Edulangue
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2023): Edulangue: Journal of English Language Education

Culture Shock in Higher Education: Experiences of Freshmen in Two English Education Departments

Yunika Maulida (UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan)
Muhammad Jauhari Sofi (UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
17 Jan 2024

Abstract

The transition from high schooling to higher education often triggers culture shock among newcomers, particularly those majoring in English education. This study aims to investigate the nature of culture shock experienced by freshmen majoring in English and their coping mechanisms. The study includes four participants—two males and two females—from the English Education Department of two different universities in Pekalongan. Employing a narrative approach, the research unveiled five categories of culture shock: course load, teaching methodologies, learning resources, assignment frequency, and self-confidence. The study also found eight strategies employed by these students to navigate culture shock: personalized learning approaches, embracing mistakes confidently, seeking guidance from seniors, practicing self-disclosure, approaching lecturers for assistance, understanding the education system, refraining from comparisons with peers, and fostering relationships and friendships. These findings offer valuable insights to assist new students in mitigating negative culture shock, while pursuing their English studies. However, due to the contextual limitations, which many not apply to other educational settings, future studies should explore diverse academic backgrounds.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

edulangue

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Other

Description

Edulangue aims to facilitate the dissemination of theoretically and practically grounded knowledge in the area of English language pedagogy, which comprises English language teaching and learning and assessment. It does not welcome any contribution pertinent to the realm of Linguistics and ...