A recent study in the Chronicle of Higher Education said many foreign students report feeling lonely or unwelcome in Australia. Those feelings are among the reasons why Australia is taking a close look at its international education industry. The government has formed an advisory council to help develop a five-year national strategy for the future of international education in Australia.
But wherever international students go, making friends may not always be easy. The Journal of International and Intercultural Communication recently published a study done in the United States.
Elisabeth Gareis of Baruch College in New York surveyed 454 international students. They were attending four-year colleges and graduate schools in the American South and Northeast.
Students from English-speaking countries and from northern and central Europe were more likely to be happy with their friendships. But 38 percent of the international students said they had no close friends in the United States.
And half of the students from East Asia said they were unhappy with the number of American friends they had. Professor Gareis says 30 percent said they wished their friendships could be deeper and more meaningful.
Elisabeth Gareis said, "Students from East Asia have cultures that are different on many levels from the culture in the United States. But then there's also language problems, and maybe some social skills, such as small talk, that are possibly not as important in their native countries, where it's not as important to initiate friendships with small talk."
She says many East Asian students blamed themselves for their limited friendships with Americans.
VOA's Student Union blogger Jessica Stahl did her own survey to find out how American students and foreign students relate to each other. More than 100 students, about half of them American, answered her online questions.
Half of the international students and 60 percent of the Americans said they related as well or better to the other group than to their own group.
Professor Gareis says students who make friends from their host country return home happier with their experience.
What can be the best title for the passage?
A.International students making friends may not always be easy. |
B.Australia judges its strategies for the future of international education. |
C.International students were happy with their friendships. |
D.Many East Asian students have limited friendships with Americans. |
According to the text, what makes Australia examine its international industry?
A.A recent study in the Chronicle of Higher Education. |
B.The feelings of loneliness many foreign students have. |
C.A survey made by Professor Gareis. |
D.Her own survey done by blogger Jessica Stahl. |
Which may NOT be the reason why many students from East Asia were unhappy with their friendships?
A.Different cultures. | B.Language problems. |
C.Some social skills. | D.Living conditions. |
The word "where" in Paragraph 6 probably refers to __________.
A.students' home countries |
B.students' host countries |
C.the United States |
D.Australia |
Where do you think this article can be seen?
A.Newspaper. | B.Journal. |
C.Textbook. | D.Website. |