Chinese students should avoid spending the bulk of their time with people that reflect typical Chinese culture when they study abroad, Yu Minhong, chairman of the New Oriental Education & Technology Group, said at a forum held on Saturday in Beijing.
They should not share dorm rooms with their fellow citizens and should participate in activities during their time abroad to improve their quality of life and language abilities, Yu said at From China to the World - The Forum on Overseas Studies, held jointly with the Global Times and the group.
"Chinese overseas students who get along with foreigners are more competitive compared to those just stay in Chinese circles," Yu said.
In some foreign countries, Chinese students eat and study with their compatriots, and speak Chinese more frequently than English, said Cao Yixin, the Australian-Chinese director of study abroad consulting with the group.
"Chinese students should try their best to integrate into local culture so that their study abroad experience makes sense," she said. Cao said when she studied in Australia in 1996, she didn't choose to room with Chinese students.
"I ended up paying more in rent," she said. "But I benefitted from this and learned a lot."
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