Language policy and planning in Japan: EMI in a Global 30 university: from EFL to ELF

In one large initiative, English-medium instruction (EMI) university programs have emerged across Japan as part of the “Global 30” project, in a bid to attract international students into the Japanese higher education sector—creating new communities for ELF usage in Japanese universities that rarely existed before. This paper will examine the transformations from EFL to ELF in the global cultural construction of English-medium international university programs in Japan using five case studies at a Global 30 university. The paper uses both ELT vs. GELT and EFL vs. ELF model frameworks to evaluate the extent to which these universities have made the transition to an ELF-focused curriculum. The study uses a mixed method approach to data collection, including interviews with program coordinators, focus groups with instructors, and survey data with students. It also takes a constructively critical view of the Global 30 initiative in making this transformation.