Innovation in Language Learning

International students frequently encounter problems in adjusting to their new social environment. Irish university students face great challenges when studying and living in China because Irish culture is very different from Chinese culture. This paper reports a qualitative research of Irish university students studying Mandarin in China, investigating the facilitators of and hindrances to the students’ language acquisition and cross-cultural adaptation. The research explored the lived experiences of 20 Irish university students, who were on a one-year study-abroad Chinese language learning program. The aim of the research is to understand the difficulties the Irish university students encountered and the strategies they used in Chinese language learning and cross-cultural adaptation process.  Qualitative data were collected from face-to-face interviews and journals written by the students. Students’ journals provided insight into students’ language learning beliefs. Findings from this research suggest that from the perspective of Irish university students, Chinese language learning and cross-cultural adaptation is a multifaceted process enlightened by complex, interconnected factors. Findings from this research also enhance our understanding of how to better prepare students studying-abroad.