Translanguaging has gained increasing attention as a practice of accessing diverse linguistic repertoires to maximize communicative potential. In English-medium instruction (EMI) settings, translanguaging is not only observed in formal academic contexts such as in class but also in informal interactions with professors and friends. This study investigates the phenomenon of out-of-classroom translanguaging among Chinese students enrolled in EMI programs in Japan, and addresses how Chinese EMI students employ translanguaging practices to communicate with individuals outside the classroom and how Chinese EMI students interpret their own translanguaging practices. Six participants were selected based on their proficiency in multiple languages and their experience in EMI programs. Through an ethnographic qualitative research design involving interviews, participation observations and various supplementary data, four approaches of translanguaging are discovered: code-switching, modified language, multilingual repertoires and multimodal resources.

By addressing these research questions, as a result, this study provides a comprehensive examination of EMI students’ translanguaging practices from multiple perspectives, offering valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers in developing more inclusive and effective language policies to support EMI students' academic and practical needs, such as providing a multilingual-friendly environment, emphasizing translanguaging ability development, acknowledging translanguaging spaces and so forth.