Business Discourse

Francesca Bargiela-Chiappini is Honorary Associate Professor in the Centre of Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick, UK. She has researched business discourse, intercultural communication and intercultural pragmatics for over twenty years. Recent publications include edited volumes on Face in Interaction (2009 with Michael Haugh), and on Politeness across Cultures (2010, with Daniel Z. Kádár), and a special forum on sensory pragmatics (Journal of Pragmatics, 2013).

This book will enable students, researchers and practitioners with some background in applied linguistics and/or (business) communication to engage with most of the issues raised by the multidisciplinary field of business discourse. To applied linguists new to business communication, and to researchers with a business background and with an interest in language and communication, this book offers accessible, varied and well-documented material inspired by practice-shaping research in business contexts.
The latest developments in research methodology are discussed through problem-solving case-studies; issues emerging from the field such as the role of new technology and of globalisation, are showcased to stimulate research projects that reflect the multicultural and multimedial reality of the corporate world. Readers are encouraged to adopt a reflexive, and where possible, multi-disciplinary and collaborative mode of action that is one of the strengths of business discourse research in practice. The book also illustrates the benefits of sustained dialogue and field-led applications across allied disciplines.

This second edition reviews the field of business discourse, centring on the investigation of business language and communication as practice. It combines research-based discussions with innovative practical applications and promotes debate and enquiry on a range of competing issues, emerging from business discourse research and teaching practice.

The first comprehensive, research-based introduction to business discourse

PART I: THE FIELD OF BUSINESS DISCOURSE 1. What is Business Discourse? 2. Challenges in the Future PART II: APPLYING BUSINESS DISCOURSE RESEARCH 3. Research-based Business Discourse Teaching 4. Research-based Consultancy Work 5. Research-based Teaching Materials PART III: RESEARCHING BUSINESS DISCOURSE 6. Themes and Research Strategies 7. Research Methodologies, Frameworks and Project Ideas 8. Research Cases PART IV: RESOURCES 9. A Guide to Resources for Business Discourse Research References Index