Business English

Abstract

The English language has become the language of business throughout the world, and the teaching of business English has become a global industry. Worldwide, business English classes are often taught under the umbrella of the English for Special Purposes curriculum, which requires students to perform such functions as writing letters and e-mails and preparing reports and presentations proficiently. In English-speaking countries, business English classes are taught to improve reading and writing skills so that the needs of the business community may be met.

Overview

“Business English” is generally defined as all aspects of the language, both spoken and written, that are used in the business community. Within the global business community, English has become the most widely used language, and English is referred to as the international language. However, there is growing criticism that the ethnocentrism of English-speaking countries has led to an attempt to force the English culture as well as the language on other countries. There is also resentment over “Englishnization,” which arose out of the demand that business people in other countries learn to speak English rather than English-speakers learning other languages. This criticism has been leveled chiefly against the United States, where only 18 percent of Americans speak more than one language. In contrast, half of all Europeans speak at least two languages. Business English emerged in the 1980s as part of the English for Specific Purposes curriculum. In many schools, teachers of business English work in partnership with Communication Departments. In many countries, English is regularly taught in schools. Individual schools and companies may also mandate English as their official language. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology issued a mandate in 2011, stipulating that all classes be taught in English. Hiroshi Mikitani, the CEO of Rakuten in Japan requires that only English be spoken at work.

Experts have identified a number of advantages and disadvantages to using English as a common business language, including the saving of time and money, the facilitation of job recruitment, the narrowing of job applicants, and the enhancement of negotiating abilities. Conversely, critics say that English as an international language promotes ethnocentricity, furthers the Ugly American stereotype, encourages racist and imperialistic views, and increases the possibility of cultural backlashes. It is also said to heighten differences between low- and high-context thinkers (Cavaliere, Glassock & Sen, 2014). Some business English experts in other countries have expressed resentment over the attempt of English-speakers to force certain teaching styles on them instead of allowing them the freedom to teach business English within the contexts of their own cultures.

There are a number of historical explanations for the global use of English as a business language. The Industrial Revolution began in England in the mid-eighteenth century. Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations (1776) was widely read and had a global impact. British colonialism expanded the influence of the English language and culture over many areas of the world. During and immediately after the end of World War II, two of the Big Three world leaders were from English-speaking countries, and the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 that established international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund was conducted in English. The Internet was developed by the American military, and users were initially concentrated in the West (Cavaliere, Glassock & Sen, 2014). Another factor in the adoption of English as an international language is the ubiquitous presence of American companies throughout the world, leading to what has been labeled the McDonaldization of other cultures. In many countries, signs regularly appear in English, even for local businesses.

Global conferences may have a range of speakers, with some of them speaking English, some speaking the language of the host country, and others speaking various languages. In smaller business meetings, however, English may be the only language spoken except when attendees are directly communicating with someone from another country.

Individuals who grow up in English-speaking countries and households learn the basics of the language as small children, learning to say words, phrases, and sentences and unconsciously absorbing proper speech patterns. Others may learn the language in primary and secondary schools, as college students, or as adults. In addition to learning the language, non-native speakers are also expected to learn the business culture, which may be distinctly different among countries. Acquiring proficiency in business English means developing a vocabulary of business terms and being able to understand their meanings and context. Furthermore, each subfield of business has its own vocabulary that may be confusing to new English speakers.

Not all problems with business English are confined to non-native speakers, necessitating the teaching of business English to improve the speaking and writing skills of English speakers. Early American education at lower levels focused on teaching a generalized curriculum, and teachers taught only basic skills, such as learning to read and write the alphabet and simple math. Books were scarce, so students learned their lessons from the Bible, primers, and hornbooks. By the latter half of the nineteenth century, however, educators were waking up to the idea that more attention needed to be paid to teaching students how to write fluently, in a rapidly standardizing English, and enabling them to express their thoughts both orally and on paper. Thus, the focus shifted from acquiring knowledge to practical skills that prepared students for life outside schoolrooms. In 1861, the Vermont State Teacher’s Association became the first state organization to prioritize English grammar in the curriculum. Four years later, Harvard University began requiring all applicants to demonstrate English competency by reading designated passages in English.

Business English classes were first taught in English-speaking countries in the early twentieth century as businesses discovered that students were not always prepared to meet their needs. Many recent graduates lacked basic grammar and spelling skills. A nationwide survey in 1905 revealed that the major concerns about recent hires was a lack of good penmanship and good English, a prevalence of spelling and grammatical mistakes, deficiencies in speaking and composition skills, and a lack of knowledge of basic mathematical and English skills (Tran & Burman, 2018). In the midst of heightened industrialization, businesses pressured colleges and universities to take a more practical approach to business education classes, including the teaching of business English.

