English as a lingua franca in international business

This book is concerned with one of the most salient communicative developments of the 21st century: the increasing use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) as a means of international business communication. Adopting an interactional approach, this volume analyzes the use of ELF in two international business meetings, focusing on how 'miscommunication' is interactionally managed and resolved among ELF speakers in these contexts. The theoretical sections offer a critical examination of different linguistic approaches to 'miscommunication' and propose an ELF perspective on 'miscommunication' which stresses the importance of shared understanding and the distinction between 'non-understanding' and 'misunderstanding'. The section on data and methodology introduces the central characteristics of the investigated business meetings such as structure and level of formality. The descriptive section presents a qualitative analysis of different types of 'miscommunication'. Drawing on models for negotiation of meaning, procedures for indicating non-understanding and the notion of 'frame', the analysis shows how ELF speakers jointly work to resolve miscommunication and reach shared understanding.