EDITORS: Garzone, Giuliana; Ilie, Cornelia TITLE: The Use of English in Institutional and Business Settings SUBTITLE: An Intercultural Perspective. PUBLISHER: Peter Lang AG YEAR: 2007
Dr. Aradhna Malik, Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur, India
SUMMARY The book is a collection of fourteen articles describing the use of English in a diverse variety of settings across the world. The readings highlight the use of English as a common platform of communication by people in various walks of life, between native and non native speakers of English and other world languages. The articles have been organized into four categories focusing on different aspects of the use and goals of the English language. The review begins with a summary of each article in the context of the category it is under. The review concludes with a summary of the book as a unit of scholarly work and evaluation of its academic contribution.
The book begins with an introduction by Garzone to the articles that follow. She highlights the reasons for the spread of English as 'lingua franca' in the international business environment, and attributes the primary responsibility for this spread to colonization by the British, globalization, liberalization of the American economy, and the development and marketing of technical networking and business tools by English speaking nations. According to the author, the criticisms against a widespread use of English include a threat to the language ecology of the world, and hegemony of English over local languages. The author feels that this hegemony, in addition to being a residue of colonization, could also be a result of the widespread need for technical tools in the business environment, which are developed primarily by speakers of the English language who do not take into account the needs of the non-native speakers of English, thereby increasing a need for the non-speakers of English to learn and use English in order to use these tools which can help them succeed in the international business environment. The author emphasizes that due to the widespread use and modifications to the use of English in many countries all over the world, no country is in a position to claim ownership of the language anymore. The author concludes with the observation that discussion of intercultural aspects of 'lingua franca' communication involves recognition of the significance of intercultural issues connected with social contexts, practices, and conventions, and on the semantic side, the awareness of problems associated with the need to convey specific local meanings for which there is an 'empty box' in the 'lingua franca' repertoire.
The first category of articles in the book is titled, ''English in the Promotion and Marketing of Products Across Cultures'' and the first article in this category is titled, ''Constructing identities in the fashion industry: Building brand and customer image through press releases'', by Paola Catenaccio. The article discusses the diglossic dance between Italian and English press releases of four famous Italian fashion houses - Armani, Trussardi, Dolce and Gabbana, and Cavalli. The article focuses on the role of this dance in communicating and shaping the global identities of exclusive customers all over the world. The efficacy of these press releases is evaluated in the light of Jacob's preformulating features of press releases, namely, self reference, self quotation, and explicit semi performatives. The role of English in communicating the above brands through an ingenious mix of Jacob's features is discussed in the context of the rapidly growing global fashion market. In addition to highlighting the role of English as a global language, the author points towards the role of English and Italian in communicating the desired identities to exclusive customers by using the two languages in parallel and complimentarily. The article concludes with a comparison of the ''culturalness'' of the themes used by each of these designers in their designs.
The next article in this category is titled, ''A question of taste: Translating the flavor of Italy'', by Delia Chiaro. This article discusses the use of three different translational styles in promotional messages for Italian food products on the World Wide Web. The use of translational styles, namely, intrasemiotic, intersemiotic, and syncretic styles of translation, require different degrees of input and have different kinds of impact on the target audience. The article describes the role of the promotional text developed through these styles in communicating Italianness to the target audience. The author notes that the promotional messages convey the truly authentic Italian and ''pretend'' Italian brand images through these promotional messages. They also note that depending on the applicability of the product to different contexts, these promotional messages convey the traditional and modern Italianness to the target audience. Since food is one of the most marketable products in the global environment, the role of English in promoting many Italian foodstuffs is highlighted through this article.
