IDENTITY NEGOTIATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WHEN

STUDYING IN A NON-SPEAKING ENGLISH COUNTRY

LE THI MINH PHUONG

Faculty of Foreign Study, Vietnam Maritime University

Abstract

Today, with the trend of internationalization, a growing number of universities and

institutions worldwide are encouraging their students to take part in abroad programs or
vocational training schemes in a foreign country. It is easy to find out that not only are
English-speaking countries ideal destinations for education overseas but many other
countries where English is not the first language also attract millions of students
worldwide. Studying in these countries, students will have to use English for academic
purposes and at the same time learn the local languages to adapt to the host
environment. Firsthand exposure to the native speech community coupled with formal
classroom learning is said to create the optimal environment for learning an additional
language and culture, thus, at the same time, would inevitably cause some effects on
students’ identities. Based on the interviews with a focus group of international students
studying at a university in Haiphong, the types of negotiated identities, the ways they
alternate their behaviors, emotions, and cognitions to adapt to the new environment will
be revealed. With these findings, some implications for curriculum and pedagogy which
optimize opportunities for international students to develop their knowledge, openness,
and adaptability are also suggested.

Key words: identity, identity negotiation, multilingual context, international students, adaptation

INTRODUCTION

Today, with the trend of internationalization, a growing number of universities and

institutions worldwide are encouraging their students to take part in study and residence
abroad programs or vocational training schemes in a foreign country. According to
OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), in 2015, there were
more than five million students enrolled in higher education outside their home country
and this number is estimated to increase enormously in the coming years. The time for
sojourn can vary from three or four years to short – term sojourns, ranging from a week
to three or four months. Study abroad today is also more available with a wider range of
program options with variety of goals. Some students can take part in programs that are
designed to enhance their foreign language and cultural learning while others enroll in
exchange programs led by faculties from their home institutions. Some groups travel on
their own and take courses with local students in the host institution.
With such variety of opportunities for study abroad, it is easily to find out that not only
English-speaking countries are ideal destination of education overseas, however, many
other countries where English is not the first language also attract millions of students
worldwide. In such countries, students have to use English for their academic purposes
but at the same time need to know the host language in order to get more closely
adapted with the local life. Student who come from a different culture can bring different
mindsets, expectations and identities. Firsthand exposure to the native speech
community coupled with formal classroom learning are said to create the optimal
environment for learning an additional language and culture, thus, at the same time,
would inevitably cause some effects on students’ identities. How students adapt
themselves to the host country’s academic and living environment while still attempting
to retain and negotiate their own identities is a complex phenomenon which attracts
many scholars worldwide.

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Types of identity

The subject “I” potentially embeds multiple identities which are constructed at the
interstices of multiple axes such as age, gender, ethnicity, class, social status etc.,
whereby each aspect of identity redefines and modifies all others. As a consequence,
there are different ways to classify identity. However, in this study, the writer focuses on
the negotiation of identities taking place in multilingual contexts, hence, limits itself to
certain identifies which are imposed or devalued or misunderstood. The framework
adapted in the study is proposed by two post-structuralists Pavlenko and Blackage
(2004). In their study, they differentiate three types of identities including imposed
identities, assumed identities and negotiable identities which are further discussed
below.

As mentioned in their study, imposed identities are not negotiable in a particular time
and place. In other words, individuals cannot resist or contest their identities at a
particular point in time. For example, if we are caught by police because of exceeding
the speed limit, we are imposed the identity of law-breaker. This identity is non-
negotiable because there is law enforcement on the people who breaking the rules. We
are seen and treated as law breakers during our interaction with police. Therefore, for
this kind of identity, individuals do not shape for themselves but are imposed by the
outsiders who use to define individuals’ membership in particular social groups. This
definition is further explained as “certain identities may not be negotiable because
people may be positioned in powerful ways which they are unable to resist” (Pavlenko &
Blackage, 2004:250).
These “powerful ways” could be authority, society, policy, legal discourses, political
speeches, mass media outlets and popular images. For instance, undocumented
immigrants are labelled as “illegal immigrants”, no matter how they feel, they are
powerless to contest deportation when being imposed by authority.

