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

Conclusion
This chapter has focused on the participants‘ becoming an independent learner. The
participants were driven to study in the UK by a combination of push and pull factors
including the limited university places in China, dissatisfaction with the education system in
China, their parents‘ influence, anticipated benefits to their personal development and career
prospects, English language development, UK universities‘ reputation of excellence in
teaching, learning and research, and recommendations from relatives and friends.
The cosmopolitan learning enables the participants to develop a global outlook, intellectual
confidence, independence in learning and critical thinking. The participants have learnt to use
their own initiative and take control of their learning. They have developed the abilities to
conduct independent research, to retrieve information, and critically assess the materials
relevant to a particular topic. The participants expressed the hope that the learning abilities
they gained would provide them with long-term benefits in whatever they chose to do in the
future. Moreover, they also highlighted the development of their interpersonal skills and
cross-cultural communication skills. They have learnt to appreciate cultural differences and
recognize the importance of mutual understanding in relation to efficient cross-cultural
communication.
In addition to the independent learning and interpersonal skills, the participants have
developed a sense of being more in control of their life, possessing ‗attainable options‘ and ‗a
language of freedom‘ (Gaspar & Van Staveren, 2003, p.144, 145). They were able to make
informed decisions in terms of their future, which they considered valuable and important to
themselves. Studying in the UK enabled the participants to have intercultural experience and
encounters. Being intercultural is more than experiencing the interculturality, as Alred et al.
(2003) have argued, it is about intercultural awareness and understanding - being able to
analyze the intercultural encounters, reflect upon the experiences and one‘s own culture, and
take actions. The intercultural awareness and understanding was perceived important in
relation to the development of participants‘ self-awareness. By developing intercultural
awareness, the participants were able to make a ‗more qualitative judgement‘ (Alred et al.
2003, p.4) about the nature of intercultural experiences, and to develop insights into
themselves and others through reflection, analysis and action. The participants highlighted in
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