Social Lived Experiences and Coping Mechanisms of the Foreign Students in the Philippines A Phenomenological Approach to Intercultural Communicative Competence

Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is a considerable tenet in the development of students. Learning institutions as an educative agency has its vital obligation to develop learners having distinct identity, encompassing diverse cultures. This study investigated the social lived experiences and coping mechanisms of foreign students in three phases – pre-sojourn, sojourn and post-sojourn. Using the qualitative method, it primarily utilized focused-group discussion (FGD), semi-formatted interview and questionnaire. Validation was made through cross-investigation in social media through questions and clarifications including informal chats. The respondents are Indians, Ghanaians, Zimbabwean, Nepalese, Nigerians and Malaysian. To facilitate the coding process, their answers were transcribed into Q and A format. Words were color-coded while respondents’ responses and author’s notes were uploaded to NVivo 10. To establish validity, multiple sources were used to review previous responses ensuring conformity to the ordinary expectations. Anchored by the Impact and Adjustment of Foreign Students in Comparative Aspect by Altbach (1991), development of Acculturative Stress by Sandhu, (1994) and U-curve theory by Black and Mendenhall, (1991), results reveal that the social lived expectations of foreign students were attributed to five (5) major issues: (1) Communication Barrier and Language Issues, (2) Cultural Adaptation, Adjustment and Acculturation, (3) Academic Adjustment, (4) Personal and Support Concerns and (5) Social and Non-Academic Life. With these concerns, specific interventions, functional foreign students’ affairs office and factors that cater to the needs of a particular foreign student were recommended.

Keywords – communication, coping mechanisms, intercultural communicative competence, social lived

experiences, sojourn .