4.1. Challenges in Academic In eg a ion
Mos o he Chinese s uden s in Ge many we e s udy-
ing ab oad o he i s ime in hei li es. The challenges
hey encoun e ed du ing hei academic in eg a ion can
be ca ego ized in o he ollowing hemes: language ba -
ie , knowledge gap, cul u al di e ence, and pedagogi-
cal di e ence.
4.1.1. Language Ba ie
All Chinese s uden s in e iewed s essed he impo -
ance o Ge man linguis ic p o iciency in hei s udies. In-
deed, many in e iewees had come o s udy in Ge many
speci ically because hey wan ed o be luen in Ge man.
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 84

Some men ioned ha hey wan ed o be luen in Ge -
man because hey we e in luenced by Ge man cul u e
and i s speci ics, such as oo ball o au omobiles. Some
in e iewees es ima ed ha , in addi ion o achie ing aca-
demic success in hei majo subjec s, luency in Ge man
was a g ea added alue o hei u u e ca ee s, as he
quo a ion below shows:
I is e y common o my gene a ion o go o s udy in
he UK, he cos is highe bu you can g adua e wi h
you M.A. in one yea (a e comple ing he bachelo ’s
deg ee). Howe e , I chose o s udy in Ge many be-
cause he e a e ela i ely ewe people speaking Ge -
man compa ed o English. When I g adua e, I would
no only ha e a diploma om a coun y wi h a good
epu a ion o highe educa ion, bu also speak wo
o eign languages. (Female, Medicine)
The language ba ie has been men ioned epea edly in
many ea lie s udies as a majo challenge o he in eg a-
ion o in e na ional s uden s. Howe e , he ex en and
se e i y o he language p oblems among Chinese s u-
den s a e g ea e in Ge many han in English-speaking
coun ies o h ee easons as ollows: Fi s , Ge man is
he second o hi d o eign language o mos o he Chi-
nese s uden s. While he e a e in e na ional high schools
ha each Ge man as a o eign language in China, mos
o he s uden s s udy Ge man o one o wo yea s in
China o in Ge many, and hen ake he Ge man lan-
guage es DSH o Tes Da in o de o be en olled in a Ge -
man HEI. Howe e , e en i hey succeed in ob aining he
language ce i ica e, hei linguis ic capaci y is o en a
om su icien o accomplish hei academic asks. The
ollowing quo a ions show ha s udying in Ge man is no
easy o Chinese s uden s:
I hink he mos di icul challenge in s udying he e is
he language. You don’ know wha he eache is alk-
ing abou , don’ know wha you classma es a e alk-
ing abou , and when you ead he book you wan o
ea he book apa ….You know ha when we we e in
China, we s udied English o many yea s om p ima y
school o uni e si y and when we go ab oad i is s ill
di icul o use English. No o e en men ion mas e ing
Ge man in he sho e m. E en i we had passed he
language es , and had s udied he language o wo
yea s, when we en e ed he class oom, we s ill ound
ou sel es a behind. I hink i is necessa y o he Ge -
man uni e si ies o e o m he DSH es because mos
o eign s uden s who passed he es a e s ill no lu-
en enough in Ge man. (Male, Media S udies)
Al hough I had passed he DSH exam, I s ill had di i-
cul y adap ing o using Ge man language in daily li e
as well as in academic se ings. I ound ha he Ge -
man language ha people used in daily li e was o-
ally di e en om wha we s udied in class back in
China. The use o ocabula y is di e en , and people
om di e en egions ha e di e en accen s. They
also end o speak as e han he lis ening ma e ial
we lea ned om in ou classes. I ook me abou one
o wo semes e s o ge used o using Ge man in my
daily li e. (Male, Spo s Managemen )
Second, he Ge man language augh in China was no
he same as he Ge man ha he s uden s used in hei
academic and daily li es. E en o he s uden s o Ge -
man linguis ics i ook some ime o ge used o his:
A e coming he e (Ge many), I ound ha he hings
we lea ned in China we e jus on pape . I only ealized
a e li ing in Ge many ha he (Ge man) language is
no spoken in ha way ( ha we lea ned in China). The
casse es ha we lis ened o in class we e e y slow,
while in eali y hey speak much as e . When I lis ened
o he Ge man eache explaining in Ge man, i s ill
ook some ime be o e I could uly adap ….I hink i
ook a ound wo mon hs. (Female, Ge man Linguis ics)
Fo some o he s uden s no in ol ed in s udying Ge -
man linguis ics, i migh ake up o wo yea s o ge used
o s udying in Ge many.
