Le Roujia, *Ireena Nasiha Ibnu, Tengku Elena Tengku Mahamad

Abstract:

With the popularity and ubiquity of social media, it seems that adjusting to different cultures is easier than it used to be. Despite social media's pervasive presence in the daily lives of expatriate teachers, there is little research on how it influences their acculturation experience. Hence, this study looks at social media’s role in the cross-cultural adaptation process of expatriate teachers in China. Nine expatriate teachers who taught in China were selected from five Chinese colleges as the study’s participants. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explored the role of social media in the participants’ adaptation experiences in China. The study highlights three important findings that advance the discussion on the development of social networks and cross-cultural communication when working abroad.

Keywords: Cross-cultural adaptation, social media, expatriate teacher, Chinese college, intercultural communication