‘Call me “Katy” instead of “Yueyun”’: English names among Chinese international students in Canada

Abstract

Despite the inherently meaningful nature of Chinese names, Chinese international students often adopt an English name, particularly when they pursue education in English-speaking countries. Most empirical research on name anglicisation has examined the psychological impact of name change among ethnolinguistic minorities, as well as their experiences with heritage name mispronunciations. Very few studies have looked into the reasons and purposes of adopting an English name. The present study utilises a mixed-methods survey to inquire into the functions and use of English names by Chinese international students in Canada (n = 180), with the goal of providing insight into their name choices, as well as the associated implications for their cross-cultural adaptation. The quantitative and qualitative results suggest that, aside from avoiding name-based discrimination, English names play several adaptive roles, such as facilitating the students’ intercultural communication, host connectedness, and integration. Further, English names also provide a route for Chinese international students to stay connected with their heritage culture in a foreign language environment. The findings underscore the importance of respecting language minorities’ name choices, whether in their native or the majority language, and call for societal efforts in building a welcoming environment that accepts diverse personal names originating from many different languages.

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