Thi d, he s uden s who passed he Ge man language
es s we e adequa e in communica ing in daily li e in Ge -
man, bu hei academic ocabula y o hei majo sub-
jec s was s ill limi ed. Howe e , in he Ge man- augh
classes, Ge man and in e na ional s uden s s udied o-
ge he as he eache s did no ake hem and hei spe-
cial demands in o accoun . This caused p oblems o
some in e iewees:
The eache s will each acco ding o he empo o Ge -
man s uden s, wi hou aking in o conside a ion he
di icul y o o eigne s o ollow he class in hei sec-
ond o hi d o eign language. The pace o he class
is o en eally as , and he e is some ocabula y o
e en eache s’ w i ing on he blackboa d ha a e in-
comp ehensible o us. (Male, Elec ical Enginee ing)
Howe e , hose s uden s who had pa icipa ed in he S u-
dienkollege be o e hey began hei bachelo ’s s udies in
Ge many, gene ally had be e linguis ic p o iciency han
hose who had only aken language classes be o e en e -
ing Ge man uni e si ies.
By con as , Chinese s uden s on English- augh in e -
na ional mas e ’s p og ams seemed o encoun e ewe
p oblems. Al hough hey s ill needed o expand hei o-
cabula y and imp o e hei p o iciency in spoken English,
he language alone was less o an issue o hem com-
pa ed o hose who s udied in Ge man.
4.1.2. Knowledge Gap
No ably, Chinese s uden s s udying hei majo subjec s
in ei he Ge man o in English epo ed di icul ies in un-
de s anding he con en s o eaching:
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 85
A he beginning o my s udies I could unde s and
a mos 30 o 40 pe cen o he eaching. Fo some
classes ha we e di icul , my unde s anding was
e en less han 30 o 40 pe cen , because e en i I had
aken he class in Chinese I wouldn’ ha e been able
o unde s and e e y hing. I eel I was no as good as
my ellow classma es. (Male, Elec ical Enginee ing)
The di icul y o unde s anding he con en o eaching
was o en due o gaps in he Chinese s uden s’ knowledge
backg ound due o di e ences in cu iculum con en and
s uc u e be ween Ge man and Chinese uni e si ies. E en
o he s uden s coming o s udy in Ge many unde bila -
e al ag eemen s he cou ses hey had aken in China we e
no en i ely compa ible wi h he Ge man cou ses:
Wha we lea n he e is e y di icul , combined wi h
he abs use language, i is eally o u e o unde -
s and wha he book is ying o say. The classes in
which we ha e backg ound knowledge om classes
we ook in China we e a bi be e . Bu i we hadn’
lea ned some hing be o e, we needed o s a om
he beginning, and his he mos di icul pa ….Once
we we e equi ed o unde s and he mechanism o a
machine. In China, we had ne e s udied he mech-
anism behind his machine be o e. The e we e a
leas wo o h ee classes o knowledge gap be ween
ou cu en knowledge ese e and he knowledge e-
qui ed o accomplish his ask. We had o wo k o
en days om 9 a.m. o 11 p.m. in he lib a y wi h
help om o he s o sol e ha . I almos d o e us c azy.
(Male, Machine Mechanics)
The cu icula and he ocus o s udies in China may be so
comple ely di e en om hose in Ge many ha some
s uden s had o s udy hose cou ses o e again. Failing a
cou se was a us a ing expe ience o many:
Media s udies in China gene ally ocuses on p ac i-
cal issues, like how o do an in e iew and how o
p oduce TV p og ams. Bu he cou ses we ook he e
we e mo e ocused on he heo e ical side. We ha e
cou ses in sociology, his o y, philosophy, li e a u e,
e c. I makes me us a ed….I was o en ha a e
one semes e , I s ill had no clue wha some cou ses
we e abou . I ha e ne e ailed classes be o e, bu
ailing classes he e became so common ha I be-
came numb…many hings I know in Chinese. Bu I
don’ know how o exp ess mysel in Ge man. Thus,
al hough I ha e abundan knowledge in my head, I
couldn’ ell i o o he s. (Male, Media S udies)
In he i s semes e , I could unde s and mos o
he basic cou ses. Bu o some classes ha equi ed
con en -speci ic backg ound knowledge, such as one
class ha called Al hochdeu sch (Old High Ge man
OHG), I basically could no unde s and e e y hing. (Fe-
male, Ge man Linguis ics)
Su p isingly, ailing a lo o classes was a common heme
men ioned by se e al in e iewees. Many o hem men-
ioned ha hey had ne e ailed a class in China, bu a -
e hey came o Ge many, he combined challenge o
s udying a igo ous module in a o eign language caused
hem o ail classes mo e o en han be o e. Acco ding o
he ules in Ge many, i a s uden ails class h ee imes,
he o she will no longe be allowed o s udy ha majo
in any Ge man uni e si y. This inc eased he s ess he
Chinese s uden s we e endu ing.
