Fears and Studying Abroad: A Survey and Interview among Chinese Students at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

Fears and Studying Abroad: A Survey and Interview among Chinese Students at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

Alison Mullins

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2024.1109008

Received: 20 August 2024; Accepted: 27 August 2024; Published: 27 September 2024

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine how to help students prepare to study abroad by finding out if students who traveled abroad, watched foreign TV shows, and/or used social media networking sites had the same fears about going abroad as students who did not do these things. The researcher conducted a survey of nearly 100 Chinese university students who were getting ready to go abroad to study, asking them first about their fears about going abroad and then about their traveling experiences, TV watching habits, and social media habits. The researcher also conducted six interviews to gather deeper information about these students’ thoughts and fears related to studying abroad. While the results from the interviews showed relatively minor differences in fears of students who did and did not do each of these things, several results were clear. First, students who traveled abroad to areas that were similar to areas that they were preparing to go to expressed feelings of deeper preparation in regard to going abroad. Second, many students expressed the view that watching Western TV shows could help them to learn English, and language barriers was the most common fear that students faced (tied for first with cultural barriers). Third, the interviews revealed that using SNSs could help students to learn how to talk to people from other cultures and help to prepare them to go abroad. Using Western SNSs also seemed to be the strongest help in lessening students’ fears about language barriers. In conclusion, this study can be used as a springboard to further discover how to use each of these methods, travel abroad, Western TV shows, and social networking sites, to help students feel more ready and less fearful about going abroad to study. Applications for teachers include learning from the fears explored here to know how to help students to choose good places to go for traveling that will help prepare them for their study abroad experience. Teachers can also see the importance of addressing fears about discrimination for students who watch Western TV shows, and teachers can encourage students to use Western SNSs to practice English as this develops confidence in students.

Keywords: Studying abroad, Chinese students studying abroad, Fears about studying abroad, Preparing to study abroad

INTRODUCTION

Going to a new country can be an exciting and scary experience, especially when the purpose is to study in that country. Students in this situation will face many unknowns, and those unknowns can lead to fear and anxiety. Students at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, in the International College are preparing to study abroad, and part of the responsibility of teachers in this department is to help prepare those students to study abroad. These students will face many fears, and dealing with those fears can help to prepare them to study abroad. Cheng, Friesen, and Adekola (2018) explored the importance of considering and regulating the emotions of students when they study abroad because these emotions will affect the experience that the students have. Helping students to recognize these emotions before they go and then finding tools that can help them to deal with these emotions will be of significant help to students as they prepare to study abroad. Part of that preparation is developing a multicultural mindset, and helping the students to prepare for the relationships that they will have when they study abroad (Awang-Hasim, Kaur, & Valdez, 2019). Combining an understanding of these students’ fears and a multicultural perspective could help to improve their preparedness as they get ready to study abroad.

Area of Focus

The purpose of this study was to determine how to help prepare Chinese university students to study abroad.

Helping students to develop a multicultural perspective is important to help students in their future study abroad program. Awang-Hashim, Kaur, and Valdez (2019) wrote that building “a responsive learning environment for diverse learners to optimize their potential” is necessary in education. Chen (2018) also discussed the importance of creating a multicultural environment in the classroom because this perspective “helps students to foster multiple perspectives and learn to embrace diversity” (p. 103). In order to prepare the students to study abroad, the aim of this study was to explore some areas of developing a multicultural perspective in order to help students face the fears that they often have as they prepare to study abroad. Students often fear what they do not know much about or what they do not feel prepared to face. Developing a multicultural perspective by teaching students about areas of difference that they will face when they are abroad, and giving students the tools to develop this multicultural perspective on their own will help them to deal with their fears. Helping students to learn about what they fear will help them to conquer those fears.

Explanation of Problem

Many students in China lack a multicultural perspective because they do not have a lot of exposure to other cultures. According to Zheng (2016), only about 0.5 percent of the population in Beijing are people born in foreign countries. Beijing is one of the cities with the largest number of foreign-born residents in China, and compared with other large cities around the world, the percentage of foreign-born residents is quite small (Compare Dubai with 83%, Sydney with 39%, New York with 37%, and Paris with 25%, Zheng, 2016). This lack of a large foreign population means that many Chinese people will not interact with foreigners and will not have opportunities to practice having a multicultural perspective. Despite this, many students also plan to study abroad. However, if students do not have a proper multicultural perspective, they will not be adequately prepared to study abroad. A big part of preparedness is mental preparation, and since students sometimes suffer from mental health challenges while studying abroad (Lucas, 2009), teachers helping to prepare students to study abroad need to consider the fears that students have in the preparation process. The fears that students have also help to reveal the lack of enough multicultural exposure. For example, one of the biggest fears that students face in this study is language barriers. Since students have not been exposed to enough people speaking the language of their destination country, they struggle more with fear about this area. The lack of multicultural exposure is directly related to the fears that students face.

The students from this study specifically spend two years studying in China and then two years studying in England, and one of the goals was to help prepare them for the cultural differences they will face when they arrive in England. Many students who have studied abroad have encountered language and cultural difficulties (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Forbush & Foucault-Welles, 2016; Yang, Prosser, & Webster, 2011; Yuan, 2011), and the first step in helping students to build a more multicultural perspective was to find out if certain practices help students to be more confident in going abroad to study. The students from this study are mostly from wealthy families, and many of them have been abroad. Does this experience abroad influence their preparation for studying abroad? Other students often watch foreign television (TV) shows and use social networking sites, and these other areas might also have an influence on the multicultural perspective that students have as they prepare to study abroad. Do these experiences help to allay their fears by giving them a more multicultural perspective?

