Adeola Abdulateef Elega

1.4 Research Questions 
The study “Interpersonal Communication: Strategies Nigerian Students Excogitate to 
Cope at Eastern Mediterranean University” sets out to explore, examine and answer 
the following research questions.
1. Which nonverbal communication aspects do the Nigerian students in Eastern 
Mediterranean University use among the host community as a medium to cope with 
language barrier? 
2. Which verbal communication aspects do the Nigerian students in Eastern 
Mediterranean University use among the host community as a medium to cope with 
language barrier? 
3. Do the Nigerian students who study at Eastern Mediterranean University consider 
language barrier as an opportunity to learn Turkish language? 
4. Do the Nigerian students have an individual or a general approach to respond with 
nonverbal cues in common situation? 
5. Do the Nigerian students who work (summer jobs or part time jobs) adapt more 
easily to the host community than those who only study? 

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6. Do the Nigerian students get help through Medio communication (google 
translate, telephone calls, social media) when communicating with the host 
community? 
7. Is there a gender difference as far as verbal and nonverbal communication 
strategies used by Nigerian students are concerned? 
8. Does Religion make any difference with respect to strategies to cope with 
language barrier? 
1.5 Significance of the Study 
This study is important in effect because in a University like Eastern Mediterranean 
University with representatives from over 95 countries. It is important to take a 
check on how students communicate with the host community even with the odds of 
language as a barrier. And because looking at the entire population of international 
student will be a work load. Nigerian students are sampled. This study is also 
important because with the result of this study similar cultural differences all over the 
world can easily submit to have same solutions to their problems. This study is 
significant because it will help us understand the power of interpersonal 
communication and particularly nonverbal communication as popularly called 
communication beyond words. This study, in the same vein, will help us to 
understand the true definition of communication across cultures and meaning of 
gestures between different cultures and location. Light will be shed on the 
similarities and differences in communication across these cultures. 
This study is crucial because unlike in the United States where English is spoken in 
class and also spoken among the inhabitants of the host community, the case of this 

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study is different as English is used to teach and another language which is Turkish is 
spoken among the inhabitants of the host community. Not very far from what we 
have in U.S.A is what we have in France. In France, French is spoken in class and 
outside classes and same to Germany too to mention a few. This study is worthy of 
research because in the case of Eastern Mediterranean University, the first language 
of the University is English and just a few steps to the road the first language 
changes to Turkish which I personally find interesting and adventurous. So this 
makes me want to ask some questions. How do international students here cope 
which is a question the study will answer among other questions.
Another major reason why this study is noteworthy and profound is that it is the first 
study that will be done on communication strategies international students devise to 
cope in in the host community of Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta 
Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.