4.1.3. Cul u al Di e ence
Some o he in e iewees men ioned ha hei di icul-
ies in academic in eg a ion we e caused by di e ences
in cul u al p ac ices. This was especially e iden among
s uden s o humani ies and social sciences. In mos cases,
he s uden s we e no able o speci y wha hey mean by
‘cul u e’. This is unde s andable as cul u al phenomena
a e o en immanen , and hidden cul u e ea u ing aci
cul u al knowledge (such as alues and no m sys ems)
is di icul o ecognize. The si ua ion was di e en wi h
isible cul u al cha ac e is ics. Cul u al di e ences we e
ob ious in cul u al s udies, o ins ance in lea ning expe-
iences which equi ed he s uden s o ead li e a u e o
e iew ilms. One o he in e iewees said:
Some imes in he class, he eache men ioned a ce -
ain au ho , ilm di ec o o elemen o a gen e o ilm
and my classma es immedia ely esponded. Howe e ,
I migh no ha e any clue o wha hey we e e e ing
o, o a leas I would no know how o exp ess i in
Ge man. Also, he same elemen , such as a po ai o
a d agon in a ilm, is also qui e di e en in a Ge man
ilm and in a Chinese ilm. Such cul u al di e ences
o en cause di icul y o me o ollow in class. I ound
he same di icul y unde s anding a Chinese ilm when
i was shown in my class. (Female, Film S udies)
In some cases cul u al di e ences we e e lec ed in di -
e en ways o hinking and app oaching knowledge. One
o he senio s uden s compa ed he Ge man adi ion o
analy ical hinking and deba e cul u e wi h Chinese adi-
ions as ollows:
I hink in eg a ion is a e y bloody wo d, ha a e you
become in eg a ed, he uncom o able eeling will al-
ways accompany you ha on he su ace you look like
a Ge man, bu in ac i is a bu den you ha e o ca y
wi h you. Take he c i ical hinking and deba e cul u e
in Ge many o example, hey like o hink his is a
cons uc i e way o sol ing p oblems.….Ge mans like
o ea he whole hing apa , and analyze whe e a
p oblem is, hen hey will ind he solu ion, and ell
you poin by poin hey a e igh . This kind o ana-
ly ical hinking and deba e cul u e is o ally di e en
om he humane way o dealing wi h con lic as low
key as possible in China. I con lic s wi h he humane
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 86
ouch o Chinese socie y whe e unnecessa y con lic s
a e usually a oided. (Male, Highe Educa ion)
4.1.4. Pedagogical Di e ences
While he classes in China o en ook he o m o eache -
cen e ed lec u ing, he lea ning me hods used in Ge -
man class ooms may be mo e di e se, including g oup
assignmen s, class oom discussion, and so on.
Ha ing been p o ided wi h answe s o many yea s
and ha ing being augh o espec he iews o au ho i y,
some Chinese s uden s ound ques ioning and challeng-
ing pee s and lec u e s engende ed acu e discom o
(Wu, 2015). Mos o he Chinese s uden s in e iewed e-
po ed ha hey would no join in he class oom discus-
sion. The language ba ie was he main issue p e en -
ing hem om ac i e engagemen in class. The ollowing
s uden s, who had al eady s udied in Ge man HEIs o
ou yea s, epo ed s ill ha ing p oblems in aking pa
in class oom discussions:
Un il now I can basically know wha he eache was
alking abou in class, because he eache mus be alk-
ing a ound he main opic. Bu I ha e no way o p edic
wha he classma es we e abou o say. My esponse
e lex is s ill much slowe han he na i e speake s, and
i is no possible o he o he s uden s o epea he
con en again. Tha is why I couldn’ join in he class-
oom discussion so well, because I could unde s and
wha he eache s we e alking abou because hei ex-
p essions a e p edic able, bu ollowing wha he class-
ma es we e saying is s ill di icul . (Male, Sociology)
Many o he easons also con ibu ed o a pe cei ed lack
o pa icipa ion o Chinese s uden s in class: Fi s , ac-
cus omed o he Chinese eaching and lea ning en i on-
men , some Chinese s uden s el hey we e expec ed o
gi e he ‘ igh answe ’ o he eache s’ ques ions. They
would be eluc an o a icula e wha came in o hei
minds in class. Second, hei silence in class migh also
be linked o indi idual pe sonali y ai s, such as shyness
and modes y. They we e no accus omed o he wes e n
deba e cul u e in class, and would p e e o say no hing.