Prior Interventions

The primary methods to help students develop a multicultural perspective in the classroom and to help prepare them to study abroad is to give them foreign teachers, require them to take a language test to gauge their language ability, and have a multicultural class. Students who have participated in this program and then studied abroad often lack interaction with the local students in their British schools. The students that are preparing to study abroad also have a lot of fears about their future studies. They are typically excited about the opportunity, but they also face a lot of stress and fears about the experience. Teachers should look for more adequate ways to prepare the students to interact with their future classmates and to be adequately prepared for the language difficulties they will face. This study explored whether or not encouraging students to travel abroad first, watch more Western TV shows, and participate in more social networking sites would help them to deal with the fears that they face by giving them a more multicultural perspective. Would exposure in these areas help the students to understand the culture more and have fewer fears about studying abroad?

LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review discussed the topic of studying abroad and specifically Chinese students studying abroad in Western countries. Chinese students traveling to Western countries face many challenges, but there are some things educators can do to help them prepare for those challenges. Helping students prepare to study abroad can also lower their fear and anxiety as they prepare for that transition.

This literature review was organized according to several key topics discovered during research.

1. Challenges Chinese students face when they study in Western countries
2. Social and classroom differences between Western countries and China that makes it difficult for Chinese students to adapt.
3. Overcoming social and cultural challenges for Chinese students abroad in the West.

The answers to these questions constituted the main body of the literature review and gave a clearer picture about how to move forward in the process of adequately preparing students to study abroad. Studying abroad is difficult, but educators can help prepare students to face those difficulties.

Challenges Chinese Students Face Studying in Western Countries

In previous literature, researchers commonly identified language difficulties as one challenge that many Chinese students faced when they traveled to Western countries to study (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Yang, Prosser, & Webster, 2011; Yuan, 2011). Yang, Prosser, and Webster (2011) further stated that not only do students need to be able to communicate in the host country’s language, but they also need to adopt the communication style that the host country uses. Briguglio and Smith (2012) also discussed the difficulties that students faced when the rate of spoken language was much faster than the students were used to. The specific aspects of language that were identified as the most difficult by students were speaking and listening (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Yuan, 2011). This challenge is directly related to the fears that many Chinese students have as they prepare to study abroad. Briguglio and Smith (2012) discussed the importance of helping Chinese students adapt to Australia and to develop more speaking and listening skills after they arrived, but they didn’t consider the importance of developing these skills before they arrived. Developing the necessary speaking and listening skills before students go abroad would help them to be more prepared for the experience and with that preparation, they could also master their fears. According to the transactional theory of stress and coping (TTSC), “individuals experience stress when facing demands exceeding their available resources and capabilities” (Zhang, Kim, & Chang, 2024). Therefore, when students’ expectations, resources, and capabilities match what they have to do, then the level of stress will decrease and fears about the future should also decrease. Students also faced academic challenges not only with language but also with the style of the class (Forbush & Foucault-Welles, 2016; Yuan, 2011) that was different from a Chinese classroom. Teaching students about these differences before they arrived by giving them a more multicultural perspective would most likely help the students to deal with their fears and succeed in the study-abroad program.

Another area of challenge that students faced when they traveled abroad was the area of cultural barriers (Forbush & Foucault-Welles, 2016; Yang, Prosser, & Webster, 2011). A large part of the cultural barriers that students faced was learning how to develop relationships with people from another social group. Forbush and Foucault-Welles (2016) discussed the difficulties of Chinese students interacting with Americans. Briguglio and Smith (2012) discussed the struggle that Chinese students had in learning how to make friends with Australians. The conclusion that most Chinese students came to in Briguglio and Smith’s research was that Australians were not interested in developing friendships with them (Briguglio & Smith, 2012). Cultural barriers exist between Chinese students and the students in the country where they study, and helping students to prepare for these cultural barriers ahead of time is vital. Cultural barriers are such an important part of students’ lives that some students will choose not to study abroad rather than dealing with this challenge. Lin and Liu (2023) conducted a study exploring the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Chinese students’ willingness to study abroad based on the “push-pull” theory. Since the pandemic, fewer Chinese students seem to feel the pull to study abroad, and this could be related to the students’ fears about issues related to the pandemic. The pandemic seemed to exacerbate certain cultural barriers because every country dealt with the pandemic differently. The gap in this research is whether or not recognizing and addressing these fears could help students to be more prepared and more likely to study abroad.

A third challenge that students faced was homesickness and the loss of social connection groups back home (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Yang, Prosser, and Webster, 2011). Yang, Prosser, and Webster (2011) discussed the difficulties of losing the social group of their friends and family back home. Since these challenges are such a big part of students’ lives, recognizing these fears and helping students to deal with them before they go abroad is essential. Knowing the prevalence of these fears in the minds of students will also help teachers to know where to focus their help and assistance.

Differences in Western and Chinese Cultures

As mentioned previously, the classroom environment is different in the West as compared to China, and some students struggled to adapt to those differences (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Forbush & Foucault-Welles, 2016; Yuan, 2011). Briguglio and Smith (2012) discussed the difference of a teacher-directed Chinese system without a lot of freedom, compared with a system in Australia that encouraged the students to speak more. Some students struggled to adapt to these differences and often remained quiet in the classes rather than voicing their opinion during a discussion.