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, large cities such as New York, Boston, and Chicago began offering night classes to teach business skills to young male immigrants. The idea of night classes soon spread to other cities. In Worcester, Massachusetts, city officials opened a night school that was free to all students over the age of 15. However, the endeavor proved too expensive due to high demand, and a new admissions policy was instituted, requiring students to pay a $1 admission fee that was refunded if they attended class regularly and conducted themselves properly. In 1905, the YMCA of New York City opened a night class for forty businessmen, including six company presidents or vice-presidents, who paid $40 each to attend 20-week sessions. A number of companies established onsite classes to improve the business skills of their employees, and a department store in New York founded the Commercial Institute to teach writing, spelling, composition, and grammar.

Applications

In a 1988 study of applied linguistics, the language used in actual business meetings was compared with that found in thirty textbooks commonly used in business English classes. The results indicated that textbooks had little in common with actual speech. Subsequent research revealed that textbooks tended to oversimplify English to the point that students who learned English from textbooks were often unable to comprehend what native-speakers were saying within business contexts. Catherine Nickerson and Brigitte Planken (2015) identify three significant studies that expanded understanding of the gap between the way that business English is taught and the way that it is actually used. A significant study conducted in 2012 by Jane Lockwood examined business English as it was spoken at call centers in India and the Philippines, discovering that preparation for the job should emphasize listening comprehension, pronunciation, and intercultural awareness.

In a 2018 article for Harvard Business Review, Minh Tran and Peter Burman suggest that the best methods for teaching business English are establishing specific class goals, such as having students master the skill of delivering a 10-minute speech without using PowerPoint, fostering the self-confidence of students in order to make them more comfortable as English speakers, and developing the notion that learning business English can be fun. They also suggest using supplementary tools such as television shows and podcasts to familiarize students with English speakers who may talk more quickly than students in a business English class.

Both native and non-native speakers of English need to understand the basic components of the language in order to use it correctly. English learners are taught to recognize the eight parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections) through classroom exercises and homework. Students are also taught to recognize sentence elements, such as subjects and predicates, and use them correctly; learn to identify phrases, dependent clauses, and independent clauses; learn to form simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences; learn the correct way to use periods, commas, colons, semicolons, question marks, and quotation marks; learn basic sentence patterns such as noun-verb, adjective-noun-adverb, or noun-verb-adverb; and learn how to avoid common mistakes made in English such as sentence fragments, comma splices, and split infinitives.

If language skills are not reinforced as students leave the learning of basic skills behind, both native and non-native speakers of English may forget the rules that govern their use, resulting in a plethora of grammatical mistakes when writing resumes, letters of application, or business reports. For the non-native speaker, mistakes may also result when using words that have more than one meaning or words that sound alike but are used differently, according to context. Mary Ellen Guffy and Carolyn Seefer (2016) offer examples from actual business correspondence that prove such points. In a resume, one student wrote, “I’m looking for my big brake.” Another wrote, “My last employer fried me for no reason. A student wrote in a cover letter, “I was instrumental in ruining the entire operation for a Midwest chain of stores.” Another cover letter contained the statement, “Here are my qualifications for you to overlook.”

While educators approach the teaching of business English in various ways, experts recommend three types of source materials that should be incorporated into all business English classes. It is recommended that all business English teachers use materials that inform students about other cultures. One way to do this is to invite non-native English speakers to speak to classes about their own experiences. A second valuable source in teaching about target cultures is to invite speakers from different English-speaking countries to talk to classes. A third source is using materials that promote understanding of the international business culture from the perspectives of native and non-native speakers.

In a 2015 study, Roya Pashmforoosh and Esmat Babaii surveyed teachers who had been teaching English for Special Purposes for at least three years, finding that most used the Market Leader and Business Result series to teach business English to non-native speakers. Market Leader used reading passages, interviews with business people, recordings, and case studies as chief teaching methods. “Working across Culture” sections were included to provide a multi-cultural approach. Business Result promoted reading and listening skills designed to prepare students for such activities as customer service and identifying business trends. Case studies were also included in each unit. Analysis of the series revealed that both textbooks were more inclined to use native speakers than to use non-native speakers, and most interactions discussed were between two native speakers.

Issues

Since 2000, Education First has issued an annual report ranking the proficiency of business English in various industries and nations, and the report is used by companies and institutions of higher learning to identify global trends and to compare their own level of proficiency to that of others. The most significant finding of the reports is the recognition of a link between English proficiency and the economic health of a given country.

