Analyzing Communication Barriers Faced by Students Studying Abroad

This report examines the communication challenges encountered by students pursuing education abroad, focusing on theories of organizational communication, barriers such as homesickness, financial constraints, linguistic and cultural differences, and health issues, and strategies implemented by universities to mitigate these challenges. It highlights the importance of effective communication, virtual tours, accessible information, scholarships, exchange programs, and loans in supporting international students. The report concludes with recommendations for students to analyze university cultures and for universities to engage students in events that foster coordination, emphasizing the role of clear communication in enhancing the overall experience and development of students studying abroad. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and resources for students.

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ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to illustrate the communication problems faced by the students
who wants to study abroad. It includes the theories for effective communication, barriers faced
by students like linguistic and financial and the strategies implemented to overcome the
communication barrier.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
General Theories of Organizational Communication..................................................................4
Barriers Discouraging Students from studying Abroad...............................................................5
Strategies Implemented to Overcome Communication Barrier...................................................6
Recommendations........................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Communication is an important part as it helps one to understand others, helps in learning
new things, solve problems and build individual's career. Every community have its own way of
communication, which may be not understood by the other. For Example, Students who want to
go abroad for studying are facing communication barriers, which affect their growth. So, This
report is going to contain the general theories of communication, barriers which are faced by the
students who want to study abroad and strategies used by universities to overcome these barriers.
These strategies are going to help the students in there overall growth and development.
MAIN BODY
General Theories of Organizational Communication
Organizational communication is an important form used by the organizations to engage
people in the internal and external communication. It ensures that the students have a voice
which helps the students to grow and improve. It also helps in building stronger relationships
among students and teacher, which increases trust between them. In increase the productivity
among the students which results in increased engagement and higher levels of creativity among
employees. It can be understood by different theories such as:
 The Speech- Act Theory: This theory is developed to understand the people's ability to
coordinate with other students and to create images out of words. With the help of these
theory, human's can not react without understanding what is being said by others. It helps
the students to address challenges, issues and declines the performance gap. It helps the
students by developing creativity and innovation among them and also help them remain
in competition through focussed and coordinated efforts of them. It also helps the
organization in effective communication between human's and helps them understand
that learning is important at all the levels of the organization(Barbour, Gill and Barge,
2018).
 Theory X and Y: This motivational theory is designed by Douglas McGregor which helps
in assuming the human nature. It helps n developing a creativity, self-control and
coordination among the employees. Human's use this theory to motivate each other by
opening up communication between student to innovative and commitment to
organizational objectives. It helps in demonstrating communication and motivation
among students which helps in achieving individual objectives.

 General Systems Theory: This theory is about the interrelationship between the world
around human's. This theory helps in identifying the organizational relationships and
functions with a view to understand the system of communication and the interrelation. It
is important to communication as it not only highlights the use of communication agenda,
but also the use of communication in a better way.
 Acceptance Theory of Authority: This theory was designed by the Chester Barnard. It
includes three functions served in the organization such as; interaction, maintenance of
communication in the organization and maintenance of the feeling of the self respect. The
organizational communication between employees is important as it not only stress the
need of students, but underlines the importance of formal communication, which helps
the individual to communicate better(Muhamad, Harrison, and Yang, 2019). The author
also stresses on the line of communication which needs to be direct and short in order to
increase the communication and to decline the communication barriers.
Barriers Discouraging Students from studying Abroad
According to a research, it can be demonstrated that there are variety of barriers that
impacts the students who wants to study abroad. This can include the social networks, cultural,
finance etc. This is a step wise process where students decide the place where they want to study.
The challenges depend upon the students chosen place. Whereas, some barriers are similar for
every place.
 Homesickness: Homesickness is one of the common barriers faced by the students who
want to study abroad. It can be experienced by the humans when they are trying to stay
in an unfamiliar environment. It may leave a student anxious, depressed and withdrawn.
It may also result in facing behavioural and social problems, symptoms of anxiety and
depression and feeling of helpless among students.
 Running low on Finance: Studying abroad is expensive. From tuitions, students activities,
tuition material, health insurance abroad charges higher money. Unless the students
belong from a wealthy class, students face difficulties for the education course they want
to pursue. Even if the universities avail scholarships, it is difficult to manage expenses
due to food, transportation and accommodation. In addition to the education
requirements, managing other activities on daily basis and participating in events also

