Language, identity and internationalization: EMI faculty’s meaning-making of multilingual and multicultural identities

Purpose This original research paper aims to explore how English-medium instructors in internationalized higher education settings navigate challenges and affordances regarding internationalization, student expectations and research demands, and how these dynamics shape their multilingual and multicultural (MLMC) identities. Design/methodology/approach This phenomenological study explores the MLMC identities of 16 English-medium instruction (EMI) faculty members at a Spanish university, using semistructured interviews and a conceptual framework examining knowledge, skills and abilities; values, beliefs and attitudes; awareness; behaviors; and emotions. Findings Findings reveal a positive orientation toward MLMC identity and EMI, minimal monolingual bias and a strong acknowledgment of the need to adapt teaching methods, despite an emphasis on content delivery. Awareness of the negative impacts of “Englishization” on linguistic diversity and equity is limited. This study positions EMI faculty as potential agents of change but calls for stronger institutional support. Originality/value Teacher identity has been extensively researched, yet much of the focus has remained on language teacher identity or on isolated aspects of EMI faculty identity, such as classroom practices and teaching beliefs, rather than adopting a more holistic perspective. This study offers in-depth insights from a single institution, with implications that are relevant for broader EMI contexts.