Acculturation and Educational Support for ASEAN Students in a Less-Developed Region of China

In recent years, the number of international students studying in China has grown steadily. Among them, students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) constitute a significant proportion. This trend suggests that research on the acculturation of this group is warranted. Through a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews, this study investigated acculturation status (including psychological and sociocultural adaptation), acculturation strategies, and major influencing factors among ASEAN students studying in Guangxi. The study found that participants demonstrated overall smooth adaptation but exhibited relatively poor performance in specific sub-dimensions (e.g., emotional experiences, ecological adaptation, and interpersonal communication) and predominantly adopted an integration strategy. Four primary factors affecting acculturation have been pinpointed: ethnic identity, perceived attitude, social support, and language proficiency. By contrast, future career plans were not found to affect acculturation. The study suggests that universities should implement the following educational support measures: enhancing tailored psychological counseling, organizing diverse international cultural activities, adopting integrated management approaches, offering enhanced language training, and improving faculty communication skills.