Another difference was the social life that was often a difficult adjustment for Chinese students. Briguglio and Smith (2012) again discussed the social aspects of Australia that are different, such as very little activity in the evenings, as compared to China when the evenings are full of life and activity on the streets and in the parks. These social differences can make adjustments to a new culture even more challenging for Chinese students while they are abroad.

Strategies for Overcoming Study Abroad Challenges

Understanding the challenges that students faced can give some direction about how to help prepare the students, but seeing how Chinese students studying abroad have already overcome these challenges can offer even more insight. Strategies to help Chinese students adapt to a new culture should start before these students go abroad. However, some situations can only be dealt with in the new environment. Looking at Western students who travel abroad can also offer some useful insight about how to adjust to new surroundings.

First, one way that Chinese students have overcome the challenges of studying abroad started before they left China. Forbush and Foucault-Welles (2016) conducted an extensive study on the value of using Social Networking Sites (SNSs) before students went abroad to help them build a social network that they could use when they were abroad. This social network helped to combat the loneliness, homesickness, and lack of social circles that Briguglio and Smith (2012) and Yang, Prosser, and Webster (2011) discussed. However, SNSs should be used with caution because certain Covid-19 related details on social media can have a negative influence on students’ mental health (Zhang, Kim, Chang, 2024). Zhang, Kim, and Chang’s (2024) study considered the positive and negative aspects of SNSs, but they focus on the negative influences that came during Covid-19. But they failed to consider whether or not these negative influences are still present.

Another way students can overcome the challenges listed above is through more language preparation before they go abroad (Briguglio & Smith, 2012). Rawlings and Sue (2013) mentioned that many teachers encourage their Chinese students to watch foreign television shows, and this is one way that these students may be able to improve their language abilities before going abroad. In addition to more language preparation, as students prepare to study abroad, creating a diverse classroom environment can also prepare students to have a more multicultural mindset (Awang-Hashim, Kaur, & Valdez, 2019). Boelens, Voet, and De Wever (2018) also discussed the importance of personalizing learning for diverse students in order to ensure that each student receives quality education. As teachers work to diversify learning, they can help to teach students to have that diverse mindset.

Since students face many language challenges and fears, students may be able to prepare for those challenges and therefore lessen their own fears by a shorter trip studying abroad. Lee and Jang (2023) conducted a study about the emotional effects of a short-term study abroad program for Korean students in the United States. These students experienced improvement in their language abilities as well as an increase in their confidence. However, the study does not address Chinese students specifically, and the study considers a short-term study abroad program rather than the long-term program that the students in the current study were facing. However, perhaps students in a short-term program would be more prepared for a long-term program. According to Lee and Jang’s (2023) study, students in a short-term program would be more confident and more prepared for a long-term study.

Second, there are several ways that students can overcome the challenges that they face when they are in the study abroad environment. Briguglio and Smith (2012) discussed the spirit that many of the students possessed. Even when students discussed homesickness, “such feelings were backed up by expressions indicating students were going to do their utmost to ensure they succeeded in their studies” (Briguglio & Smith, 2012, p. 6). Students had an indomitable will to succeed and this spirit enabled them to improve. Briguglio and Smith (2012) also mentioned that many students asked teachers and tutors for assistance and put in extra effort outside of class to ensure their academic success. Yuan (2011) mentioned the importance of communication to overcome barriers. Forbush and Foucault-Welles (2016) also discussed the importance of support groups and described three types of support groups that students needed: co-nationals (from the student’s home country), host nationals (from the host country), and multi-nationals (from other countries). Each of these support groups could help the student in different ways, and each group is helpful for a successful and an enjoyable study abroad experience. Zhang, Kim, and Chang (2024) suggested that healthy online behavior is necessary for psychological health and well-being. Salisbury (2011) analyzed the effects of studying abroad on intercultural competence which is the curiosity about, understanding of, and respect of other cultures. This author’s conclusion was that studying abroad does develop intercultural competence and should be encouraged for students to consider (Salisbury, 2011).

Summary

Chinese students face a lot of challenges as they prepare to study abroad including the language differences, cultural differences, and academic differences. The West is different from China in many ways, and those differences often make it difficult for Chinese students to succeed. These differences also lead to many fears that different students face. However, students are often determined to succeed, and they use social networks when available, tutors, friends, and teachers, and experiences to overcome the challenges of living abroad. These students do not let their fears keep them from having a positive study abroad experience.

Educators in China can learn from the difficulties and fears that students face to help prepare students before they travel abroad. This preparation can come in the form of adequate language preparation, especially listening and speaking practice. Teachers can also help to establish social networks based on the resources of the school and the students that they will interact with in their destination country while also preparing students for the difficulties of social networking. Teachers can also offer words of encouragement, helping the students to understand that it will be hard at the beginning, but as they persevere, they will learn and grow. Studying abroad is challenging but also offers the valuable opportunity to explore a new culture. The gaps in the current literature are that these studies fail to address how to specifically help Chinese university students to face their fears as they are preparing to study abroad. This study will first look at what those fears are and then think about what things can help students to deal with those fears as they get ready to face the challenges of studying abroad.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Do first and second year Chinese university students who have been to a foreign country have the same fears about a future study abroad program as their peers who have not yet been to a foreign country?
2. Do first and second year Chinese university students who watch foreign TV shows at least twice a month have the same fears about a future study abroad program as students who watch foreign TV shows less than twice a month?
3. Do first and second year Chinese university students who use Social Networking Sites (SNSs) (Including Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Weibo), and check these sites at least once a week, have the same fears about a future study abroad program as students who do not have or use these SNSs?