In contrast, assumed identities are accepted and not negotiated. These identities are
considered as kinds of stereotypes which people feel comfortable and do not
necessarily find offensive. These identities are legitimized by dominant discourses
(Pavlenko & Blackage, 2004). For example, in Western tradition, men used to be a
breadwinner while women were housewives. They might feel comfortable and content
with their roles, however, this does not mean that all men and women agree with the
ideas. Assumed identities are used to support and clarify our perceived roles in society
but also use discourse to debate against elements that we perceive to not fit with our
value systems.

Finally, negotiable identities “refer to all identity options that can be and are contested
and resisted by particular individuals and groups” (Pavlenko & Blackage, 2004: 31).
These identities are negotiated in various levels, including the family, workplace,
educational contexts as schools and universities, peer group interactions, class and
social status etc. As mentioned earlier, identities were considered fixed, stable and
nonnegotiable 100 years ago, however, in contemporary critical theory, it is considered
as negotiable (Pavlenko, 2003). For example, in today’s society, the trend of
immigration is expanding rapidly and the immigrants are expected to assimilate into the
culture and values of the host country. However, immigrants are also thought to have a
great choice whether to sustain the dominant culture of host country or to maintain their
self-identification of their home country. Numerous immigrants choose to be selective in
what facets of the host country which are appropriate into their identities. In this way,
their identities can be flexible in between two countries.

2. Identity negotiation

Along with identity, identity negotiation in a multilingual environment has been studied
extensively in recent years. The word “negotiation” is defined in Oxford dictionary as
“formal discussion between people who are trying to reach an agreement” and identity
negotiation is the processes whereby relationship partners reach agreements regarding
“who is who” (Swann, 2009). However, in socio-cultural research, identity negotiation is
not only the agreement between two partners but also within oneself. It emphasizes the
linkage between cultural values and self-conception. Identity negotiation perspectives
explain how one’s self-conception influences one’s cognitions, emotions and
interactions profoundly and why people draw intergroup boundaries. It illustrates the
different needs and wants of individuals in desiring to be included in their relationships
and also shapes the factors that contribute to identity shock – as when individuals move
from a familiar cultural milieu to an unfamiliar one (Ting – Toomey, 1999). According to
Swann, identity negotiation process is the satisfaction between desired identity and
actual identity. In order to achieve this balance, one generally has to conform to various
principles of identity negotiation that not only facilitate smooth interpersonal interactions
but promote intrapersonal harmony as well.

Many sociocultural scholars also propose the identity negotiation process of individuals
when moving into an unfamiliar cultural environment. When entering the new context,
individuals may feel like a “fish out of water” which may result in culture shock or “a loss
for words” in their new surroundings (Ward, Bocher, and Furnham, 2001). These views
are in the line with Ting – Toomey (1999, 2005), Bakhtin (1981, 1984, 1986) and
contemporary sociocultural theorists. The identity negotiation theory (INT) by Ting –
Toomey (1999) emphasizes that human beings in all cultures desire positive identity
affirmation in a variety of communication situations. However, when individuals view
their present social identity as less than satisfactory, they may attempt to change their
groups’ membership in order to view themselves more positively. Negotiation in this
perspective is defined as” a transactional interaction process whereby individuals in an
intercultural situation attempt to assert, define, modify, challenge and/or support their
own and other’s desired self-images” (Ting Toomey, 2005: 217). This negotiation takes
place in both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Therefore, in order to maintain positive desired identities, it is essential to enhance

intercultural understanding, respect and mutual support through mindful communication.
To be mindful communicators, in turn, individuals need to be empathetic, respectful
listeners and pay attention to pragmatic rules across cultures (LoCastro, 2003; Spencer-
Oatey, 2000). “Sensitive language usage”, as explained by Ting – Toomey, is a crucial
vehicle in reflecting our mindful attitudes in communicating with dissimilar others. In
other words, individuals must be sensitive to the cultural beliefs, values and
backgrounds of partners to have suitable language choices. A successful
communication across cultural boundaries is achieved through a joint function of both
communicators attending to their “mutual identity needs, expectations, attunements and
cravings” (Ting - Toomey, 2005:229). When entering into new contexts, a new group or
a new environment, individuals easily get the feelings of insecurity and vulnerability as
they are at a loss to figure out how to be in the unfamiliar context. If the host is
welcoming and supportive to the newcomers, they are more likely to develop more
positive attitudes towards to the host culture and language, hence, make more effort to
become a part of its members. By contrast, if they find the host environment too
daunting and unwilling, they may reject or reduce the opportunities for personal and
linguistic expansion.
In short, in this global village, in order to achieve the three identity negotiation outcomes
(i.e. the feeling of being understood, the feeling of being respected and the feeling of
being affirmatively valued), newcomers need to learn to swing between the various
dialectical-thematic poles adaptively and creatively, while on the other hand, members
of the host culture should be gracious, respectful and mindful to the newcomers.

