Individual language policy as field-sensitive practice among Tibetan students in Chinese higher education

This article investigates how Tibetan students in a mainland Chinese university develop and enact individual language policy (ILP) in everyday campus life. Based on a qualitative ethnographic case study involving two rounds of semi-structured interviews with six focal participants, sustained participant observation, and analysis of student-produced and online texts, the study conceptualizes ILP as a field-sensitive, ongoing process of policy enactment. Findings show that Tibetan language and culture are positively recognized in cultural activities, peer interaction, and student-organized spaces, where they contribute to visibility, social connection, and belonging. However, such recognition does not readily translate into academic or institutional value in a university context where Putonghua and English carry greater linguistic legitimacy. Participants nevertheless developed localized forms of collective coordination and renegotiated their interactional positioning in everyday campus life, while operating within broader patterns of linguistic legitimacy. The study thus shows that Tibetan linguistic resources are differentially recognized, valued, and converted across university fields, and that ILP enactment can extend into localized collective coordination within differentiated linguistic environments. By foregrounding how agency is shaped by linguistic legitimacy and field-specific value, the article extends ILP research toward a more relational and field-sensitive understanding of language policy practice.