1 Introduction

Explored the importance of identity in sociolinguistics, language acquisition, and language teaching, emphasizing the interdependence between self-identity and social identity. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of cross-cultural identity for foreign language learners in a multicultural context, including the recognition of cultural subjectivity and interaction with the host country's culture.

2 Literature Review

Domestic cross-cultural identity research mainly focuses on cultural identity and conflicts in Chinese students' foreign language learning, as well as the language and identity identity of international students studying in China. There is relatively little research on cross-cultural identity of foreign language learners studying abroad, but it has research value on the impact of cross-cultural identity on the learning, work, and life of Chinese students studying in Japan. Existing research includes the cross-cultural identity or communication skills of students studying in the United States and Japan, but empirical research is insufficient. Meng Xia and Abudu Waili (2017) found through interviews that Chinese female international students show little concern for the community and have a high degree of student identity recognition. Li Jing's (2015) self narrative research suggests that an open attitude towards the target culture does not necessarily mean smooth integration. Existing research focuses more on the current situation and lacks a clear presentation of the process and development of cross-cultural identity among foreign language learners. This article takes Japanese major students as a case study and explores their cross-cultural identity changes before and after going to Japan through key events.

3 Research Design

Introduced a qualitative research design that uses narrative research methods to analyze cross-cultural identity of foreign language learners. Research is conducted through dialogue methods such as oral narration, observation, diary entries, and interviews to suspend preconceptions, collect, analyze, and categorize data, and construct micro theories. The research subject is Xiaozhou, a girl from an economically underdeveloped area who was unable to enter her ideal university and major due to her high school entrance examination results and instead studied Japanese. Data collection includes semi-structured in-depth interviews and reflection logs, conducted from sophomore to senior year through WeChat or video conferencing to ensure the comfort of the respondents.

4 research findings

Through Xiaozhou's interview data and reflection logs, a detailed analysis was conducted on her cross-cultural identity changes at different time points. Before studying abroad, Xiaozhou was full of expectations for Japanese culture, hoping to make Japanese friends, improve his Japanese language skills, and understand Japan through studying abroad. When she worked part-time at a Japanese restaurant, she was deeply impressed by the high quality of Japanese people. In the early stages of studying abroad, Xiaozhou actively adapted to life in Japan and became a bridge for communication between China and Japan through participating in exchange activities. He developed a positive identification with Japan and even considered staying there. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 became a turning point. Xiaozhou suffered discrimination in Japan, and her sense of identity with Japan declined sharply. At the same time, she felt the Japanese 'sense of distance' and believed that her personality had also been influenced, becoming indifferent from loving communication. Xiaozhou's cross-cultural identity has gone through a process from anticipation and positive identification to setbacks and a decline in identification, reflecting the profound impact of external factors such as the pandemic and cultural differences on the cross-cultural identity of international students.

5 Discoveries and Discussions

Xiaozhou's cross-cultural identity has undergone a transformation from positive to negative and then to passive, which is diverse and fluid, influenced by social, cultural, historical conditions, and interactive situations. At the beginning of her study in Japan, she had positive identification with Japanese culture, but the COVID-19 and discrimination events led her to turn to negative identification. The social and psychological distance between Xiaozhou and the Japanese made her gradually give up integration and choose to interact with Chinese people, thus enhancing her recognition of Chinese identity. The case of Xiaozhou shows that overseas learning experiences may strengthen ethnic identity rather than cross-cultural competence, and the construction of individual identity is closely related to social structure.

6 Conclusion

This chapter reveals the dynamic process of cross-cultural identity through the case analysis of Xiaozhou's study abroad in Japan, including three stages of positive identity, negative identity, and passive identity, and compares the differences between negative identity and passive identity, providing empirical support for cross-cultural identity research of foreign language learners.