In the early twenty-first century, a large number of researchers examined the link between business English and cultural presentation. Some scholars contended that English-speaking nations have a tendency to force their own cultures and values on business negotiations conducted in English. A large body of literature already exists that documents differences in business communication styles among different countries. Pashmforoosh and Babaii (2015) argue that business educators should use interdisciplinary courses to provide students with the tools they need for global communication within this context.

Having a common language makes it easier for citizens of different countries to communicate, and business English classes need to prepare students to engage in interactions with others, build rapport with businessmen/women from other cultures, and be able to recognize and respect both the national and corporate cultures of others (Pashmforoosh & Babaii, 2015).

The debate on whether American students are prepared for the business world continues to be an issue in the twenty-first century. Because of the gap between needs and real qualifications, some companies began giving spelling and grammatical tests to perspective employees, stating that a grasp of both is an indicator of intelligence and attention to detail (Lentz, 2013). In a 2011 study of accounting company executives, the top skills required were the ability to organize sentences and paragraphs correctly, the ability to write clearly and precisely, good speaking skills, and knowing how to produce effective documents required by the employer. It has been estimated that employers spend some $3.1 billion dollars a year on improving writing skills employees should have learned while still in school and lose from $2,100 to $41,000 annually as the result of poor employee writing skills (Lentz, 2013).

Terms & Concepts

English for Specific Purposes: Curriculum established to cover the requirements of teaching the English language to groups that need to learn special vocabularies, skills, and knowledge. In addition to business English, the program encompasses such fields as technical and scientific English and English for particular groups such as healthcare professionals, art students, and wait staff.

Englishnization: A term coined by the Japanese to describe the tendency of native speakers to force non-English speakers to learn their language in order to do business. This practice has contributed to the use of English as the global business language.

High-Context Thinker: An anthropological theory that some cultures produce thinkers who are likely to consider circumstances, context, and character in business communication. Such individuals encourage the active participation of all parties in business negotiations.

Lingua Franca: In a general sense, it refers to the practice of using a common language to facilitate communicate among speakers of different languages. The term “business English Lingua Franca” has been used to explain the global practice of using English as a communication tool for all members of the business community, even when none of the parties speak English as a first language.

Low-Context Thinker: The anthropological category of thinker produced by certain cultures that produces individuals whose thinking is highly compartmentalized and who analyze business transactions according to a step-by-step progression.

McDonaldization: Refers to the ubiquitous nature of the American fast food restaurant in countries all over the world. In a broader sense, the term carries connotations of the imposition of American culture on other countries.

Bibliography

Cavaliere, F. J., Glasscock, K., & Sen, K. C. (2014). The Englishnization of business: Does this help or hinder teaching global business? Education, 135(2), 161–168.

Guffey, M. E., & Seefer, C. M. (2016). Business English. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Jones, C. G. (2011). Written and computer-mediated accounting communication skills: An employer perspective. Business Communication Quarterly, 74, 247–271. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=65438779&site=ehost-live

Lentz, P. (2013). MBA students’ workplace writing: Implications for business writing pedagogy and workplace practice. Business Communication Quarterly, 76(4), 474–490. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=92690834&site=ehost-live

Munteanu, Ana. (2018). Managing words in business English. Review of General Management, 27(1), 104.111. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=130654552&site=ehost-live

Nickerson, C., & Planken, B. (2015). Introducing business English. New York: Routledge.

Pashmforoosh, R., & Babaii, E. (2015). Whose culture and how far? Culture presentation in current business English textbook series. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 26(3), 216–236. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=111588560&site=ehost-live

Tran, M., & Burman, P. (2018). How to improve your business English. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 2–4. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=130758140&site=ehost-live

Vandenbrouke, M. (2016). Socio-economic stratification of English in globalized landscapes: A market-oriented perspective. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 20(1), 86–108.

Suggested Reading

Abrudan, C.-L. (2017). Teaching business English collocations—an interesting challenge to face. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 26(2), 261–269. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from the EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=130371986&site=ehost-live

Anglemark, L., & John, A. (2018). The use of English-language Business and finance terms in European languages. International Journal of Business Communication, 55(3), 406–440. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=130320137&site=ehost-live

Belcher, D. D. (2009). English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Lockwood, J. (2010). What causes communication breakdown in the call centres? The discrepancies in the communications training and research. In G. Forey & J. Lockwood (Eds.), Globalization, Communication, and the Workplace. (pp. 204–220). London: Continuum.

Munteanu, A. (2018). Managing words in business English. Review of General Management, 27(1), 104–111. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=130654552&site=ehost-live