Friendships of international college students in Brazil
an exploratory investigation
Keywords:
Friendship, International relations, College studentsAbstract
The study investigated friendships of foreign college students studying in Brazil. A hundred participants studying in 12 states responded to a questionnaire. Results showed that 820 friends were mentioned, including 439 of the same nationality, 256 Brazilians and 125 of other nationalities. The most widely used languages with friends were the Portuguese, English and Creole. The majority of the friends lived in the same city. Most close friends were known through personal contacts abroad or in Brazil. The main common interests and shared activities were associated with leisure, studies, cultural or scientific activities, sports, work and religion. The difficulties mentioned were the distance from friends, personal differences, communication difficulties and cultural differences. Striking episodes were linked to leisure, work, study, support and companionship. Most friendships were related to adaptation to Brazil and how they perceived the country.
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