POPULATION

Participant Description

The population of this study was students who are 17-20 years old, in their first or second years of university. Around 150 students had the opportunity to take the survey, but a little less than 100 students participated in the survey. Six students were also willing to join the interview. These students were preparing to study abroad in England during the final two years of university, and a portion of them had already been abroad.

Justification

Because these students were preparing to study in England, they were facing the fears that many students preparing to study abroad also deal with. Racism can be found throughout the world, and many of the students worried about facing discrimination in England as well as various other fears. Wintle (2020) reported that in a study conducted in June of 2020 in the United Kingdom, 76% of ethnic Chinese people questioned said that “they had experienced someone using a racial slur directly against them on at least one occasion” (para. 3). Students going to England also need to prepare to face some racism. Because a portion of the students in this study have been abroad, the researcher could also analyze the effects of that experience on the students in their preparation. Their socio-economic status qualified them particularly well for this study because they had opportunities to go abroad that other students may not have had. Their interest in watching foreign TV shows and using social networking sites as well as their access to these shows and sites also made these students excellent candidates for a study analyzing the impact of these factors on the fears these students had about studying abroad.

Ethics

This study had no physical risks involved, but there may be some psychological risks involved. As students thought about their past exposure to foreign cultures, their lack of exposure may be highlighted in their minds, and they may have begun to mentally compare themselves with their classmates. As students thought about their lack of preparedness, they may have struggled with an even stronger degree of fear and anxiety than if their attention had not been drawn to these areas. However, addressing these fears before students go had benefits because they could think about how to prepare for the culture shock and the language struggles. Conversely, thinking about these fears could lead to greater anxiety. In order to protect students, the researcher informed them of the nature of the study before asking for volunteers to participate. By understanding what the study was about, the students could choose if this was an area that they had the mental capacity to deal with. If students were already feeling nervous, there were no negative consequences for ignoring the study or starting and not finishing the study. Also, knowing the students’ fears would give the researcher more compassion in helping the students to overcome these fears in class time. The researcher would be able to use the knowledge gleaned from the survey to connect with and encourage the students as they dealt with these fears.

The questionnaire was available in English and Chinese, and unless students wished to participate further in an interview, students could take the survey anonymously. Informed consent was received from the appropriate individuals in leadership, and students did not face any negative consequences from not participating. Students were informed that the participation in the survey and interviews was strictly voluntary and confidential. Since the researcher told the students that the raw data would be kept securely by the researcher, the specific data has not been released. Also, confidentiality prevents the researcher from sharing detailed information about the participants, but all necessary information to understand the study and the relevance has been included. The anonymity of the results helped to protect the researcher from bias toward the students, thinking that some students and their results are better or worse based on class performance.

DATA

Data Sources

While each of the research questions were different, the sources of collecting data for each research question was the same: questionnaires and interviews. In order to answer the first research question relating to traveling abroad and fears, the students answered several questions. Which students had been abroad and which students had not been abroad? Asking about the specific continents the students who had been abroad had visited provided even more information. Did students who have visited only Asian countries have the same fears as students who have only stayed in China? For the second research question, more information needed to be gathered. The information needed to answer this question included finding out whether or not students watch foreign TV shows (American, Canadian, British, Australian, Korean, Japanese, or others), as well as how often the students currently watch these TV shows. For the third research question, the students needed to share whether or not they used social networking sites (SNSs) and if so, which forums they use. Using Chinese forums may have different results from students who use Western forums like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. The students also shared about how often they use these SNSs. If the students have Facebook but only check it once every couple of months, the results will most likely be inconsequential. In addition to all of this information, the students would select which fears they had as they prepare to study abroad. Questionnaires could provide all of this information. Interviews offered even more details and further information about students who were willing to share more.

The purpose of the research questions was to find out if first- and second-year Chinese university students who had been abroad, watched foreign TV shows, or used SNSs had the same fears as their peers who do not do these things. The data collection methods of surveys with some follow-up interviews allowed the numerical data to be recorded clearly and efficiently. A large number of students made interviews of everyone impractical, but surveys documented a large amount of information from each of these students. These survey results were organized as descriptive statistics, summarizing the results from a large number of students (Trochim, 2006). Follow-up interviews gave the research a qualitative element as students were asked open-ended questions about the fears that they face and whether or not they feel that going abroad has helped to address those fears. These interviews can give more insight about the nature of students’ fears and how those fears or lack of them relate to previous experience abroad.

The researcher chose the multiple-choice list of fears because a sample interview with a group of adult students revealed these fears as the most common. The fears also matched the common fears from the literature review, further ensuring the validity. Asking the students about their age ruled out any other students not in the sample group who may have found out about the study and tried to participate. The survey was also reliable because it was conducted over a short period of time, and students were able to fill out the questionnaire on their own time within that time period. The interviews were also conducted whenever the students had free time to ensure that they were relaxed and free from worry. The interviewer talked to them in an empty classroom and had a list of questions to discuss to ensure that each interviewee had the opportunity to talk about the same issues. The combination of surveys and interviews worked together to give the researcher a deeper understanding of all of the issues present surrounding the study topic.

