Acculturation and Psychological Adjustment of Foreign Students (the experience of Elabuga Institute of Kazan Federal University)

The whole world is experiencing the process of globalization which major tendency is intercultural mixing and student exchange. A great number of students from Central Asia come to attend Russian universities. They subsequently face the problem of cultural shock in their new environments. The current study presents a research on acculturation experiences of foreign students in Elabuga Institute of Kazan Federal University. The study aims at defining the environmental stressors in their first year of study and elaboration of effective techniques of managing acculturative stress. The results of the paper show that the majority of students have to cope with cultural shock to this or that extent during their first year of study. It is concluded that University on the whole and teachers in particular come first among the factors soothing acculturative stress in foreign students, by providing constant significant support and guidance over their culturally different students. Properly organized learning and teaching and as well inclusion of foreign students into social activities of the Institute enhance their psychological adjustment. The research contributes to theoretical understanding of acculturative stress and practical implications for teachers who work with foreign students. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd.