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Social Lived Experiences and Coping Mechanisms of the Foreign Students in the Philippines: A Phenomenological Approach to Intercultural Communicative Competence
Authors: Ruth N. Maguddayao
Number of views: 760
Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is a considerable tenet in the development
of students. Learning institutions as an educative agency has its vital obligation to develop learners having
distinct identity, encompassing diverse cultures. This study investigated the social lived experiences and
coping mechanisms of foreign students in three phases – pre-sojourn, sojourn and post-sojourn. Using the
qualitative method, it primarily utilized focused-group discussion (FGD), semi-formatted interview and
questionnaire. Validation was made through cross-investigation in social media through questions and
clarifications including informal chats. The respondents are Indians, Ghanaians, Zimbabwean, Nepalese,
Nigerians and Malaysian. To facilitate the coding process, their answers were transcribed into Q and A
format. Words were color-coded while respondents’ responses and author’s notes were uploaded to NVivo
10. To establish validity, multiple sources were used to review previous responses ensuring conformity to
the ordinary expectations. Anchored by the Impact and Adjustment of Foreign Students in Comparative
Aspect by Altbach (1991), development of Acculturative Stress by Sandhu, (1994) and U-curve theory by
Black and Mendenhall, (1991), results reveal that the social lived expectations of foreign students were
attributed to five (5) major issues: (1) Communication Barrier and Language Issues, (2) Cultural
Adaptation, Adjustment and Acculturation, (3) Academic Adjustment, (4) Personal and Support Concerns
and (5) Social and Non-Academic Life. With these concerns, specific interventions, functional foreign
students’ affairs office and factors that cater to the needs of a particular foreign student were recommended.