The challenge of academic writing for Chinese students within ...

awareness or intercultural understanding means the reconstruction of the context of the
foreign, taking the others‘ perspective and seeing things through others‘ eyes (Bredella, 2003,
p.39). Self-awareness is fostered in the process of the cultivation of intercultural awareness.
The development of self and intercultural awareness is closely associated with the capability
approach, and its valuable beings (capabilities) and doings (functionings). Being intercultural
is to have the capability to ‗reflect on the relationships among groups and the experience of
those relationships. It is both the awareness of experiencing otherness and the ability to
analyse the experience and act upon the insights into self and other which the analysis brings‘
(Alred, Bryam & Fleming, 2003, p.4). Cultivation of being intercultural and of intercultural
awareness would encourage awareness and self-reflection of one‘s own culture, although not
necessarily would lead to it.
The student body in the classroom of the UK HE is becoming increasingly heterogeneous and
internationalized. As reviewed in the context chapter, students attending universities come
from diverse cultural, educational and social backgrounds. The diversity of the student body
requires one‘s appreciation of different cultures of others and development of intercultural
awareness. Students have to learn to work with people from different cultural and educational
backgrounds, and to recognize and appreciate the difference and diversity. As Alred et al.
(2003, p.5) argue, intercultural experience is not sufficient for intercultural understanding;
there must be reflection, analysis and action.
Studying in the UK provided the student participants the opportunities to develop their
intercultural understanding, which helped to enhance their self-awareness and awareness of
their own culture. The participants stated that, in the process of interacting with students from
different cultural background and experiencing different social and cultural viewpoints in the
UK, they were able to view Chinese culture and values from different perspectives. Their
beliefs and values were constantly challenged during intercultural interaction. The
intercultural experience has helped the participants to realize how their value systems have
been shaped by their own culture. For instance, Jo in the interviews reflected how she thought
of different attitudes towards desire, sex and spending.
I think I have changed a lot on many beliefs. One thing in particular is about
enjoying life. In China, we advocate working hard, very hard and I used to
believe it‘s the way of life. The prior education taught me we should condemn
the idea of enjoying life too much and it‘s associated with western corrupted
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