Cross‐cultural adaptation, intensity of interaction, and pragmatic comprehension among international students in China

Empirical evidence on how cross‐cultural adaptation and intensity of interaction jointly shape L2 pragmatic competence in study abroad contexts remains limited. This study investigated their effects on L2 Chinese learners’ pragmatic comprehension and the moderating roles of demographic variables. L2 Chinese learners ( n = 259) completed a pragmatic comprehension test, a cross‐cultural adaptation scale, a language contact survey, and a background questionnaire. Pragmatic comprehension included conventions of forms, conventions of means, and non‐conventional indirect opinions. Regression analyses showed that cross‐cultural adaptation and intensity of interaction positively predicted pragmatic comprehension, with medium effect sizes, jointly accounting for 15.8% of the variance. Although no significant interaction emerged, intensity of interaction partially mediated the link between cross‐cultural adaptation and pragmatic comprehension. Among demographic variables, only cultural background moderated the association between cross‐cultural adaptation and conventions of means, and between intensity of interaction and pragmatic comprehension. Pedagogical implications and directions for future research are discussed.