Paper Title
Local Culture Learning Experience and Acculturation in International Graduate Students of Korea
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore what is difficulties international students face in the process of
acculturation and what are strategies they made by engaging in the community of learning. Qualitative research method used.
Face to face, In-depth interviews were conducted to 7 international graduate students in I University. The collected data was
analyzed by three framework of acculturation theory: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive aspects. As a result, we found that
they felt some difficulties: in behavioral aspect, tensions and discomfort to strange culture, in emotional aspect, deficiency of
the emotional need, and in cognitive aspect, confusion of cultural identity and discrimination. Also, they used acculturation
strategies in three categorizations: in behavioral aspect, the process of intercultural understanding, in emotional aspect, stress
coping through leisure activity, and in cognitive aspect, forming cultural identity.
Keywords: International student, Korean culture, Learning, Acculturation, Experience