Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Internationally operating business professionals communicate using English as a business lingua franca (BELF). As BELF communication crosses national borders and includes multiple languages and cultural groups, linguacultural competence is a critical aspect of successful BELF communication. In this study, we derived specific linguacultural competencies (LCCs) required for such communication from the literature and double-checked them with twelve business professionals and two business English teachers. The LCCs were then used to develop a questionnaire to gather the perceptions of ninety business professionals. The results of the survey revealed that all the identified LCCs were deemed essential, with no significant differences between region-based subgroups of respondents. Further, the study highlighted the importance of three components of LCC (knowledge, skill/strategies, and attitudes) to both real-world communication and pedagogy. These findings have important pedagogical implications for developing the LCCs of business professionals and creating a more connected, empathetic, and understanding international business environment.
Source: ELT Journal
DOI: 10.1093/elt/ccaf017
Authors: Lucas Peltonen, Guangwei Hu
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,481
OpenAlex ID: W4410138566