Japanese in an EMI environment: language practices and identity construction among Chinese international students in Japan

In Japan, the internationalization of higher education is often narrowly equated with the universalization of English. However, this perspective overlooks two key realities: the majority of international students in Japan are not native English speakers, and both faculty and students often have limited English proficiency. As a result, Japanese—the dominant local language—remains the primary medium of everyday communication. This study adopts a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of Chinese international students, who make up the largest segment of Japan's international student population. Twenty one participants were selected for semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The thematic analysis reveals a three-dimensional cognitive framework shaping participants' attitudes toward Japanese: (1) symbolic perceptions of the language; (2) functional roles it plays in various social contexts; and (3) its hierarchical position within their multilingual repertoire. Simultaneously, they experience tensions of dual cultural belonging while negotiating their evolving identities as educational migrants and potential long-term residents.