The last article in this category is titled, ''English in print advertising in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands: Frequency of occurrence, comprehensibility and the effect on corporate image'', by Marinel Gerritsen, Catherine Nickerson, Corine van den Brandt, Rogier Crijns, Nuriá Dominguez, Frank van Meurs, and Ulrike Nederstigt. The article provides a snapshot into the use and acceptance of English in the social milieu of the above mentioned countries through print advertisements in popular magazines. Results indicate limited but consistent use of English in sales information in all three contexts, though understanding of the language is lesser in the case of Spanish readers as compared to the readers in Germany and the Netherlands. Results also indicate a neutral attitude to the use of English by the readers and consumers of the products, and no effect on the prices that the respondents associated with products advertised in English. This study demonstrates increasing acceptance and embeddedness of English in the local business interactions rather than hegemony of English over Spanish, Dutch or German in the respective countries.
The second category of articles in the book is titled, ''Concepts and Issues Across Languages and Cultures''. The title of this category suggests a 'miscellaneous' category into which several pieces of only semi-related scholarly work can be grouped together.
The section begins with an article by Cornelia Ilie titled ''British 'Consensus' vs. Swedish 'Samförstånd' in Parliamentary Debates''. This article highlights the comparisons between the notions and connotations of 'consensus' in the Parliamentary debates in Ireland, England, and Sweden. The author discusses the connotations of 'consensus' in the English Parliamentary system as a synthesis of opinions in a seemingly confrontational debate environment. The English see consensus more as a process of reaching a commonly acceptable solution to the problem at hand by manipulating or convincing the participants in the situation. The English, according to the author, view consensus as a process that leads to the appointment or generation of a decision in line with the opinion (manipulated or not manipulated) of the participants. Hence, according to the author, in the British system, consensus seems to be a ''preferred political strategy'' due to its synthetic nature that generates goodwill among the participants. The author notes that in Ireland consensus has a negative connotation. The Irish see consensus as an imposed 'selection' versus a democratic 'election' of decisions. They feel that consensus leads to confrontation and denial of democratic rights in the fundamentally democratic Irish Parliamentary system. The author also observes that in the Swedish Parliament, 'samförstånd'/ 'konsensus' refers to the process of reaching unanimity in a decision as a matter of policy. An example of the effects of noncompliance of the decisions made as a result of this process demonstrates the cultural commitment of the Swedish politicians to this process.
The next article in this section is titled, ''On course for the next stage of success: The annual reports of U.S. and Japanese companies'', by Daniel Wawra. The article discusses the differences in the semantic use of the English language by American and Japanese companies in the banking sector in their annual reports. The author highlights the cultural influences on the choice of words and the formality in presentation. According to the author, despite the adaptation of the content to a global context, the cultural underpinnings in the organizational behavior of companies working in the same domain, in two very different cultures, are reflected in the words they use, and the manner they use these words in.
The third article in this section is titled, ''The discourse of pro- and anti-whaling in British and Japanese news editorials: A comparative cultural perspective'', by Kumiko Murata. This article deals with the use of the English language, in an English speaking region, and compares it with parallel discourse in the Japanese language on the same topic in Japanese texts. The article discusses the discourses on whaling (killing whales) in two different contexts. The author observes that based on data collected over a period of fourteen years from the archives of two newspapers, discourse in the United Kingdom refers to anti-whaling activities, and includes emotionally loaded words to characterize the anti-whaling activities in the United Kingdom and pro-whaling activities in Japan. On the other hand, discourse in Japan refers to the pro-whaling activities in Japan, and seems to include neutral terms that are backed by scientific facts and research to characterize (and justify) the need for whaling. In addition, the author notes the potential of these discourses to influence the ''understanding of the text'' by readers, and points out the impact this could have on the readers of the text.
The last article in this section is titled, ''Recontextualizing language: Indian activists and the recasting of English'', by Maria Cristina Paganoni. This article highlights the theme of this book, and demonstrates how the cultural origins of the English language influence its prestige in a colonized state. It also brings to light how this influence, in turn, leads to a need for 'de-hegemonizing' the language, and integrating its use in day to day interactions by 'recontextualizing' it. The article describes the cultural influences on the use of English in the writings of prominent Indian social activists. The author highlights the efforts of these activists in adapting the use of English to the social context in India. The author also points out the inclusion of local terms, and choice of words appropriate to the local culture in the writings of these activists. This article draws attention to the adoption of English as a second language in the Indian subcontinent. The author also points out the cultural influence on the choice of words and how these choices can result in the hegemony of the language especially in colonized cultures.