THE STUDY

1. Research questions
The study is carried out in order to find out the answers to the following questions:
(1) What identities do foreign students construct in a multilingual context?
(2) How do students negotiate their identities in a culturally and linguistically
unfamiliar context when studying abroad?

2. Research settings

Vietnam Maritime University (VMU) is specialized in marine sectors such as navigation,

marine engineering, maritime business and shipbuilding technology. One of the greatest
strengths of VMU is international cooperation and it is currently working cooperatively
with more than 100 institutes, universities and organization worldwide. Every year, VMU
has exchange programs with other marine universities in the world which attracts about
8 to 10 foreign students which are mainly from African countries, particularly those from
Angola, South Africa, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria and Asian countries such as
Myanmar, Laos, and Korea. These students mainly study in International School of
Education (ISE) and School of Excellent Education (SEE) while some others study in
other full-time training programs. The length of time of a formal training program
normally ranges from 3.5 to 4 years. During their sojourn, the foreign students are
arranged to live in dormitories and study with local Vietnamese students. English is
used as the main language to study the academic subjects while they can learn some
basic Vietnamese language to communicate with the local people in social contexts.

3. The participants
The participants, aged from 22 to 29, are four foreign undergraduate students (4 males)
who have spent at least 2 years and expect to spend at least two years or more in
Vietnam. All participants are presented pseudonymously in this study. None of them
have previously lived or spent time in any other country than Vietnam. Prior to their
arrival in Vietnam, they knew almost nothing or had no experiences about living in
Vietnam, as this applies to students from the Asian countries. All of these students are
doing English - medium courses where English is used as the main language to
communicate with lecturers and classmates.
Although they have spent at least two years in Vietnam, their Vietnamese language
proficiency is quite low due to lack of opportunities for communication. Two of them
have finished Vietnam language course 2, meanwhile the other three interviewees are
doing Vietnamese language course 1. In general, their Vietnamese conversational
fluency is quite the same, except for one student from Myanmar, who is interested in
learning Vietnamese and has self-study, hence, can carry on a conversation in familiar
face – to – face situations involving high frequency words and simple grammatical
constructions without using body language or facial expressions. Meanwhile, the four
remaining students still have difficulty in maintaining some basic daily conversations like
going shopping, ordering meals or asking for direction. However, all of them are unable
to use Vietnamese in learning academic subjects. About accommodation, they are all
required to share a dormitory room with other foreign students. The general information
of the participants can be summarized in the following table:

Pseudonym Age Gende Country Length of Departmen Vietnamese

r stay in t language
Vietnam level

Student 1 (Leo) 27 M South Africa 4 years ISE Beginner

Student 2 (Karl) 29 M Mozambiqu 3.5 years ISE Beginner

e

Student 3 (Si) 23 M Myanmar 3 years SSE Beginner

Student 4 (Tham) 22 M Myanmar 3 years SSE Beginner

Student 5 (Wutyi) 20 F Myanmar 2 years ISE Beginner

4. Results and discussion

4.1. Types of Identity negotiated
According to two post-structuralist Pavlenko and Blankage (2004), there are three types
of identities in their theory including imposed identities, assumed identities and
negotiable identities. According to the researchers, these identities are interchangeable,
which means there can be a shift from one identity to another in changing contexts. In
this study, the participants shifted from imposed identities to assumed identities. For
example, the second interviewed student, Karl, a black African student, faced serious
racial discrimination not only in social life but also in academic life. Four years ago, the
common disease from Africa named Ebola spreading widely coincided with his first
sojourn in Haiphong, hence, people called him “Ebola, Ebola” when he was walking on
the street which was described as “the worst thing I felt in Vietnam”. Sometimes, he was
also subjected to racial slurs or offensive comments like “Ê, da đen” or “alien” when
going out. A restaurant even rejected him because he was a black man.

“4 years ago, there was a disease in Africa called Ebola, everyone call us Ebola,
Ebola in the street, that's the worst thing I felt in Vietnam. Going outside, and someone
just come to you and say something bad, they say Ebola. Even some restaurants, I
know one restaurant here in Haiphong, I went there to eat lunch, they say no black.”

However, such irritating and stressful experiences did not stop there. In his class,
Vietnamese students didn’t want to sit beside him. His classmates also called him
“black”.

“Academically, the students don't want to approach, they don't want to sit beside me.
While I was studying strategic supply chain management, I was sitting at the second
and two students came and say: "You cannot sit here because we don't want anything
black to interfere our view to the teacher.”

This means that when living in Vietnam, he is imposed with the identity of “black” or
“alien” both socially and academically and he was not able to negotiate such positioning
at that time and that place. Because of the society’s prejudice imposed on him, he could
not resist or contest even though he felt irritated and uncomfortable. However, in a
different context, after a period of time living in Vietnam, he has a different view about
this. When he gets used to it, he no longer cares about these irritating slurs. If someone
calls him “da đen”, he just looks at him/her and smiles “Hello”. In the English center
where he has a part-time job, he allows his students to call him “da đen” if they like, if
not, they can call his name. “Even I told to my students: “You can call me “da đen” in
class, it’s no problem, but if you don’t want, don’t call me teacher, call me Karl.”

As a result, for international students coming from different parts of the world like Africa,
they shifted from imposed identities to negotiable identities after a period of time of
gradual adaptation and negotiation. However, for most of Asian students like those from
Myanmar, are comfortable with the assumed identities of being “Vietnamese” and do
not necessarily find any behaviors offensive. Because of the similar culture and
appearance, most Burmese students are mistaken as Vietnamese, and talk Vietnamese
to them. However, they do not find anything offensive in it “when I come to this
university, most Vietnamese think I am a Vietnamese and they always speak
Vietnamese to me but I said “em khong hieu (laugh)”.
In conclusion, because of their different skin color, African students coming from
Nigeria, Mozambique, Angola have to struggle with racial discrimination while studying
in Haiphong as they are constantly imposed the identities of “black, da den, alien…”.
However, after a period of time sojourning here, they tried to adapt and gradually accept
the identities that people imposed on them. Meanwhile, with similar appearances,
culture and values to Vietnamese people, Myanmar students did not face much difficulty
when studying at VMU and they are quite comfortable when being mistaken as
Vietnamese people.

4.2. Identity Negotiation Process

4.2.1. Reactions to context

Being exposed to different contexts, all the interviewees shared the same feelings of
being nervous, worried, scared and also a little excited because it was the first time they
studied in a foreign country. After a period of time, however, they get accustomed to the
new environment and enjoy their new lives in Vietnam, especially in Haiphong. Some
students even reported feeling like ‘local people’. They all agreed that their experiences
studying abroad brought about lasting personal and academic benefits. Nonetheless, it
is unavoidable to encounter difficult emotions in some particular contexts which led to
their behaviors.

Dissapointement. “I was really dissapointed at that time. Oh my God”. It was the

feeling of the Wutyi, the fifth interviewed student, when she first came to Noi Bai airport.
There were four Burmese students in total, two boys and two girls arriving at midnight
with so much luggugae but no one picked them up.

“Because we have 4 people so they think we can go by ourselves so no one come to us

at that time. It was really difficult at that time. You know Hanoi, no one we can speak,
everything is in Vietnamese language so really, really difficult”.

It was the first time these teenagers had travelled abroad but they faced so much
difficulty that they felt “so wrong to come to Vietnam, I shouldn’t come to Vietnam”.
There might be some misunderstanding in the agreement between two universities
which put these students in such unexpected situation. Nonetheless, their depression
with the hospitality of the host university is unavoidable.

In addition, the problem of teachers teaching in Vietnamese is quite common in classes

involving international students. All the interviewees reported that they felt bored and
disappointed when the teachers continuously use Vietnamese and even give homework
in Vietnamese. One of them wished “someone would come and explain in Portuguese
something I don’t understand”. The matter is even getting worse because “most of the
teachers now, they are all Vietnamese, the teacher assistants now become teachers”.
The number of high – quality teachers are decreasing because “they study Master and
then they can teach”. The current situation makes them miss the old time when being
taught by high-quality teachers, especially those are from America, Japan and Korea.

Although frequently there are such problems in their academic life, the students cannot
report to the staff as they are afraid that their names will be revealed. “In Vietnam, they
don’t hide name of the one who say it”. They also do not dare to request the teacher
directly because they don’t know how the teacher would react to the information.
Consequently, they just keep it to themselves as “it is safer to keep the thing to you”.

Annoyance. During their stay in Hai Phong, participants reported that it was
unavoidable to experience certain annoying situations. For those studying in ISE, they
claimed that the information is not always consistent which caused them plenty of
difficulty and frustration to follow. Leo narrated his experience: “…always break when
someone tell you that “yes” you can do this but go back tomorrow other say that “no”
you can’t do it. So, it’s very frustrating especially for me or someone who always travel”.
Sometimes, the information is changeable like weather “They gave us the rules when
we came here but all the rules are changed along the year and anyone can change the
rules in the office. If they feel happy today, they can change them if they feel sad they
can change them, so it’s very confusing.”

Such inconsistent information certainly made them annoyed as they repeatedly needed
clarification from the office staff. This also caused some irritation for the staff. “They see
me as if I always get there like “ah he’s coming to complain”. The conflicting
communication between students and staff made them both annoyed. Hence, they
learned that “when you complain, they can get very angry. When you complain more,
they make things more difficult for you.” Although one of the interviewed students
showed her sympathy “I think ISE system need to update because they connect with
foreign lecturers so they need to update. We always need to update, too (laugh)”, other
sadly compared to his home country: “In Vietnam, we are not allowed to question
authority, so it’s may be the rule. We cannot question why the rules are changed or why
that. All these are challenges. We come from place where we are allowed to question
everything if we don’t understand.”

Not only inconsistent information but inattentive Vietnamese students in class also
caused international students some irritation. According to Myanmar students, Burmese
people are conservative and preservative, hence, they are extremely obedient and
respect to seniors, especially their teachers. Therefore, they are irritated when other
students keep chatting or playing games on their mobile phones without concentrating
on the lessons. Wutyi, the female Myanmar student recalled:
 “…right now most of Vietnamese students don’t respect because the teacher is
explaining but they don’t listen. They use their phone playing games or texting. At the
first time, I think why they do like this because the teacher is explaining. The teacher
told not to do like this but they don’t care. I think it is not good’.

However, when being asked about their intention to interfere with the situation, she was
reluctant and gave reasons.

“I know they are teenagers; they don’t want to listen. Just ignore it. I think so.”
“We are foreigners, we need to keep good relationship with custom”. “Sometimes I feel
hesitate because their ideas and their way of thinking about life are quite different from
me. This makes me hesitate to share my ideas because if I talk to them, they don’t
care.”

Not only Burmese students, Karl, a Mozambican also admitted that students in his
country were not given as much freedom as here. While students in Vietnam are
allowed to eat in class, in his country, they would be taken out immediately. Besides, he
also showed his irritation to troublesome fellows keeping playing games or talking in
class because this distracted him from the lesson. “In Vietnam, students are playing
games in their laptop, I’m sitting behind them, what my eyes will go? It goes to the
screen; I won't pay attention to the class. So, that affects me.” He thought that teachers
should be stricter to their students to make class more disciplined.

Shock. When being exposed and interacting to an unfamiliar environment in the host
country, it is unavoidable for international students to experience some kind of shock.
Being considered to have the lowest socioeconomic development of the world, African
students felt strange and uncomfortable with some private questions like “Bạn ăn cơm
chưa/ Have you have lunch?” because many people in their country tried to survive and
they even did not enough $1 to eat. “Maybe in Mozambique, there are people who
survive without even $1, they even don’t have $1 to eat but if you ask him: “Have you
had lunch?”, you don’t know if that person have money to eat or not so, if someone ask
you here, I feel it is a strange question for me”, Karl explained. However, over time, they
gradually learnt that these questions were kinds of greetings, not because of curiosity or
privacy.

Vulnerability. As mentioned earlier, the African students are seriously discriminated

due to their black skin color, not only academically but also socially. They are constantly
called by insulting names such as “da den”, “alien”, “black” etc. No one wanted to sit
beside them or approach them. They were isolated in their own class. “I feel excluded.
They excluded me from the class itself “. The discrimination happened not only in one
single class but in most classes. “They never came to talk to us in class. In our class,
there are five foreigners, four South American and I. Everyone is in class and we
always sit together. So, we just talk to ourselves, no one came to us”. Karl, the
Mozambican student thought that his Vietnamese fellows only come to him when they
needed help with their studies. “Even to sit beside you, they never sit beside only if it’s a
subject that we have to read in English like English composition, speech communication
more than business, things that we have to read in theory much. They always come
like: “Hey, I don’t understand here, can you explain to me? What does this word mean?”
They only come because of benefits. When there’s no benefits they never come.”

They also admitted that during their sojourn, they did not have many friends, there are
only a few students that they could talk to. “I only have three guys, not really friends but
three guys that I usually talk to. One of them now is working at ISE office but normally
all other students we never spoke, we never even say hello. So just work inside class,
people sit in the chain and do whatever happening then everyone just go home. It has
been hard.” Despite the teachers’ effort to connect African students with Vietnamese
students, the matter is not much better. “All teachers always emphasize that make
groups foreigners with Vietnamese but even when I am in groups with them it’s very
hard for them to talk to me. So, I just say, “ok I give you your part and you do it and then
send it to us” but they won’t have meetings and go to school to work together so I have
to do mine on my own and then send my part. So, it has been always like that.”

The feeling of being isolated in an unfamiliar environment was not easy, especially as
they lived far away from their home and their family. In the host country, they were
constantly treated unfavorably both directly and indirectly which caused them
experience acculturative stresses. Inside their class, they were excluded from their
class activities. “They didn’t call me for pre-graduation photo section of my class”.
Outside their class, they were also treated unequally. “Even in ISE, there is
discrimination. They don’t show but the way they treat American students and the way
they treat African student are totally different.”
4.2.2. Negotiation Outcomes
Personal alteration and adaptation

Despite initial negative feeling, after a period of time, all five interviewees developed
better understanding towards the host context which represents their deeper self-
expression and adaptation to the context. This understanding has generated significant
effects on their behaviors.

For ISE’s international students, after conflicting and ineffective communication with the
ISE staff, they improved their interaction skills to build good relationship with the staff.
They realized that it was useless to complain, therefore, they became more flexible in
the way of receiving information. “So, I am just friendly. I just ask, if they say “no” I say
“ok, let me know next time.” “I just get used to it and I don’t question it now just ask and
then if they say yes or no, it’s ok”. They were proactive to build relationship with the
staff. “Even now, if I don’t have class, I go to the office. Maybe I want something, maybe
I just make fun and talk to them, even daft smiling and they laugh”. Leo, a dynamic,
active and adventurous person, who liked travelling and going to the bar, admitted that
studying at VMU had changed his mind in many ways.

“I mean in any other place you learn how to live and how to adapt so I learn to adapt to
the situation like that. I know what I should do when it’s complicated, and now I know
how to approach them at the office. Can’t just go there and be angry and complain.
Now, I have to talk in the suitable way and ask them and beg them and things can
happen. Yeah. But it changed my mind in a lot of ways.”

He learned that he was living in an unfamiliar environment, therefore, he had to alter

and adapt to the situation. When he could not change the situation, he had to change
himself. “If you don’t believe in you are doing, you have to be aggressive. Right? But in
Vietnam, I know we can’t do that. On top of that maybe if the manager say we are doing
this but you don’t think it’s right, you can’t say no. I have to accept it”. In his class, he
also tried to break the ice by proactively making friends with his classmates. “In class, I
always play around, I make fun and talk to other Vietnamese people”. However, it does
not usually work because Vietnamese students are still “too shy to respond”.

Other participants overcame their negative feelings and emotions by adopting some
kind of action plan. They registered with some clubs such as karate, Kungfu or gym
where they had more chances to build their social relationships. All the participants
agreed that most of their Vietnamese friends were not their classmates but are
outsiders. “I try karate club so I got a lot of friends there.” “We have karate page for our
members and we always contact and communicate with each other so it’ s really
comfortable and really happy”.

Two African students, Leo and Karl, started learning at VMU when they were mid-
twenties, Leo was twenty – four and Karl was twenty – six. Therefore, when being
isolated and excluded in their class, they felt depressed at first, but gradually got used
to it. They tried to console themselves that their Vietnamese classmates were just kids
and they had less chances to see the world.

Another reason for their easy adaptation is their preparation before coming to Vietnam.
Karl had been well-educated and foretold by his mother the difficulties that he might
encounter “Because of my mom, she says: "Where you are going, you have to face this
and this" so I was ready from home to come here”. Therefore, he can easily get adapt to
the situation. “I get used to it. I understand how life is here so I have to adapt myself to
the situation. I can easily adapt. I can complain but I can easily adapt to it and I adapted
already.” After two to four years of sojourn, all the interviewees have learned to accept
and how to adapt with the new environment, as well as build in their mind an “I-don’t-
care” attitude: “Just put in my mind that I don’t care and life is going”.

Negotiation outcomes

All the interviewees confirmed some solid changes in the way they view themselves
after their long sojourn in Vietnam, and these changes are not only related to their
personality but also some other social traits. For SSE’s Myanmar students, they
admitted that the experience of studying abroad made them more mature and
thoughtful. In their home country, they used to study at Myanmar Maritime University
(MMU) which was a smaller but more peaceful university. There are about 2000
students in their university and it is like a big family where everyone is always in
harmony regardless of religion, races and ethnical background. They commented that
VMU had better teaching and learning facilities, nonetheless, VMU was more formal
and had rather cold atmosphere. In their previous university, they were like children
because they can rely on their teachers for any problems and any of their single word
was respected.

Therefore, the time living in Vietnam was a big challenge for them but it also made them
more mature. Tham jokingly described himself now has become “an adult” after “getting
out of the box” and “can see the world wider” and knew that there was something that
he had never known. After “going through ups and downs of life”, he “started to know
what is life”. The experience of living abroad also changed his personality and his way
of making decision. He used to make decisions based on his emotion but now they are
based on his priority and avoid harming the relationship with others. He narrated a story
about picking up four Myanmar students to illustrate for that. Although he was angry
with the decision of the International Relationship Department at that time, but he had to
choose and finally he had to accept their decision. “Sometimes we have to make an
option. Something like that in life. That’s what I want I say and I didn’t use to that. I
didn’t use to do that before I came here. This is the first time from VMU to know myself.”
Tham also thought that he was now more tolerant and mindful than before. The story of
a pregnant laboratory teacher who cannot speak a single word in English during all her
lesson is an example. He was angry and had an intention of reporting the video of her
class to the office, however, after witnessing the teacher with her babies, he changed
his mind. “If I reported, she would be fired or her salary would be reduced or she could
get some punishment but she is a normal person she is a mother and she is a pregnant
woman.”

Despite some bad experiences, African students now have become familiar with the
new context and love their new life. Leo admitted that “I am here, I miss home but when
I go home, I miss Vietnam”. After finishing his student life, another Mozambican
student, Karl, has intention to study master at VMU. Most students now have the feeling
that they are living in their own country “but right now sometimes I feel like my country”.
CONCLUSION
From the current study, it is affirmed that the study abroad experience has the potential
to reshape and reform some aspects of students’ personal perceptions about
themselves. In other words, studying and living abroad create unique interactive
contexts and environments wherein the negotiation of some of the sojourners’ identities
can be facilitated. Furthermore, the preference of language used in a multilingual
environment also affects the identity negotiation process. To be specific, language
choice would lead to the absence or presence and modification or stability of a certain
types of identity. This confirms the assumption that the use of a specific language can
give rise to a related identity.

The findings also emphasize the importance of education on the negotiation of identity
in study abroad contexts. Especially, globalization provides more chances for students
to study abroad with more choices and variety of destinations. While in the “inner circle”
countries, students have troubles with languages and cultures of the host countries,
studying in extended circle countries seems to cause even greater troubles with their
varied multilingual and multicultural contexts. As proposed by Ting-Toomey (1999), in
order to develop mindful cross culture and inter-culture communication, it is necessary
to acquire a thorough understanding of the value content of one’ identities.

Hence, it is the role of education to help the learners to get hold of the notion of identity
and to gradually understand how their identities would affect their life within the
contextual specifics of an unfamiliar culture. It is notable from the interviews that the
interviewees had drawn excessively on those interactions in the school environment,
especially with their professors who had been assumed to be experienced and
knowledgeable. Initially, these interactions generated negative feelings and emotions of
being vulnerable and embarrassed, and it took a certain amount of time for the students
to establish the more favorable perceptions of themselves. Therefore, it is suggested
that education environments should not only provide students with academic knowledge
but also play it role in assisting students to build these positive perceptions through
social and pastoral care and affordances.

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