English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs
This paper reports the findings of a multifaceted investigation into the communicative needs of using English as a business lingua franca (or BELF) in three types of companies in Mainland China: state-owned, privately-owned, and multinational companies. The findings were derived from online question...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Ibérica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.aelfe.org/documents/39_14_IBERICA.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818263880658321408 |
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| author | Yao Yao Bertha Du-Babcock |
| author_facet | Yao Yao Bertha Du-Babcock |
| author_sort | Yao Yao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reports the findings of a multifaceted investigation into the communicative needs of using English as a business lingua franca (or BELF) in three types of companies in Mainland China: state-owned, privately-owned, and multinational companies. The findings were derived from online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with Chinese business professionals. The findings suggest that English has played an increasingly important role in the workplace communication in Mainland China, especially in multinational companies. Using English has become a business convention in multinational companies, although the extent of its use differs depending on various contextual factors, primary among which are a professional’s duties and English proficiency. The findings also illustrate that culture plays a role as important as language in BELF communication at work. For example, social interaction, due to both cultural and linguistic reasons, has long been an issue concerning and challenging Chinese business professionals. Cultural differences may not be an insurmountable barrier, but the lack of cultural sensitivity and knowledge can cause a disruption in communication or lower the chance of promotion in a company |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:26:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5197f853f8f64989a87a755754e59658 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1139-7241 2340-2784 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:26:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ibérica |
| spelling | doaj.art-5197f853f8f64989a87a755754e596582022-12-22T00:14:30ZengAsociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines EspecíficosIbérica1139-72412340-27842020-07-0139345370English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative NeedsYao Yao 0Bertha Du-Babcock 1The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (China) Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (Taiwan)This paper reports the findings of a multifaceted investigation into the communicative needs of using English as a business lingua franca (or BELF) in three types of companies in Mainland China: state-owned, privately-owned, and multinational companies. The findings were derived from online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with Chinese business professionals. The findings suggest that English has played an increasingly important role in the workplace communication in Mainland China, especially in multinational companies. Using English has become a business convention in multinational companies, although the extent of its use differs depending on various contextual factors, primary among which are a professional’s duties and English proficiency. The findings also illustrate that culture plays a role as important as language in BELF communication at work. For example, social interaction, due to both cultural and linguistic reasons, has long been an issue concerning and challenging Chinese business professionals. Cultural differences may not be an insurmountable barrier, but the lack of cultural sensitivity and knowledge can cause a disruption in communication or lower the chance of promotion in a companyhttp://www.aelfe.org/documents/39_14_IBERICA.pdfenglish as a business lingua francacommunicative needscultureneeds analysisintercultural business communication |
| spellingShingle | Yao Yao Bertha Du-Babcock English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs Ibérica english as a business lingua franca communicative needs culture needs analysis intercultural business communication |
| title | English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs |
| title_full | English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs |
| title_fullStr | English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs |
| title_full_unstemmed | English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs |
| title_short | English as a Lingua Franca in China-Based Workplace Communication: A Mixed Approach to a Comparison of Perceived Communicative Needs |
| title_sort | english as a lingua franca in china based workplace communication a mixed approach to a comparison of perceived communicative needs |
| topic | english as a business lingua franca communicative needs culture needs analysis intercultural business communication |
| url | http://www.aelfe.org/documents/39_14_IBERICA.pdf |
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