Plan for Data Collection

Data collection was performed using a questionnaire. The students completed the form on their own. The survey took about 5-10 minutes to complete. The interviews were conducted outside of class time in an empty classroom with students who were willing to share more details about their experiences and their fears. The time of the interviews was around one hour.

The questionnaire had some closed questions relating to each research question. Some examples of the questions included: What are some of your fears about studying abroad? Have you been abroad? Do you watch foreign TV shows? How often on average? Do you use Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, or Weibo? Which ones do you use? How often on average? The questionnaire also included some open-ended questions such as: Do you think these experiences abroad have helped to prepare you for your future study abroad program? How? Do you think that you often interact with foreigners on these social networking sites? The interview also included more open-ended questions such as: Please discuss your fears about living abroad. Please discuss what you learned in your experiences abroad. Please discuss your reasons for watching foreign TV shows. Please explain your goal for using these social networking sites. Do you plan to use these sites more or less when you are abroad?

The survey was available in English and Chinese so that students would feel comfortable with whichever language they chose. For the interviews, the students were given the choice of completing the interview in English or Chinese, and most chose English which made that less of a challenge for the interviewer. The interviewer also had the interview questions translated into Chinese to help the students if they needed it, and a dictionary was nearby for any language difficulties that arose throughout the interview.

Summary

The area of focus was on multiculturalism and how to help prepare students in Chinese universities who are planning to study abroad, and how to help them deal with their fears. The specific area of focus is to analyze whether students who have been abroad, watch foreign TV shows, and use SNSs have the same fears as students who do not do these things. The results of the study could then be used to give further guidance on how to better prepare the students to study abroad and deal with the fears that they will naturally face.

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

Descriptive Findings

In order to answer the research questions, the questionnaire and the interviews were both used to form conclusions about the relationship between going abroad, watching foreign TV shows, and using social networking sites (SNSs) and the fears that students have about studying abroad. The questionnaires provided some quantitative data related to the three research questions, and the interviews provided some more in-depth qualitative data related to the questions. Before administering the survey to the students, a practice survey was conducted with a group of adult students who are preparing to be research scholars. These students listed their fears, and then this list formed the basis for the multiple-choice answers that the students could look at to select the fears. The fears listed were: safety, language barriers, money difficulties, cultural differences, loneliness, discrimination, and Covid-19 issues.

The first research question asked whether students who went abroad had the same fears as students who did not go abroad. Twenty-four students did not go abroad, while sixty-seven students did go abroad. The fears that each of these students chose were separated into columns in Microsoft Excel and then combined to form a chart that showed how many students from each group chose the different fears. From this chart, a Pivot Table was created that showed the averages of the numbers of students that chose each fear as a fear that they had (Table 1). After completing the Pivot Table, the data was then used to create a chart showing the difference in fears of students who have been abroad and students who have not been abroad (Chart 1).

Row Labels	语言障碍 (Language Barriers)	文化差异 (Cultural Differences）	安全 (Safety)	歧视 (Discrimination)	疫情的问题 (Covid-19 Issues)	孤独 (Loneliness)	钱的问题 (Money Difficulties)
否 No	79.17%	75.00%	66.67%	62.50%	79.17%	33.33%	29.17%
是 Yes	70.15%	71.64%	70.15%	59.70%	67.16%	31.34%	37.31%
Grand Total	72.53%	72.53%	69.23%	60.44%	70.33%	31.87%	35.16%

(Table 1: Pivot Table showing the averages of students who went abroad and those who did not and the fears that they have about studying abroad.)

(Chart 1: A chart showing the average differences in students who have been abroad and those who have not and the fears that they had about studying abroad.)

The biggest gap between fears of students who had traveled abroad and students who did not was fears about Covid-19 issues. Students who had previously traveled abroad had a much lower percentage who listed Covid-19 issues as a fear. Perhaps students who had traveled abroad before had seen what it was like to be in a foreign country rather than simply relying on the news to form their opinions about life in a foreign country. Students who had traveled abroad also had a slightly lower percentage who listed language barriers as one of their fears. This finding supports the hypothesis that students who travel abroad could better prepare themselves psychologically to go abroad to study based on previous literature in a similar area (Lee & Jang, 2023). Surprisingly, the fears about cultural differences were about the same between students who had traveled abroad and students who did not. While traveling abroad can give a small sample of what life is like, it doesn’t really show a deep understanding of cultural differences so it doesn’t completely prepare students for those differences. Also surprising is that students who had traveled abroad were more likely to worry about money. Perhaps these students were more aware of how expensive things could be in many other countries.

In addition to the quantitative data relating to students who went abroad prior to studying abroad, some qualitative data was also obtained. Unfortunately, students who had not been abroad were not interviewed, and the interviews only revealed some information related to students who had traveled to countries in Asia compared to Western countries. Some data also revealed some differences in students who went abroad when they were young with their family as compared to students who went abroad when they were older for studying purposes.

For example, S1 went abroad to Australia, but according to this student, they were too young when they went abroad for the experience to be of much help to their future study abroad program. This student listed all of the fears as their fears for the future study abroad program. S3 had also traveled to only Asian and Middle Eastern countries and listed all of the fears as fears that they were dealing with. On the other hand, S2 went to England for 10 days and reported that the experience did help them to be more prepared for the future study abroad program. Since the student is going to England, the destination was the same, and the experience would be similar. This student only listed money difficulties, cultural differences, and discrimination as the fears they faced. S4 only went to New Zealand as an early teenager, but the purpose of the trip was to have English classes which is related to studying abroad. This student listed safety, cultural differences, loneliness, and covid-19 issues as their fears. S6 primarily stayed in Asia, but this student’s experiences were more independent, forcing them to connect with foreigners. The fears mentioned were safety, cultural differences, discrimination, and covid-19 issues. S5 traveled to the USA for 10 days during high school, but the experience seemed to highlight the weaknesses of this student in their mind, and rather than helping with their fears, this experience seemed to exacerbate the fears which included everything except for loneliness.