Las ly, a numbe o s uden s el a need o know mo e
abou he eaching con en o p o ide hei own eed-
back in class, as seen in he ollowing ema k:
In he beginning, I would no pa icipa e in he class-
oom discussion because I was eally a aid ha I
would make a mis ake i I spoke up in class, and ha
would make me eel ashamed. So I was basically an-
swe ing he eache ’s ques ions by hea by mysel .
E en i some imes I ound he answe s om my class-
ma es we e w ong, I would s ill no co ec hem. (Fe-
male, Compu e Enginee ing)
Mo eo e , examina ions in Ge man HEIs ake di e en
o ms om hose in China. While in China mos exams
a e w i en exams, he Ge man exams may also be o al.
This o m o examina ion could be qui e in imida ing o
Chinese s uden s, since hey had ne e encoun e ed an
o al exam be o e.
Besides di e en o ms o exams, he inal ma k usu-
ally en ails se e al pieces o essay w i ing. The s uden s
in e iewed we e s ill s uggling o use Ge man language
o , lacking expe ience in essay w i ing, migh ail o de-
li e wha hei eache s we e looking o in hei wo k.
In addi ion, he s uden s s udying humani ies and so-
cial sciences we e o en equi ed o w i e se e al essays
h oughou he whole semes e , which could be a daun -
ing and demanding ask o he Chinese s uden s. As one
o he s uden s said:
The e we e ou modules in ou majo o each
semes e . Fo each o he modules one essay o
a ound 30 pages was equi ed. Toge he we needed
o w i e abou 120 pages o one semes e . I ook me
abou one semes e o adap o such in ensi y o ead-
ing and w i ing. (Female, English Linguis ics)
Some o he exams migh also be g oup p ojec s in which
he s uden s needed o collabo a e o de elop a busi-
ness p ojec o indus ial model by hemsel es. Some
o he s uden s in e iewed s a ed ha his was he
mos di icul o m o assessmen since hei knowledge
de ici was s ill oo big o ul ill he demand o comple -
ing he p ojec by hemsel es. Coupled wi h he p essu e
om wo king wi h classma es om o he cul u al back-
g ounds his c ea ed acu e s ess o hem o cope wi h.
Howe e , i was also a pe ec oppo uni y o hem o
lea n om hei pee s while doing a g oup p ojec on
hei own.
5. Chinese S uden s’ Academic In eg a ion S a egies
5.1. Social In eg a ion and Academic In eg a ion
The esea ch indings imply ha social in eg a ion could
acili a e Chinese s uden s’ academic in eg a ion, bu
hose s uden s who we e no socially in eg a ed s ill
managed o achie e hei academic goals. This esul
is simila o he indings o he s udy by Rien ies e al.
(2012), bu addi ional explana ions and nuances can be
p esen ed in ligh o he p esen s udy.
Based on he in e iew da a, i can be said ha so-
cial in eg a ion acili a es academic in eg a ion mainly
h ough enhancing he s uden s’ p o iciency in Ge man
language and hei unde s anding o Ge man cul u e.
The in e iewees explained hei expe iences as ollows:
I in en ionally chose o li e in a WG (sha ed do mi-
o y) wi h i e Ge man la ma es. They a e e y pa-
ien in helping me imp o e my Ge man, and always
speak mo e slowly when alking o me. One o my la
ma es said o me, “Why you s ill say i he w ong way?
