This study qualitatively investigates how everyday ideologies and social structures shape Japanese university students’ experiences of using English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and their forms of international engagement. It draws on narrative analysis of students’ English learning and usage experiences alongside participant observation of their daily language practices.

Based on narrative interviews with approximately eight students, findings indicate that English in their daily lives is increasingly used as a shared language among speakers from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Students also encounter English and multilingual spaces through social media, where they independently learn vocabulary and pronunciation and engage with overseas influencers, often through a sense of aspiration. At the same time, their preference for content emphasizing “correct” English (e.g., “native speakers don’t say this”) suggests that dominant ideologies surrounding English are reproduced within their everyday learning and usage practices.

The research progress, theoretical discussions, and findings have been presented at several conferences, including the International Conference of English as a Lingua Franca in Prague (September 2024), the International Association of World Englishes in Giessen, Germany (July 2025), the JALT Conference in Tokyo (November 2025), and the Japan Association for Asian Englishes (JAFAE) (January 2026). Some of the key theoretical and analytical foundations of this research have been published in the Journal of English as a Lingua Franca and as a chapter in an edited volume published by De Gruyter Mouton. In addition, two related journal manuscripts are currently under review.