In conclusion, the results seem to show that overall, traveling abroad can help to lesson many of the fears that students face as they prepare to study abroad, although these fear levels are only slightly lower. However, the traveling experience determines how helpful it will be in helping students to mentally prepare. If the experience is more independent and more closely related to their future studying experience, then it will probably do more to help allay their fears.

The second research question asked if students who watched foreign TV shows had the same fears as students who did not watch foreign TV shows. Only two students of ninety-one total answered that they did not watch foreign TV shows, but then both of these students said that they watched Japanese TV shows, and one of them also said that they watched Korean TV shows, so the results are questionable. In order to analyze this data, the researcher chose instead to consider the differences in students who watched Asian TV shows, Western TV shows, or a mix of both. The same process of first creating a Pivot Table and then using that to create a chart for a clearer representation of the date was followed (Table 2, Chart 2).

Row Labels	语言障碍 (Language Barriers)	文化差异 (Cultural Differences）	安全 (Safety)	歧视 (Discrimination)	疫情的问题 (Covid-19 Issues)	孤独 (Loneliness)	钱的问题 (Money Difficulties)
Asian	72.73%	81.82%	63.64%	18.18%	72.73%	27.27%	36.36%
Mix	71.74%	67.39%	78.26%	71.74%	69.57%	41.30%	36.96%
Western	73.53%	76.47%	58.82%	58.82%	70.59%	20.59%	32.35%
Grand Total	72.53%	72.53%	69.23%	60.44%	70.33%	31.87%	35.16%

(Table 2: Showing the students who watch Asian TV shows, a mix of Asian and Western TV shows, and Western TV shows and the different fears that these students have.)

(Chart 2: Showing a visual representation of the fears that students had as compared with the type of TV shows that they watch.)

Some of the biggest differences in the fears of students who watch different TV shows was first in the area of discrimination. Surprisingly, students who watched more of a mix or more Western TV shows were much more likely to list discrimination as one of the fears that they faced. A higher exposure to Western TV shows seems to heighten rather than diminish fears in this area. Teachers who are aware of this trend need to address this with students and provide proper counter-measures to help students to know how to deal with this fear. Another unexpected finding was that students who watch more Western TV shows did not report a lesser degree of fear about language barriers. Likely, these students watch the shows with Chinese subtitles, and the quick speed and sharp wit often present in TV shows may give students an impression of native speakers that makes them feel like they will struggle to understand. Teachers can address this issue by teaching students how to watch TV shows in a way that will help them to learn rather than increasing their fears. Students who only watched Western TV shows reported lower fear levels about cultural differences, safety, loneliness, and money. TV shows seem to be a good way to help students learn about cultural differences.

For the qualitative research related to watching foreign TV shows and the fears students have, the students who watched various TV shows shared their reasons for watching foreign TV shows. The primary reasons for watching foreign TV shows were entertainment and interest (S1, S3, S4, S5, and S6) and in order to improve English and learn English words or culture (S2, S5, S6). These reasons did not seem to be related to the fears that students have as they prepared to study abroad.

Overall, students who watched more Western TV shows showed lower levels of fears in a few areas: cultural differences, loneliness, and money difficulties. However, watching more Western TV shows seemed to increase students’ fears about discrimination, so measures need to be taken to address these fears. Western TV shows did not seem to lessen students’ fears about language barriers even though several students said that they watched Western TV shows in order to improve or learn English words or culture.

The last research question asked if students who used SNSs and students who did not had the same fears about studying abroad. Again, only two students out of the total ninety-one answered that they did not use any SNSs, but one of them also said that they used Weibo, a Chinese social networking site. The other student did not report using any other social networking sites. However, due to the small number of students who answered “no,” the researcher again chose to compare the students by those who used only Chinese SNSs or only Western SNSs or a mix of Chinese and Western SNSs. However, the number of students who used only Western SNSs was quite small. A Pivot Table was created from this information followed by a chart (Table 3, Chart 3).

Row Labels	语言障碍 (Language Barriers)	文化差异 (Cultural Differences）	安全 (Safety)	歧视 (Discrimination)	疫情的问题 (Covid-19 Issues)	孤独 (Loneliness)	钱的问题 (Money Difficulties)
Chinese	77.50%	75.00%	70.00%	62.50%	65.00%	30.00%	35.00%
Mix	72.09%	69.77%	67.44%	58.14%	79.07%	34.88%	37.21%
Western	57.14%	85.71%	85.71%	71.43%	42.86%	28.57%	28.57%
Grand Total	73.33%	73.33%	70.00%	61.11%	70.00%	32.22%	35.56%

(Table 3: Showing the fears of students who use Chinese SNSs, a mix of Chinese and Western SNSs, and only Western SNSs.)

(Chart 3: Showing the fears of students who use only Chinese SNSs, only Western SNSs, and a mix of Chinese and Western SNSs.)

