Iowa students in China face challenges fitting in

The number of Chinese students has skyrocketed at the University of Iowa, and their struggles to fit into American society are of concern to the UI.

But few people may realize that some students from Iowa go through similar difficulties when studying there.

The most commonly shared difficulties between Chinese students studying here and Iowa students studying there are of language and cultural.

'I didn't know any Chinese. Since it was Hong Kong, you didn't need it, because most people spoke English,” said Mandy Gavin, a 19-year-old University of Iowa sophomore from Cedar Rapids studying industrial engineering in Hong Kong last summer.

But although street signs were in English, taxi drivers usually did not speak much English. Neither did the front desk workers at her dorm.

Like Chinese students in Iowa, American students studying in China said they tried their best to conquer barriers and fit into the mainstream societies. They flew to the other side of the earth to discover a different world and different challenges.

'I just want to see somewhere completely different in the world,” Gavin said.

China was the fourth favorite destination for UI students who chose to study abroad, following Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. The university's International Programs website shows that 96 UI students studied in mainland China during the 2013-14 school year.

Another 39 studied in Hong Kong and five studied in Taiwan in 2013-14, the most recent school year for which numbers are available.

The challenge of cultural adjustment begins before any student studying abroad arrives in another country.

Gavin, who studied in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from June to August 2015, said she spent about a year preparing for overseas studies.

First she went to a study-abroad fair. Later she consulted advisers. She started the application process in December. During the winter break, she looked for scholarships to support her studies.

Gavin said she then went to several information sessions after she was admitted and an orientation held by the UI study abroad program. During those sessions, she learned how to prepare for a long-distance flight and arrange transportation after arrival. And she got cards with emergency contacts.

The UI also mandates a study abroad online course.

Katherine Ron, a senior adviser in the program, said the online course has information that helps students get used to living in foreign countries. For example, it includes tips on how to carry money and be safe.

Gavin said she did not speak Cantonese, the language spoken in Hong Kong, because her study program did not require it and her classes were in English.

To solve the language problem she encountered outside of class, Gavin used a smartphone with Google Translate as help.

Her lack of Chinese proficiency affected her goal of making friends there.

She 'could hang out with them,” Gavin said. ' ... But if you are just walking along the street with them, they are all talking in their languages, so you could not join them in their conversations.”

Using a foreign language in class can be challenging because of specific terms, including scientific ones.

Jeffrey Ding, a 22-year-old UI senior from Iowa City studying political science, economics and Chinese, participated in an advanced Chinese studies program from ending early this year at Peking University in Beijing.

Studying in the same classroom with his Chinese peers, Ding said he had to use the language.

Ding wrote in a 2015 article for the UI study abroad blog that he had difficulties in class because he could 'initially comprehend 80 percent of what has been said.”

But, Ding said, he learned the best way to improve his language was to immerse himself in the Chinese-speaking environment.

He wrote in a blog entry about 'writing down 20 pages worth of new vocabulary to review, creating flashcards on the phone to look through in pockets of free time, and continually building upon ever-deepening foundations of knowledge.”

While improving his language skills, Ding also discovered something else.

'I thought Chinese youth were very hardworking and focused on their studies, and I definitely found that to be true at Peking University,” Ding said. 'I also learned that they like to have fun and let loose, like singing KTV.”

KTV is a popular form of entertainment. It involves a group of people going to a business that provides a room where they can sing karaoke together.

This article was produced by the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism-IowaWatch.org, a non-profit, online news website that collaborates with Iowa news organizations to produce explanatory and investigative reporting.