2.6 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ICC AND ACCULTURATION
Hecht & Wadsworth, 2007) , and may also affect the development of international students' adaptability.
Although these factors will affect people's acculturation, they are not unsolvable. There are many ways to solve this problem, and two of the most effective ways are to improve ICC and use propel acculturation strategies. Because the three skills that are considered important in the ICC are the ability to deal with psychological stress, the ability to communicate effectively and the ability to build relationships. Kim (2017) also pointed out that ICC influences the use of acculturation strategy. Research shows that by learning new communication behaviours, sojourners can improve their ICC and adapt to the new environment more quickly by using suitable acculturation strategies.
Due to the close relationship between communication and acculturation, many scholars have drawn similar conclusions that is: communication promotes acculturation.
For example, Sakdisubha, Brooks, James & Horrell (1987) believes that communication plays a role in promoting the acculturation of sojourners: " Communication can obtain the information of new culture, society and environment, and communication enables immigrants to play a role in society, realize the control of change and adapt to the new environment" Sakdisubha et.al., 1987,p.4). This means that the successful adaptation of sojourners depends on their ability to communicate within the cultural context of the host country. Kim and Omizo (2006) said: "... Communicative behaviour, particularly with members of the host culture, can increase or at least increase acculturation " Kim
& Omizo, 2006, p.237).
However, the ICC of foreign students varies may also due to some other factors that affect the process of acculturation. For example, the adjustment of demographic factors such as nationality, gender and education level ( Zimmerman,1995) , and the adjustment of intercultural and situational factors such as the length and cultural distance of residence, cultural origin and the owner of residence (Berry, Kim, Minde &
Mok, 1987) all affect their communication experience. Other possible factors include international students' motivation for education: some may want to learn a skill in the
future, while others may just want to earn a degree, all of which can affect their ability to adapt to the environment.
Studies have shown that effective interaction with local people of the host culture enables international students to obtain information about the language and culture, views, daily expectations and customs of the host culture ( Lee & Chen, 2000;
Ruben & Kealey, 1979) . By acquiring such knowledge through such exchanges and interpersonal contacts, students can understand the culture of the host country and acquire the tools needed to further adapt to the new culture (Lee & Chen, 2000).
Therefore, communication seems to be the basis for building relationships and acculturation and ICC is the key to success (Kim & McKay, 2013). This result supports Spitzberg's ( 2000) ICC model, which holds that ICC increases with the increase of intercultural communication motivation. The results further indicate that students who enjoy contact with others are also more flexible in their communication and intentionally seek interaction and friendship with people from other cultures (interactive engagement).
These results are consistent with those of Iksan, Zakaria, Meerah, Osman, Lian Mahmud & Krish ( 2012) . According to the research of Iksan et al. ( 2012) , students' respect for different cultures increases with the increase of their participation in international interaction. As the level of participation increases, students' psychological and sociocultural problems may decrease. International students are more likely to participate and participate in new societies, which contributes to better and successful communication between international students and local residents. Finally, the students adapted to the new culture successfully.
In fact, interpersonal communication provides all the details of the social context, providing students with a first- hand opportunity to learn social skills with complete, immediate, intense and lasting feedback ( Kim, 2015; Kunjara, 1982; Miller
& Sunnafrank, 1982; Mowlana, 1993; Sarbaugh, 1979) . That is to say, the higher the degree of students' participation in interpersonal communication, the higher the level of
acculturation of students, which is conducive to their successful acculturation tendency (Brislin, 1981).
Thongprayoon (1988) also pointed out that the relationship between communication and acculturation is expressed through ICC and acculturation level of sojourners. Regarding this conclusion, Gudykunst and Kim ( 1984) also wrote that
" when observing acculturation through communication, it is important to realize that the strangers' ICC reflects their acculturation" (Gudykunst & Kim, 1984, p.209). Kim (2015) also confirmed that "acquired ICC in turn reflect the degree of acculturation of immigrants" (Kim, 2015, pp. 361-362).
Similarly, if international students have good ICC, they can establish sincere and trusting relationships with people in the target country, and know how to anticipate and effectively solve the problems of living abroad, they know how to use acculturation strategies then their successful acculturation can also be optimized (Brislin, 1981). High closeness to the people of the target country will also strengthen the ICC. As Kunjara ( 1982) wrote “the ICC of a sojourners can be observed in terms of the degree of interpersonal relations he has with members of the society of the target country”. That is to say, the close relationship established between sojourners and members of the host society is an important indicator of the acquisition of ICC in the host country (Kunjara, 1982, p.61).
In short, acculturation is an interactive and continuous process that evolves through the communication of foreign sojourners in a new cultural context. The relationship between ICC and acculturation strategies is obvious and close. They influence and promote each other. The improvement of ICC will enable international students to better communicate and interact with people in the destination country, so as to form a good interpersonal relationship. Good interpersonal relationship will also enable them to better adapt to the culture of the destination country, so that they can adopt appropriate acculturation strategies to better adapt to the life in the destination country. On the other hand, if people choose appropriate acculturation strategies, they will be better adapted and more involved in interaction, which in turn promotes the
development of ICC. Due to lack of the published studies on the relationship of ICC and acculturation strategies, but the close relationship between ICC and acculturation strategies are obvious, further studies, models, concepts, and findings on ICC should not be limited to ICC. On the contrary, further exploration may reveal that the relationship between ICC and acculturation strategies are related and connected.