This book examines the links between globalisation and the way we teach and learn languages.

"A fascinating examination of how an English-language mandate at a Japanese firm, Rakuten, unfolded over time and how employees reacted to it"--Back of jacket.

The model of English that should be used in classrooms has long been a subject of debate. This book (with an accompanying audio CD) describes selected varieties of World Englishes, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of selecting a particular variety from the point of view of both teachers and learners. It aims to examine and re-evaluate concepts such as 'standard', 'variety', 'native speaker' and 'non-native speaker', and to validate the role played by multilingual and multicultural English language teachers, arguing that context and learner needs should determine the variety to be taught.

Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication is a lively and accessible introduction for undergraduates who are new to the study of intercultural communication, with a particular emphasis on the language dimension. Incorporating real-life examples from around the world and drawing on current research, this text argues against cultural stereotyping and instead provides students with a skill-building framework to enhance understanding of the complexities of language and intercultural communication in diverse international settings. Readers will learn to become more attuned to power relations and the ways in which sociopolitical forces can influence language choice/attitudes and the intercultural communication process. Features new to this edition include: Revised in-text discussion questions and the introduction of multiple exercises and examples that aim to engage students and provide a more interactive experience; New material that takes account of key social, cultural, and political events such as the refugee crisis, Brexit and the rise of populism in many parts of the world Updated theoretical constructs that reflect recent trends in this area of study such as criticality in intercultural communication An updated Companion Website featuring suggested readings, links to media resources and real-world intercultural scenarios for students, as well as additional in-depth instructor resources featuring test materials, PowerPoints, key terms, extended chapter outlines, and sample assignments and syllabi Refreshed references and glossary to enhance understanding of key terms and concepts. This is the essential text for undergraduate students who are new to the field of intercultural communication.

Studies of intercultural communication in applied linguistics initially focused on miscommunication, mainly between native and non-native speakers of English. The advent of the twenty-first century has witnessed, however, a revolution in the contexts and contents of intercultural communication; technological advances such as chat rooms, emails, personal weblogs, Facebook, Twitter, mobile text messaging on the one hand, and the accelerated pace of people's international mobility on the other have given a new meaning to the term 'intercultural communication'. Given the remarkable growth in the prevalence of intercultural communication among people from many cultural backgrounds, and across many contexts and channels, conceptual divides such as 'native/non-native' are now almost irrelevant. This has caused the power attached to English and native speaker-like English to lose much of its automatic domination. Such developments have provided new opportunities, as well as challenges, for the study of intercultural communication and its increasingly complex nature. This book showcases recent studies in the field in a multitude of contexts to enable a collective effort towards advancements in the area.

International communication as a field of inquiry is, in fact, not very “internationalized.” Rather, it has been taken as a conceptual extension or empirical application of U.S. communication, and much of the world outside the West has been socialized to adopt truncated versions of Pax Americana’s notion of international communication. At stake is the “subject position” of academic and cultural inquirers: Who gets to ask what kind of questions? It is important to note that the quest to establish universally valid “laws” of human society with little regard for cultural values and variations seems to be running out of steam. Many lines of intellectual development are reckoning with the important dimensions of empathetic understanding and subjective consciousness. In Internationalizing "International Communication," Lee and others argue that we must reject both America-writ-large views of the world and self-defeating mirror images that reject anything American or Western on the grounds of cultural incompatibility or even cultural superiority. The point of departure for internationalizing “international communication” must be precisely the opposite of parochialism – namely, a spirit of cosmopolitanism. Scholars worldwide have a moral responsibility to foster global visions and mutual understanding, which forms, metaphorically, symphonic harmony made of cacophonic sounds.

Written in a detailed and fascinating manner, this book is ideal for general readers interested in the English language.