IL PROFILO DELLO STUDENTE CINESE DEI PROGRAMMI MARCO POLO E TURANDOT (2019)

The Chinese student profile of the Marco Polo and Turandot programs (year 2019) The present work displays the data from a qualitative study which involved Chinese students who applied for the Marco Polo and Turandot Programs. More than 10 years after the establishment of the two programs, this study aims to outline a profile of the type of student who chooses Italy for higher education. Thus we examine features such as demographic data, the type of family and the students’ interests as well as their perception on how a foreign language is learned. Socio-psychological aspects, such as the expectations about their future studies and work, their role models, proactive personality, perseverance, determinism and engagement in social issues are investigated through specific parametric scales. Finally, thanks to the data gathered, it is possible to draw a profile of the contemporary Chinese student enrolling in the Marco Polo and Turandot Programs, bringing to light some factors that should be addressed when planning and issuing the preparatory Italian language courses to make them more effective so that the students are more successful in their academic studies in Italy.