Understanding and TeachingProfessional Communication

Gabrielle Jones

Language and Culture Symposium Ulm University, University of Stuttgart, German University of Cairo11 December 2012

• O’Connor Language and Communication for Business – Ulm

• Teacher training, materials development, client support

• MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics

Presentation outline

1. Influence on business language

2. Scope of professional communication

3. Professional communication and culture

4. Addressing change

Language Change in Business

New markets

1.BRIC economies

2.Deregulation and internationalisation

• Finance and commodities1.Labour

Language Change in Business

Social Media1.Internet-based communication2.Relationship-building ethos3.Markets as ‘conversations’

• 130 - million blogs• 8% - businesses• 52% - new customers

http://www.cluetrain.com/book/markets.htmlhttp://technorati.com/blogs/directory/

Language Change in BusinessProfessional Ideology

1.‘New work place order’ – Democratisation of discourse,

Geis, Brown and Wolfe, 1990

2.Conversational discourse in professional setting

3.Recruitment 90% of 500 90% of 500 US companies: ‘Professional communication skills vital’ Nunan, D. 2005

1. Main channel for completing tasks

2. Frontstage or backstage

3. Transactional or relational

4. Downward Upward Lateral

Professional communication

Professional Communication Genres

Written•Emails•Blogs•Proposals•Reports•Text messages•Newsletters•Orders

Spoken•Meetings•Presentations•Appraisals•Customer service interactions•Negotiations•Complaints

Influencing factors - workplace culture• Nationality• Gender• Power• Uncertainty• Politeness• Age and seniority• Company tradition

•Influences behaviour•Shapes communication•Confusing to outsider

Business English

• Areas of business

• Fixed situations

• Rigorously divided levels

• Based on knowledge of business

• Generic materials

Professional Communciation

• Business skills

• Learner-specific

• Multi-level approach

• Based on language knowledge

• Authentic materials

Changes in teaching

1. Knowledge – business, genre, culture

2. Vocabulary

toxic assets – web traffic - sustainabilitytoxic assets – web traffic - sustainability

3. Different Englishes

4. Methodology: skills based approach

5. Technology

6. Working lives

Addressing change

Professional Professional

CommunicationCommunication

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Language and CultureLanguage and Culture

Challenge and ChangeChallenge and Change

• Bargiala-Chiappini, F. and Nickerson, C. (1999) Business writing as social action. In Bargiala-Chiappini, F. and Nickerson, C.(Eds), Writing Business: Genres, Media and Discourses. London:Longman, 1-32.

• Geis, F., Brown, V., and Wolfe, C. (1990). Legitimizing the leader: endorsement by male versus female authority figures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 20.12: 943-70

• Levine, R., Locke, C., Searle, D., and Weinberger, D. (2000). The Cluetrain Manifesto – the end of business as usual. New York: Basic Books

• Nunan, D. (2005)The Evolution of Technology and the Value of Online English Language Learning, http://www.globalenglish.com/m/dl/whitepapers/PrinciplesWhitepaper.pdf

• Schnurr, S. (2012). Exploring Professional Communication, Language in Action. London: Routledge