<![CDATA[Students participated in a study abroad program often experience cross-cultural communication challenges, which can influence their academic performance. Therefore, this research examines common cross-cultural communication barriers faced by Indonesian students undertaking a study abroad program at Malaysian universities and explores solutions to cultural misunderstandings affecting academic performance. The study involved a quantitative survey of 127 international students and used instruments formulated on the basis of Cummins (2008) to measure the frequency and severity of language barriers as perceived by students and identifying trends and connections in results across language proficiency levels. Data analysis focused on four distinct aspects: obstacles encountered by respondents in the Malay language, difficulties in the English language, adaptation/socialization, and academics. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine the frequency and severity of communication barriers, socialization and adaptation. In addition. inferential statistics was used to examine relationships between variables explored in this study. The findings reveal that effective cross-cultural communication significantly enhances academic performance by fostering better understanding, decreasing cultural misunderstanding, and promoting positive interactions with peers and faculty. Indonesian students actively engaged in cross-cultural communication strategies such as improving language proficiency, participating in multicultural activities, and seeking social support tend to achieve high academic success. Conversely, students who faced communication barriers in both Malay and English, as well as socialization and adaptation, frequently encountered academic challenges. Therefore, further language assistance and training for international students are necessary to promote fruitful interactions in academic settings.]]>
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