A Study on Expatriate Chinese Teachers' Adaptability from the Perspective of Cross-Cultural Communication Theory

Abstract

the backdrop of the steady advancement of international Chinese-language education, the scale of dispatched Chinese-language teachers continues to expand, and the challenges these teachers face in cultural adaptation within foreign contexts have attracted growing scholarly attention. Grounded in cross-cultural communication theories and the two-dimensional model of cultural adaptation, along with the binary classification criteria for psychological and sociocultural adaptation, this paper constructs an analytical framework for teachers' adaptability covering three dimensions: psychological adaptation, sociocultural adaptation and work adaptation, while taking internal and external influencing factors into account. Drawing on existing empirical research concerning cross-cultural adaptation among dispatched Chinese-language teachers, this paper summarizes their current adaptation status and practical dilemmas, and proposes countermeasures for competence improvement from the perspectives of individual teachers, dispatching administrative institutions and social support networks. The study finds that cultural adaptation is a prevalent practical challenge for dispatched Chinese-language teachers. Among the three dimensions, psychological adaptation and work adaptation represent relatively weak points. Social support can effectively mitigate teachers' adaptation-related stress. Enhancing comprehensive adaptability requires concerted efforts from individuals, organizations and external environments.