The third category of articles in the book is titled, ''Cross Cultural Perspectives on Speech Acts'' and the category begins with an article by Stephanie Zilles Pohle, titled, ''Offers in Irish English and German business negotiations: A cross-cultural pragmatic analysis.'' The article discusses the results of simulated negotiations (conducted in English) between native German executives and Irish executives working in Germany. Results highlight the cultural differences in the Irish and German styles of negotiations. According to this study, the Irish seem to use words that are more inclusive and community centered as compared to their German counterparts who tend to use more individualistic words. They also use face saving tactics much more than their German counterparts who seem more detached and direct during their negotiations. No mention is made regarding the proficiency of the participants in the English language.
The second article in this category is titled, ''Speaking and not speaking across cultures'', by Grahame T. Bilbow. This article describes a comparison between the interactions (in English) of 36 local Chinese and 51 Western expatriate managers of a large airline company in Hong Kong, across eleven meetings at work. Results indicate that Westerners tend to talk more than their Chinese counterparts. The author also notes considerable differences in the range of speech acts used by the two groups, and the cultural differences that influence their contributions to and silence in meetings at work.
The last article in this category is titled, ''Written business invitations: A cross-cultural rhetorical analysis'', by Ora-ong Chakorn. The author discusses intercultural differences in forty letters of invitation written by Thai and native English speakers in Thailand. The study points out the differences between the operationalization of the performative speech act though the structure and moves for inviting remain the same. The study also points out intercultural differences between the ways these moves are made. The author also highlights the use of these moves with respect to different types of business invitations.
The last category in the book is titled, ''Intercultural issues in face-to-face communication'' and the first article in this section is titled, ''Communicating within and across professional worlds in an intercultural setting'', by Gina Poncini. The article discusses the interactions of three bilingual (English and Italian) producers of the Italian Nebbiolo wine (one native speaker of Italian, and two native speakers of English), in a winery in Valtellina, Italy, during a three day convention on the Nebbiolo grape in January 2004. The article highlights the use of English as a primary means of communication for conveying technical details regarding the functioning of the winery. The participants use English as a common ground to initiate and establish a connection, and then move on to finding common ground in their work, through the use of common technical terms, expressions, and finally a mixture of English and Italian as the relationship progresses.
The next article in this section is titled, ''Modes of communication between suppliers of services and non-native English-speaking users: Doctor-patient interaction'', by Carmen Valero-Garcés and Bruce Downing. The article discusses the differences in monolingual, bilingual helper, and interpreter facilitated modes of communication in the context of an American clinic with English speaking doctors and English and Spanish speaking patients. The study highlights the differences in the effectiveness of communication through the above mentioned channels. Results demonstrate that even though bilingual employees or helpers (trained in the medical profession as nurses or technical staff, but not as doctors) are able to convey the doctor's message to the patient effectively and respond to some queries posed by the patient without consulting the doctor, the 'direct interaction' between the doctor and the patient is more when trained interpreters are used.
The third article in this section is titled, ''The linguists conference setting: A comparative analysis of intercultural disparities during English to Italian sign language interpretation'', by Cynthia Kellett Bidoli. The author describes the complexities associated with interpretation of conference proceedings in English to Italian and subsequently to Italian sign language for a mixed audience of hearing and hearing disabled people at an international conference in Italy. The author notes the semantic losses and (sometimes) semiotic additions to the content during translation of the content into Italian and eventually into Italian sign language. This study, like many others in the book, highlights the role of English in a well-attended intercultural setting.
