Abstract
This chapter discusses the notion of ‘English as a Lingua Franca’ (ELF), which can be characterized as a shared resource used among speakers of various linguistic backgrounds to communicate with each other. Ontologically, the ELF resource is different from what we call ‘English’, that is, a linguistic system, which can be seen to reside in textbooks and dictionaries. The ELF resource, in contrast, only comes into being in situ, as a hybrid without any native or nonnative speakers and is heavily dependent on the specific situation and context. For this reason, teaching students to interact with their colleagues and corporate partners in international business calls for – not only communicative competence – but also understanding of the business context. The notion of BELF (English as a Business Lingua Franca) highlights the shared business knowledge in getting the job done and maintaining/enhancing the rapport. This chapter gives an example on the dynamics of teaching for business interactions from one of the leading business schools in Europe, Aalto University School of Business (Aalto BIZ), Finland.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Towards a New Paradigm for English Language Teaching |
| Subtitle of host publication | English for Specific Purposes in Asia and Beyond |
| Editors | Hajime Terauchi, Judy Noguchi, Akira Tajino |
| Place of Publication | Abingdon and New York |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 5 |
| Pages | 41-53 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780429423963 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-138-38934-2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
| MoE publication type | A3 Book section, Chapters in research books |