Sociolinguistic perspectives on English in business and commerce

Abstract

This paper, an introduction to the volume, addresses the changing role of English and other languages in the domains of business and commerce, on the national as well as European and global levels. It draws on sociolinguistics and the sociology of language, combining micro and macro approaches.

Its pioneering character consists in the focus on placing English in the context of local language ecologies, as opposed to exploring it in isolation, as an unquestionable given.

Keywords

• English
• business and commerce
• multinational companies
• sociolinguistics