Unveiling Indonesian university students adaptation in Taiwan

From intercultural perspective

Abstract

The study focuses on six Indonesian students studying at a public University in Taiwan, and the program ranges from undergraduate to postgraduate. Many Indonesian students studying abroad in diverse cultures and backgrounds must adapt academically, professionally, and socially to multicultural environments. The researcher aims to investigate discover the students' perspectives on their adaptation to the campus, how they adapt to new environments, bridge the gaps, and hope for future improvement.  The findings showed that the students navigate complex emotional geography parameters, alternating between feeling alienated by social and cultural obstacles and fortunate by intellectual opportunities. The study uses language appraisal to show how the decision between Mandarin and English can both help and hinder complete integration. The results of the study suggest that host-university policies should focus on fostering intercultural communication to create a more inclusive campus atmosphere.