Workplace Immersion and Intercultural Learning: Indonesian Japanese Language Learners in Internship Programs in Japan

Abstract

This study explores cross‐cultural immersion in a workplace environment among Japanese as L2 of Indonesian learners who participate in internship programs in Japan. Internship programs are often assumed to improve intercultural competence; little is understood about how such development is shaped through everyday workplace interaction. This study investigates how participants navigate language use, social expectation and cultural standard in situated work contexts. We use qualitative data from 29 participants, including in‐depth interviews and participant observations. The data are analyzed by the Critical Elements of Immersion Experience framework, with a focus on participants’ interactional workplace experience. The findings show that participants interact participate in ongoing adjustment to workplace communication, especially in relation to honorific language (keigo), dialect variation, and others related interaction. Participants also report becoming aware of cultural differences through workplace engagement and daily encounters, while experiences of support and limited guidance shape their involvement in different ways. The findings later suggest that intercultural learning emerges through negotiation, adaptation on specific workplace condition. This study contributes to applied linguistics by illustrating how workplace interaction can as a site of language socialization, emphasizing how language and intercultural practices are shaped through participation in professional contexts.