Acculturation and Transnational Communication: Understanding International Students’ Adaptation Strategies in the U.S.

Rawan Hegazy, Mst Rokshana Pervin (Grady M.A. student), and Kexi Chen, “Acculturation and Transnational Communication: Understanding International Students’ Adaptation Strategies in the U.S.,” paper accepted for presentation at the Central States Communication Association Annual Conference, Minneapolis, April 14–19, 2026. Abstract: We examine how international students at a Midwestern U.S. university navigate cultural adaptation and cope with the challenges while studying abroad. Guided by Berry’s (1997) acculturation theory and Weick’s (1995) sensemaking framework, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 students from diverse national and linguistic backgrounds. Using phronetic iterative qualitative analysis (Tracy, 2024), we identified five core themes: culture shock, social and academic challenges, distance-related barriers, support systems, and identity negotiation. Findings show that students experience isolation, unfamiliar social norms, and language-based academic difficulties while relying on faculty, peers, institutional programs, and family networks for support. Technology and social media both ease homesickness and, at times, intensify acculturative stress. Identity negotiation emerged as a central coping strategy, as students described hybridity, dissonance, and the construction of a “third space” that blends home and host cultures. Overall, the study highlights how communication and digital connections shape the adaptation process and suggests implications for improving support of international students.