Foreign Students’ Intercultural Adaptation at IIUI: An Intercultural Pragmatic Study

Muhammad Zeeshan Akram Malik; Bushra  Shoukat; Ali Ahmad  Kharal

doi:10.47067/jlcc.v5i1.157

Authors

Muhammad Zeeshan Akram Malik PhD Scholar, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Bushra Shoukat Assistant Professor, Department of English, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar Campus, Pakistan
Ali Ahmad Kharal Professor of English and Principal, Islamabad College for Boys, G-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47067/jlcc.v5i1.157

Keywords:

Intercultural Communication, Context, Salience, Common Ground

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine how foreign students at IIUI adapt to intercultural communication in relation to three key factors: Context, Salience, and Common Ground. To explore the experiences and challenges faced by these students, the study employed Colleen Ward's Cultural Adjustment Process Model and the Socio-cognitive approach, specifically focusing on context, salience, and common background. Data was gathered through a questionnaire consisting of both open-ended and close-ended questions from 18 randomly selected students of IIUI, from various countries. The results suggest that the students rely heavily on their prior experiences and use a combination of these experiences and the emergent situation, salience, and common ground to adjust to intercultural communication.

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