Motivation, Media Usage, and Intercultural Adaptation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparing International Students from Mainland China and Others

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the relationship between international students' (ISs') motivation (integrative and instrumental), media usage, and intercultural adaptation (sociocultural and academic) during the COVID-19 pandemic by comparing their social support networks (SSNs) with the Japanese language speakers (JLSs), same-language speaker (SLSs), and other-language speaker (OLSs), and whether there are any differences or similarities between ISs from mainland China (MCISs) and other ISs in these relationships. An online survey targeting ISs enrolled at universities in Japan was conducted from November 19 to December 10, 2021. The data from 364 ISs, including 160 MCISs and 200 other ISs, were analyzed. The results indicated that MCISs with higher levels of Japanese language proficiency and integrative motivation, a longer length of stay in Japan, and who mainly chose Japanese to take a course, were able to form larger SSNs with JLSs; this helped them receive more social support from JLSs which had mediating effects on improving their sociocultural and academic adaptations. On the other hand, it was found that in terms of other ISs—those with lower levels of Japanese language proficiency, shorter lengths of stay in Japan, and higher levels of integrative and instrumental motivation—preferred using various kinds of media which had mediating effects on their sociocultural adaptation; whereas demographics including both integrative and instrumental motivations had direct effects on improving their academic adaptation. These results show different ways to improve MCISs and other ISs' sociocultural and academic adaptations in the future.