The last article in this section (and the book) is titled, ''English as a 'lingua franca' in business contexts: Strategy or hegemony?'' by Catherine Nickerson. The article provides a summary to the preceding chapters in the book. The author provides insights into the issues that were covered, and the issues that could have been covered if adequate research had been available. The author acknowledges the role of English in providing a common platform for communication in global interactions, and mentions the problems that can arise due to the assumed superiority of English over local languages in non-native English speaking countries. The author also makes a specific mention to the role of English in business settings especially in multinational companies. The article ends with suggestions for research primarily in the context of interlingual situations where there is a difference in the impact of interactions due to use of English versus the use of the local language.
EVALUATION The articles in the book cover a diverse range of uses of the English language in varied contexts in the intercultural and international environment from hospital clinics to conferences to the fashion industry. Though four main themes emerge from the introduction – the diglossic relationship between English and the local language in different countries, adaptation of the English language to the specific culture and context and vice versa, the role of the English language as lingua franca in specific settings, and the unique utility of English in specific contexts, the book eventually boils down to a collection of studies that demonstrate the use of English in different contexts.
The articles in the first category (English in the Promotion and Marketing of Products Across Cultures) cover a diverse range of business situations but are limited in their coverage of cultural contexts, and focus exclusively on the more developed European countries. The primary premise of the authors in this category is the utility of English in selling commodities by virtue of its use in a variety of business settings. The authors are unable to put forth a convincing argument regarding the need to use English in addition to the local language in local markets, except in the case of the very first article that focuses on the use of English by a business that boasts of a globe-trotting, brand and exclusivity conscious clientele.
Two of the four articles in the second category (Concepts and Issues Across Languages and Cultures) deal with the use of English in English speaking regions and compare parallel discourse in non English speaking countries. These comparisons could have been carried out between any two culturally and linguistically different countries. Here too, it is not very clear how or why the use of English may be relevant in these contexts. The third article in this category discusses the influence of corporate culture in English speaking partners of organizations in non-English speaking countries on the structure of a document (annual report) that is to be shared by both partners. Here again, the need to refer to English is not very clear. The last article in this category discusses the post-colonial hegemonic struggle between English and the local language in a country that was under the British rule for over three centuries. In this article, the author makes a convincing argument regarding the acceptance of, and cultural influence on the adoption of English as a second national language.
The three articles in the next category (Cross Cultural Perspectives on Speech Acts) demonstrate a variety of speech acts in intercultural situations in different countries around the world. These three articles focus on the influence of intercultural differences on the use of English in different cultures but not about the specific utility of English in these intercultural situations.
Only one article in the last category (Intercultural issues in face-to-face communication) describes the use of English as a collaborative tool that helps native and non-native speakers of English understand and communicate work related technical information to each other. The hegemony of English over other languages in corporate settings, though not implied, is subtly conveyed through this article. The last article in this category and the book summarizes the themes of the preceding articles, and does not provide any fresh insights into the issue.
Even though the authors mention the role of technological advances in governing the spread of English as 'lingua franca' in the developed and developing nations of the world, this compilation of articles lacks any scholarly work on the subject. Even though each article stands out in its domain, the relationship of the articles to each other in each section seems limited, as does the relationship of many articles to the theme of the volume. Overall, the book serves as an informative and rich collection of scholarly work that demonstrates the widespread use of English in a diverse range of formal business and institutional settings across the world, but it is not clear why the included articles were chosen out of the many articles that could have been more relevant to and coherent with each other. English is widespread in its use in many countries across the world. The reasons for choosing this subject, the different headings, and the various articles under each of these headings are just not clear. The collection, despite the noteworthy quality of each of its articles, lacks identity of purpose as a unit of scholarly work.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER Aradhna Malik earned her PhD in Human Communication Studies from the University of Denver, U.S.A., in June 2007. She is currently working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Vinod Gupta School of Management at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. She has about two years of teaching experience, and has also been actively involved with in-house training programs for software companies. Her research interests include communication competence, technology and social interaction, intercultural communication , communication for development, and management of social welfare organizations.
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