Students who used more Western SNSs had fewer reports of fearing language barriers. SNSs give students the chance to interact with non-native Chinese people, and this seems to have the largest impact on giving students more confidence in their language abilities. The few students who only used Western SNSs reported a much higher rate of fearing cultural differences, safety, and discrimination. Perhaps something they saw on these sites had a negative effect on these students, but since the sample size was so small, making a definite conclusion is difficult. These students also seemed to have less fear about Covid-19 issues. On the other hand, students who used a mix of Chinese and Western SNSs reported a higher level of fearing Covid-19 issues.

The qualitative data revealed several goals for using SNSs. S1 and S3 mentioned that they like to use SNSs to share photos or share their daily life. S2, S4, and S6 used SNSs to communicate with others. S2 mentioned another SNS that this researcher did not know about called Tandem. Tandem helped this student to improve English writing skills and connect specifically with foreign friends. S5 used SNSs to follow internet icons and try to imitate people and their styles, especially from Instagram. S5 also mentioned that social media helps to open their mind and broaden their horizons. Some of the students did not feel that SNSs could really help them to adapt to life in a new place. S2 mentioned that SNSs could not help them adapt, but foreigners on Tandem could offer advice about how to adapt. S1, S3, and S6 mentioned that SNSs can be used to adapt as they communicate with people in the new place or with people back in China, especially with the translation function.

The biggest help of SNSs seemed to be in helping students to be more confident in their language ability and less likely to fear this. The rest of the findings were slightly inconsistent and because of a small sample size, definite conclusions were difficult.

Outcome Analysis

Going Abroad

Do first and second year Chinese university students who have been to a foreign country have the same fears about a future study abroad program as their peers who have not yet been to a foreign country?

(Chart 1: A chart showing the average differences in students who have been abroad and those who have not and the fears that they had about studying abroad.)

Chart 1 shows that the percentage of students who chose each fear were fairly similar in comparing students who have been abroad with those who have not been abroad. Slightly fewer students (79% for students who have not been abroad and 70% for students who have been abroad) who had been abroad listed language barriers as their fears. However, the number for both is still quite high. Perhaps a more distinct difference would be to analyze the reason for going abroad. The interviews were too few to provide definitive conclusions, but several students mentioned that they had been abroad for school functions. A future research question could also analyze the reasons for going abroad as well as the specific destination to consider whether or not this impacted the fears that students have.

TV Shows

Do first and second year Chinese university students who watch foreign TV shows at least twice a month have the same fears about a future study abroad program as students who watch foreign TV shows less than twice a month?

(Chart 2: Showing a visual representation of the fears that students had as compared with the type of TV shows that they watch.)

This chart shows that students who watch only Asian TV shows as compared to those who watch a mix of Asian and Western or only Western TV shows has one primary difference. Students who watch only Asian TV shows rarely listed discrimination as one of their fears. The researcher wondered if students perhaps heard more about discrimination from Western TV shows, but the interviews revealed that students feared discrimination because of things they heard on the news (S2 and S5). Although S5 also mentioned hearing about discrimination from social media. S2 specifically mentioned a British TV show, Sherlock, that inspired them to learn English so that they could follow the story. This student did not mention language barriers as one of their fears, saying that this was something that they could practice and prepare for, so it wasn’t something that they worried about.

On the questionnaire, nearly all of the students mentioned that they felt like watching TV shows helped their English.

(Chart 4: Showing the number of students who felt that watching TV shows helped to improve their English).

In the interviews, students suggested several ways that TV shows helped their English. S1 mentioned that TV shows helped them to remember new words, although this student said they soon forgot those words. S3 mentioned that watching TV shows helped with the feeling of English and allowed them to learn about foreign countries’ cultures (although it was not a lot of help). S4 and S5 mentioned that TV shows help with pronunciation, new words/phrases, and sentence structure. S6 also mentioned that TV shows help to improve spoken language and show what actions can be used when speaking. S6 also mentioned some cultural references, situations that happen in the show that might also happen in real life. TV shows seem to have a huge impact on students as they learn English, but many of these students still included language barriers as one of their fears. TV shows may help some, but they cannot eliminate the fear of language barriers in a foreign environment.

Social Networking Sites (SNSs)

Do first and second year Chinese university students who use Social Networking Sites (SNSs) (Including Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Weibo) and check them at least once a week have the same fears about a future study abroad program as students who do not have or use these SNSs?

(Chart 3: Showing the fears of students who use only Chinese SNSs, only Western SNSs, and a mix of Chinese and Western SNSs.)

Most of the results are fairly consistent across students who use various SNSs. The biggest difference in the fears that students listed was that students who used a mix of Chinese and Western SNSs or only Western SNSs were less likely to fear language barriers. S2 who used the SNS called Tandem to communicate with people around the world did report that language barriers was not one of their fears because English is something that they could practice. Perhaps other students who use SNSs to practice English could also be more confident in dealing with language barriers as they prepare to go abroad. However, S2 also said that SNSs do not really help to adapt to life in a foreign country. Perhaps SNSs can be used to help students prepare to go abroad, but then their usefulness can be continued or discarded depending on the preferences of the students. Perhaps the goals and reasons that students have in using SNSs are more likely to affect the fears and preparedness of students in going abroad than the types of SNSs used.

The outcomes of this study were limited because the sample size was small, and for the Western SNS category specifically, only a small number of students were part of this category. Since the study only considered students at one university in Southern China, there was also an element of cultural bias. Conducting the study over a larger number of students and throughout the country would create stronger findings.

