The Study of Intercultural Adaptation of foreign English Cram School Teachers in Kaohsiung - In Transformative Learning Perspective

• Main Authors: Tzu-Han Chen, 陳紫涵
• Other Authors: Cheng-Yen Wang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/xmy2g6

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 成人教育研究所 === 102 === The purpose of the study is to discuss the cross-cultural adaptation of foreign teachers in Kaohsiung through transformative learning theory. The study tried to find out the whether the motivation of coming to Taiwan affect their adaptation, and what kind of experiences can help foreign teachers reflect their own reference structures and then do the transformative learning. This study adopted qualitative research methodology, using semi-structural interview to collect the adaptation process of six foreign teachers in Taiwan, and then built their own background context, figuring out what factors would effect their adapting process and what experiences help them to have transformative learning. From the intercultural adaptation process of six foreign teachers in Kaohsiung, the following are the discoveries of this study based the interview contents. (1) Some foreign teachers came to Taiwan with strong and clear motivations, which have positive affect during their adapting process. But the relationship between motivation and adaption is not absolute related. (2) The foreign teachers said their can fit in the daily life faster because of the convenience, public facilities and other hardware in Kaohsiung. (3) The foreign interviewee indicated that learning the language and having interactions with local citizens help them to understand the culture and adjust better. (4) The culture of Taiwanese cram school made the foreign teachers found out the differences between eastern and western education. (5) The interviewees, who had experienced dilemmas and hardships, have inner transformation and behavioral changes more obvious than those who didn’t. But it doesn’t mean the others’ adjusting statuses are poor. (6) The process from perspectives transforming to behavioral changing is neither prompt nor synchronic. And the followings are the conclusions based on the discoveries above. (1) A strong and clear motivation may have a positive effect on intercultural adaptation, but it’s not absolute. (2) The adjusting process with hardships, dilemmas or the awareness of new role can provide chances to foreign teachers, helping them to reflect their original references frames, and to do transformative learning. (3) When intercultural adaptation turns into inner transformative level, a man may reflect his own reference frames again due to the changes of outside world or other incidents, making the intercultural adaption an endless process. Last, based the conclusions, the researcher offered suggestion to foreign teachers, cram schools and future researchers related to this area as further references.