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

elationship for these students is the given relationship with their family. Parents‘ influences
on Chinese student participants‘ education were apparent in this study. Most of the student
participants are the only child in the family due to China‘s one-child policy. Their parents had
high hopes for these students and intended to pay a lot of attention to their education. These
students believed that their parents and extended families had encouraged and driven them to
excel in their study from their early school years in China. Their close relationship with the
family also gives students a sense of responsibility to succeed in their overseas study in the
UK.
On their arrival in the UK, they immediately faced many challenges in their studies – for
instance, the challenges with the English language and getting help in their daily life. In order
to cope with these challenges, they tended to create a relationship-based community of
learning with other Chinese students, mainly because they shared the similar culture,
language and situation of studying overseas alone. This relationship with other Chinese
students provided them with a sense of belonging and security. The bond they developed with
other Chinese students was widely recognised to be a very important source of support for
their study and life in general.
Meanwhile, in order to learn more about British culture, these Chinese students tried to
develop a close relationship with UK students. However, it proved to be a very difficult task
for these students due to language and cultural differences. Instead, they developed an even
closer relationship with other Chinese students and other international students. They formed
communities of learning based on these relationships. They found the support and strength in
these communities for their study and social life. This study shows that Chinese students do
not have to form a close bond with UK students to be successful in their overseas studies in
terms of getting good marks.
Another significant relationship is the mediated relationship with tutors and colleagues
in the work place – ‗mediated‘ because neither wholly ‗given‘ nor entirely ‗chosen‘.
Under the influence of Confucian teachings, Chinese students tend to respect their
tutors highly and expect their tutors to show kindness to them. In their prior learning
experience in China, they had a close relationship with their tutors in the school and
university. However, they found it very difficult to get to know their tutors in the UK,
let alone to form a friendship with them. The participants reported the relationship they
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