You ha e o lis en ca e ully how we say i .” I ollowed
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 87
he ad ice and now my Ge man is much be e han
be o e. (Female, English Linguis ics)
Spoken Ge man canno be lea ned only h ough ak-
ing classes. You ha e o ge in o con ac wi h peo-
ple. Because di e en people ha e di e en habi s o
speaking, and use di e en exp essions. Some speak
as , slow, clea , o unclea . You ha e o ge used o
di e en speaking habi s o di e en people. (Female,
Compu e Science)
While some s uden s we e us a ed by hei ini ial ail-
u e and communica ion p oblems, and would p e e o
socialize wi h only Chinese s uden s, hose who man-
aged o s ep ou om he co-na ional ne wo k had ben-
e i ed om hei e o s, which had acili a ed hei aca-
demic in eg a ion and en iched hei pe sonal li es:
I hink one o he majo losses o many Chinese a e
coming he e is ha hey seemed o ha e los he ca-
paci y o communica e wi h o he people like hey did
in China. Tha hey we e all hiding a home, do no
ge in ouch wi h he socie y o he people. I hink a
social ne wo k is no some hing ha you only es ab-
lish when you need i . Like some o he assignmen s I
need o do o my class, I go help om a iend o a
iend. An es ablished ne wo k will also help you gain
mo e us when you a e looking o a job. (Female,
Mass Media S udies)
Howe e , he s uden s s udying e y demanding subjec s
exp essed hei us a ion wi h he hea y bu den o
s udy assignmen s so ha hey could no a o d o spend
as much ime on social ac i i ies as local o exchange
s uden s. Fo hem, social in eg a ion migh impede aca-
demic in eg a ion since hei s udy asks we e so bu den-
some ha he s uden s needed o concen a e and de-
o e all hei ime o hei s udies. To acili a e be e aca-
demic in eg a ion, he s uden s managed o achie e hei
s udy goals by u ilizing hei social ne wo ks wi h o he
Chinese s uden s, especially senio ones, and elying on
he p o essionals ha hey could ind in he in e ne :
We o en ha e g oup u o sessions wi h senio Chi-
nese s uden s. They do no necessa ily unde s and
e e y hing, bu i is ne e heless help ul o us. (Fe-
male, Chemis y)
The indings show ha , no ma e whe he wi h hos -
na ional, in e na ional o co-na ional s uden s, eaching
and lea ning om o he s g ea ly acili a es lea ning. As
one o he Chinese s uden s desc ibed his expe ience:
I o en discuss wi h my classma es. Some knowledge
I can ead o a day wi hou unde s anding any hing.
Bu discussing wi h o he s o one hou can be mo e
e icien han s udying by mysel o many days. Some
knowledge you don’ unde s and bu o he s migh
ha e comp ehended e y well. Jus a ew examples
and you will ge he clue….Mos o us a e helping each
o he . Nobody can say ha I unde s and e e y hing
in his class ha I don’ need o discuss wi h o he s.
(Male, Elec onics)
Fu he , he Chinese s uden s ely on online ne wo ks
wi h o he Chinese o acili a e hei be e academic in-
eg a ion in Ge many. The e a e a ious online discus-
sion o ums, social media, o websi es such as Zhihu1
(simila o Quo a) ha a e dedica ed o helping ne izens
sol e di icul issues. As in he example men ioned abo e,
one o he s uden s had a p essing ask so ha i was only
wi h he help o p o essionals ha he s uden s ound
online h ough a Chinese websi e ha hey managed o
comple e he assignmen .
I can he e o e be s a ed in summa y ha social in e-
g a ion is help ul o Chinese s uden s’ be e academic
in eg a ion, since i enhances hei linguis ic p o iciency
in Ge man and enligh ens hem abou Ge man cul u e,
en iches hei pe sonal li es, and helps hem open doo s
o new oppo uni ies. Howe e , e en wi hou a hos -
na ional ne wo k, mos Chinese s uden s s ill managed
o achie e hei academic goals since hey elied on hei
Chinese pee s and senio s uden s, as well as on p o-
essionals ha hey ound online. Teaching and lea ning
om o he s o in a eam ha e p o en o be an e ec i e
means o achie e be e academic in eg a ion, no ma -
e i he o he s a e co-na ional, hos -na ional, o in e -
na ional s uden s.
5.2. C i ical Thinking and Deba e Cul u e
The Chinese s uden s gene ally had o go h ough a
phase o gaining a clea e unde s anding o he lea n-
ing con en , and hen o he nex s age o c i ical hink-
ing. The mos academically success ul s uden s gene ally
de eloped hei capabili y o c i ical hinking h ough
hei s udies. Thei be e unde s anding o lea ning con-
en gene ally buil upon hei imp o ed Ge man/English
language skills. To compensa e o he di icul ies in ol-
lowing eaching in class, hey would gene ally in es ex-
a hou s a home o diges he ma e ial be o e and a -
e class. A e hei unde s anding o he lea ning ma-
e ial imp o ed h ough in ensi e eading, he s uden s
would g adually de elop c i ical hinking skills so ha
hey began o o m hei own judgmen s abou he lea n-
ing ma e ial and exp ess hese in hei academic wo k
and in class:
Mos o he educa ion in China s opped a he phase
o unde s anding. Howe e , hey didn’ each he s u-
den s o ask ‘so wha ?’ a e hey ha e acqui ed he
knowledge. I hink he main di e ence in Ge man
highe educa ion is ha hey will gi e a b oad pe spec-
i e o he ield by asking you o ead di e en a icles
1Zhihu is an online pla o m o ask ques ions and connec wi h people who con ibu e unique insigh s and quali y answe s.
Social Inclusion, 2017, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 80–92 88