International students’ multilingual identity negotiation in an English-taught programme in Japan: language practices and sense of belonging

Drawing on positioning theory and language ideologies, this study investigates how two international students enact and negotiate their multilingual identities within an English-taught programme (ETP) at a Japanese university, where domestic and international students study academic content together. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic and discourse analysis, with attention to social and ideological factors. Findings show that the participants enacted their multilingual identities through interactions with community members, shaped by personal agency, power dynamics, and dominant language ideologies. They strategically used their languages – including English, Japanese, and Chinese – depending on context and perceived legitimacy, demonstrating flexible and purposeful multilingual practices. Their diverse language repertoire also functioned as resources to support peers academically and interpersonally. However, multilingualism alone did not guarantee inclusion or recognition; social hierarchies, peer expectations, and the linguistic dominance of Japanese shaped their sense of belonging and positioning within the academic community. Japan’s internationalisation policy, which promotes EMI as a tool for global competitiveness but simultaneously privileges Japanese norms, may underlie such dynamics. For international students, ambivalent inclusion arose from the group dynamics between domestic and international students and the dominance of Japanese language ideologies.