requires additional expenses. These are some reasons why financial barriers are known as
the common issue faced by the students studying abroad.
 Linguistic and cultural barriers: Students face cultural and language barriers, especially in
the starting few months. This barrier directly affects the academics of students, as it
cannot be understood without the proper language. Students who are not good at English
usually suffered most of the problems. In a survey, it was found out that more than 50%
of people found difficulties in academics, due to these barriers. Cultural barriers also
made a negative impact on the students as they belong follow different cultures and
beliefs. It affects the capability of an individual to work.
 Health and Dietary issues: Students also face this issue as they are not familiar with the
food patterns. Human's digestive systems get used to what they eat and drink and bhence,
it takes time to adjust. Those who follow strict diets and eat a specific type of meal, may
face a big issue in order to stay. Many students face insecurity related to food may face
the health issues. They might feel the feeling of hunger or difficulties with weight loss or
gain. It directly affects there physical and mental health, which results in less focus on
studies(Linabary and et.al, 2021).
 Requirements of course for existing curriculum: Some students face issues regarding
there course due to pandemic situation. These concerns those students who have chosen
the shortest course to graduate from their chosen course. Concerns like studying a
semester or more may be counted as a barrier to refuse to study abroad.
Strategies Implemented to Overcome Communication Barrier
 Offering Virtual Tours: Universities are providing virtual tours of their campus which
helps the students to understand that which university is best and overcome their barriers.
These virtual tours include the classrooms, canteens, hostels and many more things
provided by the university. By providing virtual tours of your universities, it helps in
understanding the facilities provided top reach out the international students and show
them that what is the offer. These virtual ours can be provided in the form of short
videos, blogs, stories and webinars. It has the great influence on the decision-making
process of the students.
 Providing Accessible Information: Nowadays, students revert to social media to do
college research, the website of the institution act as a driving force. Institution must

assure that they have optimized and updated websites that makes it easy for the students
to find the information regarding university. It should be clearly visible and easy to
access. It must be mobile friendly which can be reach out to every student. It must
include the key contact details so students can get in touch with the university officials.
 Scholarships: Scholarships is the great ways of secure funding for fees and expenses
abroad. Depending upon the university and course, there are an opportunities available to
students who are good in academics. It helps the students who belong from the low-
income group(Paras and et.al, 2019).
 Exchange Program: Exchange program is the programs in which the students from the
other institution travel to other country as a student of their institution's partner institution
in the other country. It can be a cost effective way to secure the experience in the
international study. They offer opportunity to student to spend some time in abroad.
 Loans: Banks provide education loan to students who want to study abroad. These loans
can be repaid by the students ones they are settled. These are taken back by the banks by
adding lower rate of interest on the amount. Some students take loan for graduation to get
the good facility for their education. It helps the students in covering wide range of
expenses on their own which help in increasing there growth and development. Taking
loan for education is great opportunity for students as they repay the loan on their own,
without depending on the family. It helps the students as they manage their own credit
history.
Recommendations
 Firstly, it was recommended that the one should analyse properly the universities and
there culture, which helps them to get a university with the suitable environment(Leal
Filho and et.al, 2019).
 Secondly, Universities should engage students in events which increases there
coordination with others.
CONCLUSION
The above report represents the significance of communication in an organization which
helps the humans to coordinate better among each other. This report includes the theories
through which the communication becomes better. It also highlights the barrier faced by the

students in effective communication which leads to communication gap. It also represents the
strategies implemented to overcome these barriers.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barbour, J.B., Gill, R. and Barge, J.K., 2018. Organizational communication design logics: A
theory of communicative intervention and collective communication
design. Communication Theory. 28(3). pp.332-353.
Leal Filho, W. and et.al, 2019. Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at
universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack?. Journal of Cleaner
Production. 232. pp.285-294.
Linabary, J.R. and et.al, 2021. Envisioning more equitable and just futures: Feminist
organizational communication in theory and praxis. Management Communication
Quarterly. 35(1). pp.142-168.
Muhamad, J.W., Harrison, T.R. and Yang, F., 2019. Organizational communication: Theory and
practice. An integrated approach to communication theory and research. pp.359-374.
Paras, A. and et.al, 2019. Understanding how program factors influence intercultural learning in
study abroad: The benefits of mixed-method analysis. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary
Journal of Study Abroad. 31(1). pp.22-45.
Online
Studying Abroad: Reasons, Challenges & Tips. 2022. [Online]. Available through:
<https://research.com/education/studying-abroad>
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