Exploring the Roles of English: English as a Lingua Franca in Master's Programmes at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business

Europe's largest business university, WU sees offering master's programmes in English as a means to stay competitive. This paper highlights the roles of English and other languages at a strategic level in the university as well as in intercultural student teams. The data is taken from a multi-modal research project investigating students' language and interaction in teamwork on English-medium programmes. The results show that students use English as the medium of communication in and out of class and for discussing task-related topics, while they use other languages for socialisation purposes and to develop a sense of community. (author's abstract

"Cool my doubt is erased": constructive disagreement and creating a psychologically safe space in multicultural student teamwork

This paper investigates the roles of disagreement and trust in multicultural teamwork on an English-medium master's programme at an Austrian business university. The teamwork project - assigned by the content teacher - took place mostly outside the classroom and simulated business practice both in terms of the tasks and the multicultural context. Each team comprised two Austrian students and two international students, resulting in an English as a lingua franca (ELF) setting. The teams were observed and audio-/video-recorded, with the analysis focusing on an early stage of the project where they laid the groundwork for the team mental models in terms of establishing the team goals, relationships and communicative practices. Additionally, retrospective interviews were conducted at the end of the project with each of the team members and the lecturer to gain emic insights into the project. The findings suggest a symbiotic relationship between disagreement and trust, in which high levels of trust and the construction of a psychologically safe space allow the team members to disagree with and challenge each other without damaging their relationships, leading to better decisions. In turn, these decisions can contribute to a sense of shared success that strengthens the team's joint identity

Conceptualising English as a business lingua franca

Though a popular and somewhat controversial topic in discussions on language in IB, the notion of English as a (business) lingua franca/(B)ELF still lacks clear conceptualisation. This paper argues that research in IB and linguistics can be mutually complementary and supportive in conceptualising BELF, and that it is important to separate the concept of BELF from that of a common corporate language. The paper synthesises key works from both disciplines to conceptualise BELF as an emergent, multilingual use of English that adapts to the demands and resources of the specific context. It further argues that Wenger's concept of Communities of Practice offers a useful bridge between the disciplines, and that there is a need for more empirical research

(B)ELF in multicultural student teamwork

Many researchers agree that multicultural teams are a "double-edged sword" with the potential for high levels of creativity and production, but also conflict. This paper argues that effective communication is vital for developing "virtuous", rather than vicious, circles and that research into (B)ELF offers an insight into what effective communication in multicultural and multilingual teams can look like. The conceptual frame develops research into ELF and BELF by also drawing on organisational and management research to examine team processes and the role of language within them. The second part of the paper presents illustrative examples from data collected in an ethnographic study from an English-medium marketing master's programme at WU Vienna. The students' teamwork project comprises an international market entry simulation and can be seen as a training ground for managing both business content and team processes. The findings indicate that both the ELF context and the ELF talk furthered the development of rapport, and that the students' "casual talk" supported "their work talk". The paper finishes with a call for more empirical research into language use among recent business graduates and how to prepare students better for a globalised workplace

Exploratory Interactive Explaining (EXINTEX): Constructing Disciplinary Knowledge in Two Multilingual University Settings

The rise of English-medium education has led to considerable academic interest in communicative practices in multilingual university settings. However, there is still little research into disciplinary knowledge construction in higher education contexts where English is the academic lingua franca. To address this gap, we embrace the central role of explaining in education by proposing Exploratory Interactive Explaining (EXINTEX) as an analytical tool, which identifies the elements of explanatory episodes in the joint development of disciplinary knowledge. We then apply this tool at the micro-level of interaction to two comparable contexts differentiated primarily by the presence or absence of a teacher. Our findings confirm the relevance and high level of educational success of EXINTEX episodes in both quantitative and qualitative terms. They further reveal the dynamic interplay of epistemic authority and engagement in the learning process. Additionally, they show how research into educational disciplinary discourse and English as a lingua franca in academic settings can complement and supplement each other

Language and talent management: perspectives from Italian MNCs

The rise in cross-border business in recent decades has led to changes in corporate and working languages and a corresponding surge in research. At the same time, the field of strategic and global talent management has also developed rapidly, but to date has not included language. This paper calls for the integration of language training as a key element of strategic talent management in MNCs. A small-scale interview study with employees from three large Italian companies reveals a broad range of approaches to language and talent management, suggesting there is an urgent need for further cross-case research. The results also show that (a) while English is gaining rapidly in importance, especially at corporate/senior management levels, Italian still plays a central role in some companies; (b) language skills are perceived as bringing added value to employees and companies and can be seen as crucial to the expansion process; and (c) talent management plays an important role in attracting and retaining excellent employees but appears to still be in its infancy in Italy. We therefore argue that strategic talent management urgently needs to be better understood and implemented, and should include proactive language training