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Article published In: Journal of English-Medium Instruction
Vol. 2:2 (2023) ► pp.109–133

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Positional identities negotiated within a collective identity

Japanese college students’ ambivalence in an EMI classroom

ORCiD logo with link | Hiroshima University
Published online: 4 May 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jemi.22013.shi
Abstract
This qualitative study explores Japanese students’ positional identities in EMI contexts. Their positioning act is operated by the sociocultural norms of a program shared among community members. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 13 first-year students enrolled in an undergraduate English-taught program (ETP) at a Japanese national university. A thematic analysis of the interview data produced four main themes: (a) acting self-identification as a peripheral position, (b) hierarchy in a Japanese cohort, (c) an identity gap between the ideal self and reality, and (d) the ETP-A collective identity for membership negotiation. The study shows how participants position themselves and others based on English proficiency and academic culture, whereby students force themselves to acculturate for legitimate full participation. Such traits reflect collective identities and function as forms of sociocultural norms that determine legitimate membership. Furthermore, such norms lead to stratification between students: Japanese students identify themselves as inactive members of the ETP group with limited second-language (L2) English. Conversely, the collective identity helps them reclaim their ETP membership in Japanese-medium instruction classes with Japanese students from outside of the ETP. Japanese students’ positional identities are discussed in terms of L2 English competence and classroom culture.
概要
本研究は、EMI環境における日本人学生のポジショナル・アイデンティティと，自己と他者の位置づけに関わる集団的社会文化規範を探る質的研究である。日本の国立大学の英語で学位が取得できるプログラム（ETP）に在籍する1年生13名を対象に、半構造化インタビューを実施した。発話をテーマ分析した結果，(a)周辺参加者アイデンティティの体現、(b)日本人学生の間に潜む上下関係、(c)理想の自己と現実のアイデンティティ・ギャップ、(d)メンバーシップ交渉のためのETP-A集団アイデンティティという4つの主要テーマが得られた。これらのテーマに基づき、本研究では、グループの正統的参加者になるために不可欠な英語力と学問的文化を基準に、参加者がどのように自分自身と他者を位置づけているかを明らかにした。彼らの基準は集団的アイデンティティであり、正当なメンバーを決定する社会文化規範として機能する。さらに、このような規範は学生間の階層化をもたらし、日本人学生はL2英語が不十分で積極的ではないと自己認識している。一方で、ETP以外の日本人学生と一緒に履修する日本語による授業では、ETP-A集団アイデンティティはポジティブに作用する。分析の結果明らかになった彼らのポジショナル・アイデンティティを、L2英語能力と教室文化の観点から議論する。
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Implementation of EMI in higher education in Japan
  • Conceptual framework: Positional identities
  • The study: Investigation of identity construction in the Japanese EMI context
    • Research context
    • Participants
    • Data collection and analysis
  • Findings: Students’ fluid and dynamic positional identities
    • Acting self-identification as a peripheral position
    • Hierarchy in a Japanese cohort
    • An identity gap between the ideal self and reality
    • The ETP-A collective identity for membership negotiation
  • Discussion of positional identities vis-à-vis a collective identity
    • Multiple positional identities in the EMI classroom
    • Collective identity as a focal reference
    • Sociocultural norms in the EMI classroom
    • The gap in classroom cultures
    • Mutual relationship of positions, identities, and positional identities
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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