Traditional sending countries of international students in East Asia have emerged as increasingly desirable higher education destinations. Yet little is known about the experiences of international students in East Asia as most research focuses on those in the Anglophone West. In this study, we explored the trajectory and interactions between intercultural communication, acculturation strategies, and adaptation outcomes of international students in Hong Kong. We conducted in-depth interviews with international students from other Asian countries (n = 14) and Western countries (n = 10). Our research reveals a paradox where international students’ eagerness to engage with diverse peers is overshadowed by limited interaction with local students. Cultural and language differences were perceived to create a wall separating them from the local students, inhibiting a cosmopolitan learning environment. Additionally, international students often gravitate towards familiar national or cultural groups, which can hinder broader integration. Sociocultural challenges and outsider feelings were also reported, potentially leading to psychological issues. We propose an interactive framework that connects intercultural communication, acculturation strategies, and adaptation outcomes. The paper offers theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, administrators, educators, and students, aiming to foster effective communication and successful acculturation in a multilingual and multicultural educational setting. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).

Based on a tentative model and a sample of 215 university international students of the second year studying Chinese in the PRC, this research studied the relationships among Motivation in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Socio-cultural Adaptation, Academic Adaptation, Language Achievement and Institutional Persistence, and evaluated their contributions in a causal model of Adaptation and SLA. The results of the study indicated that the theoretical model provided good fit to the data, and generally supported Gardner's (2005) socio-educational model except that Language Anxiety was not found to have a cause and effect relationship with Language Achievement. Instrumentality seemed to significantly predict the variation of Persistence together with Academic Adaptation. Moreover, Saving Other's Face Scale seemed to be important to predict Motivation, Socio-cultural Adaptation and especially Academic Adaptation. Copyright © 2006 Office of Research, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong.