Social Skills Use of International Students in Japan

要旨

Abstract This study investigated the cross‐cultural social skills use of international students in J apan. One hundred and forty questionnaires were sent out and 102 were returned. Participants evaluated their skills use with 21 items pertaining to cross‐cultural social skills in J apan, which were considered useful in forming interpersonal relationships with their Japanese hosts. They also evaluated how common such skills were in their own countries. The skills were divided into the following four categories: (a) skills used in J apan and recognized as being used in home countries, which seemed to be applications of original behavior repertory (Maintained skills); (b) skills used in J apan but not recognized in their own countries, which seemed to be developed in the Japanese sociocultural context (Acquired skills); (c) skills recognized in their home countries but not used in J apan, which seemed to be somehow suppressed in J apan (Avoided skills); and (d) skills rarely used in J apan and rarely recognized in their home countries, which seemed to be undesired (Neglected skills). Some skills were relatively common in their own countries but not always highly used in J apan. Students with higher J apanese proficiency or a longer duration of stay in J apan tended to show higher skills use. However, the assumption that students from neighboring countries were more skillful was not supported. The psychological background of cross‐cultural social skills use was also discussed.

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