Learning Themes

The research here presented several clear themes including going abroad, watching TV shows, and using SNSs. These areas affect the fears and preparedness that students have in going abroad to varying degrees. A multicultural perspective is also an important part of this research process as students were asked whether or not they felt like they had a multicultural perspective and the results of the three areas on their multicultural perspective. Several of the students reported that watching TV shows and using SNSs helps students to have a more multicultural perspective (S2, S3, and S5). Several of the students also mentioned a multicultural class at their university that taught them a lot about different cultures and different perspectives (S1, S2, S4, and S5).

One of the unexpected results in the research was the importance of news in affecting the fears that students have about going abroad. The researcher did not consider news specifically or ask any questions about news, but during the interview, when asking students to talk more about their fears, several students mentioned that their fears were increased by watching the news. Students with fears related to safety and discrimination especially mentioned the news as an influence on these fears (S2 and S5). Zhang, Kim, and Chang (2024) also highlighted the negative impact of SNSs, and this seems to directly relate to the fears that students mentioned about the news. Even though students on the survey who watched Western TV shows were more likely to report fears of discrimination than students who used SNSs, the fears of students in the interviews do seem to correlate to the findings of Zhang, Kim, and Chang (2024).

Another unexpected result was the lack of a strong relationship between traveling abroad and fears. Although most fears of students who had traveled abroad were slightly lower, the author expected this factor to heavily diminish the fears that students have. Perhaps more detailed research would reveal even more about what kinds of trips are helpful to students as they prepare to study abroad. Perhaps Lee and Jang (2023) were able to see the confidence that students had because they analyzed students’ emotions after the trip rather than before. In order to further develop this research, a longitudinal study looking at the fears of students before, during, and after their study abroad programs would be useful.

Aside from a few outliers in the section analyzing the importance of Western SNSs, the fears in this area seemed to lessen for students who used some or only Western SNSs. The study conducted by Forbush and Foucault-Welles (2016) support this conclusion that students who used these SNSs are more likely to be more connected with people when they go abroad. Therefore, it follows that this research, which shows that students are also less likely to have as many fears, is in line with the previous research.

While the questionnaire for this research produced some fascinating data, the researcher found the interviews to be the most enlightening research tool. The data from the questionnaire seemed more like an introduction than something that provided conclusive data. The interviews, however, showed a lot about what the students actually thought and what things helped them and what things did not help them. A more detailed survey just structured around going abroad could have provided more conclusive results, but that would perhaps require a separate questionnaire for just this question. Another change that could have been helpful was to have more interviews. More interviews would have made the results from the interviews even more reliable. Unfortunately, the small number of interviews did not allow for the researcher to draw many definite conclusions about the research. Perhaps a focus group could have been used instead of individual interviews, but focus groups might make the students more nervous and unwilling to share their true thoughts about their fears.

CONCLUSION

Overall, even though the quantitative data did not provide many significant results about the relationship between going abroad, watching TV shows, and using SNSs and the fears that students have about studying abroad, the study still revealed some useful information. Going abroad for short-term study purposes to countries that are similar to the studying abroad destination country could provide some helpful preparation for the students. Watching TV shows can help students to be inspired to learn English and to learn new words, pronunciation, and grammar structures. Using SNSs can help students to learn how to talk to people from other cultures and begin to prepare to study abroad. These SNSs can also help students to feel more confident about their language abilities and have fewer fears in this area. Most of these conclusions are from the interviews and need further research to prove them definitely, but these ideas do provide some interesting starting points for future research.

The literature review discussed some challenges that Chinese students face when they go abroad to study. Some of the biggest challenges that students face are language barriers (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Yang, Prosser, & Webster, 2011; Yuan, 2011), which is supported by the findings that show 66 of 91 students deal with fears about language barriers. A second common fear is the cultural barriers that students face when they go abroad (Forbush & Foucault-Welles, 2016; Yang, Prosser, & Webster, 2011). The research findings proved that these students also struggle with fears about cultural differences as 66 of 91 students also put this as one of their fears. Another struggle considered in the literature review was homesickness (Briguglio & Smith, 2012; Yang, Prosser, and Webster, 2011), but relatively few students, only 29 of 91, included this as one of their fears. Overall, the results of the study showed that the fears that students have are consistent with fears discussed in the literature review, but the fears are not necessarily related to going abroad beforehand, watching foreign TV shows, and using SNSs. The literature review concluded that using SNSs could help students to build community when they went abroad, but this situation should have more structure and direction by the teachers because students who use their own SNSs do not always use them as preparation for studying abroad.

The study’s primary contributions to the field include the value of Western SNSs in helping students to be more confident in language usage before going abroad. Teachers can use this knowledge to encourage students to use Western SNSs to interact with foreigners and learn about what is important to them. Another important finding was the fear of discrimination that seemed directly related to students who watch more Western TV shows. Teachers need to be aware of this and talk with students about why they have this fear and how they can deal with this fear. Teachers should find out if the students’ fears are based on irrational or uncommon occurrences or situations that they will encounter. If the fears are based on common situations, what can the students do to deal with the situations that may arise? The teacher needs to help the students learn how to communicate and interact in these situations to protect themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. Since traveling abroad does seem to have a positive correlation to lessening students’ fears, teachers can also encourage students to use their trips abroad to learn more about the places where they hope to study abroad in the future. If possible, they can also join short-term study trips to those areas. All of these practical applications can help teachers to know how to help and encourage their Chinese university students who are preparing to study abroad.

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