Constructing ‘the foreigner': an analysis of ethnic labels in English as a Lingua Franca interactions in a Korean university

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ABSTRACT This study seeks to explore how the ethnic label ‘foreigner’ operates as a complex discursive tool in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) interactions at a university in South Korea. Based on a multimodal conversation analysis of video-recorded student conversations, we show that the label is not a neutral descriptor but a resource for performing specific interactional and identity work. Findings indicate that students use the term to construct ‘foreigners’ as holders of linguistic capital, yet simultaneously use it to reinforce national and cultural boundaries through practices of othering. The analysis highlights the tension between the global status of English and the local dynamics of identity in multilingual academic spaces, offering critical insights into the complexities of intercultural communication.