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The impact of English as a business language on non-mother tongue speakers in an organisation.
Rossouw, Sandra
Rossouw, Sandra
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Abstract
This study strived to determine what impact English as the business language has on non-mother tongue speakers in oral communication and written communication in an organisation. As globalisation has brought people together, effective communication is imperative. However, a language that is comprehended by everyone is a necessity in all communication systems and applications. Because of the multitude of languages spoken in the world, English has assumed this role. This in turn means that English has become the lingua franca to many second and third language English speakers. The problem is that as non-mother tongue speakers may not be as proficient in English as first language speakers, this may lead to semantic interference. The aim was to find out what effect the use of English as the business language and lingua franca in an organisation has on its staff members; to determine whether staff members are proficient in English as a first language in business communication; and to determine the attitude of non-mother tongue English speakers in the organization towards English. The research was done in the South African context as the country is unique in its multilingual diversity while still being in a growth phase. The research methods included a literature study, a questionnaire and unstructured interviews. The main findings and conclusions indicate that it cannot be clearly established that English as a business language has a negative impact on mother tongue speakers in an organisation. They believe that they are proficient in English although difficulty with English as a second language is acknowledged. Semantic interference is acknowledged as a factor but not as significant. Staff members who converse in their mother tongue with colleagues at work for internal correspondence and socialising will use English to accommodate non-native speakers of their language. Although staff members may be proficient enough in English to communicate effectively, semantic barriers still occur. Overall it seems that staff members feel positively towards English being used as a business language as this makes linguistic and economic sense. However, use of their mother tongue in business is still important to them, therefore they should be free to use it.
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Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Magister Technologiae: Language practice in the Department of Applied Languages Faculty of Humanities.
Date
2008-01-24
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Rossouw, Sandra_.pdf
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Keywords
English Proficiency, Business Communication, Language Barriers, Organisational Dynamics, Globalisation
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CC0 1.0 Universal