This project introduces theoretical discussion on five aspects of writing: register, genre, pragmatics, functional writing, and social function the goal of this project aims at improving business peoples' technical writing competence.

This study compared simulated sales negotiations with authentic negotiations. Specifically, three areas of language were considered: (i) chat phases, (ii) mitigation in disagreements, and (iii) argumentation. Findings indicated that greatly reduced use of chat phases in the simulations led to an impoverishment of the interactional aspect of communication. A statistical analysis indicated that mitigation of disagreements was significantly reduced when compared to authentic negotiations. Finally, in spite of the difference noted between professional and non-professional negotiators in the simulated negotiations, a significant increase in the use of argumentation was found in the simulations. Even though further research would be required, it could be hypothesized that these differences may be attributed to the one-off nature of simulations, the absence of a surrounding business context and the intrinsic difficulty of using interactional language in simulations. These factors should be considered when simulations are used and designed for business and LSP training courses. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

<p>kursa poslovnog engleskog jezika koji ima za cilj razvoj pragmatičke<br />kompetencije polaznika i unapređenje poslovne komunikacije na engleskom jeziku.<br />Uspostavljanje i održavanje uspe&scaron;ne poslovne komunikacije koja uključuje poslovne<br />ljude kojima je engleski jezik zajedničko sredstvo komunikacije zavisi od njihove<br />sposobnosti da koriste jezik na odgovarajući način u odgovarajućem poslovnom<br />kontekstu.<br />Istraživanje za disertaciju sastojalo se iz dva dela. U uvodnom delu<br />istraživanja učestvovali su predavači poslovnog engleskog jezika, studenti koji slu&scaron;aju<br />kurs poslovnog engleskog jezika i zaposleni polaznici koji pohađaju kurs poslovnog<br />engleskog jezika u &scaron;kolama stranih jezika. Cilj ovog dela istraživanja je bio da se<br />prikupe podaci o nastavi poslovnog engleskog jezika kod nas &ndash; na koji način se ona<br />organizuje i &scaron;ta bi trebalo uključiti u nastavu kako bi polaznici bili &scaron;to uspe&scaron;niji u<br />poslovnoj komunikaciji na engleskom jeziku.<br />Nakon toga usledilo je glavno istraživanje u kome je učestvovalo dvadeset<br />zaposlenih polaznika koji su pohađali kurs poslovnog engleskog jezika. Oni su bili<br />podeljeni u dve grupe, kontrolnu i eksperimentalnu, sa po deset polaznika. Obe grupe<br />su pohađale kurs poslovnog engleskog jezika. Kontrolna grupa je kurs slu&scaron;ala samo<br />na osnovu odabranog udžbenika, a eksperimentalna grupa je pohađala kurs koji je<br />izrađen na osnovu analize potreba i u skladu sa poslovnim situacijama u kojima oni<br />koriste engleski jezik. Pre početka kursa obe grupe su popunile upitnik sa op&scaron;tim<br />podacima o njima i upitnik za analizu potreba, ulazni test op&scaron;teg engleskog jezika i<br />ulazni test poslovnog engleskog jezika. Podaci dobijeni upitnikom za analizu potreba<br />upotpunjeni su pitanjima u prvom intervjuu. Napredak u sposobnosti kori&scaron;ćenja<br />engleskog jezika u poslovnoj komunikaciji obe grupe, posebno u pogledu kori&scaron;ćenja<br />govornih činova, praćen je tokom kursa pomoću pet testova nakon svake obrađene<br />teme.<br />Istraživanjem su dobijeni kvantitativni podaci (pomoću testa i upitnika) i<br />kvalitativni podaci (pomoću upitnika i intervjua) koji su detaljno analizirani. Na<br />osnovu analize svih podataka može se zaključiti da su polaznici iz eksperimentalne<br />grupe ostvarili primetno bolji napredak na testovima koji su pratili kurs, ali i u<br />sposobnosti poslovne komunikacije, &scaron;to je bio i cilj kursa.<br />Značaj ovog istraživanja je vi&scaron;estruk jer ukazuje na potrebu da se veća pažnja<br />posvećuje izradi kurseva poslovnog engleskog jezika za zaposlene polaznike,<br />detaljnoj analizi poslovnog konteksta u kome rade i njihovih stvarnih potreba. Takvi<br />kursevi omogućavaju polaznicima da lak&scaron;e i uspe&scaron;nije razviju svoju pragmatičku<br />kompetenciju i unaprede poslovnu komunikaciju.</p> / <p>This thesis in applied linguistics and language teaching focuses on designing a<br />business English course for the purpose of the development of pragmatic competence<br />of business English learners in order to improve their business communication in the<br />English language. Establishing and maintaining successful business communication<br />involving business people who use English as a common communication language<br />depends on their ability to use the language in an appropriate way in an appropriate<br />business context.<br />The research for this thesis consisted of two parts. The first part of the research<br />involved teachers of business English, students who attended business English<br />courses and employed learners who attended business English courses in private<br />language schools. The purpose of this part of the research was to collect the data on<br />business English language teaching, the way the courses are organized and what<br />should be included in the courses so that the learners are able to participate in<br />business communication in the English language.<br />This was followed by the main part of the research, which involved twenty<br />professionals attending a business English course. They were divided into two groups,<br />control and experimental, with ten learners in each group. Both groups attended a<br />business English course, however, the control group had a course based only on the<br />selected course book, and the experimental group had a course designed on the basis<br />of needs analysis and in accordance with the business situations in which they use<br />English language daily. Prior to the course learners in both groups completed a<br />general data questionnaire, a needs analysis questionnaire, general and business<br />English language entrance tests. The data gathered by the needs analysis questionnaire<br />were additionally clarified by the answers in the first interview. The learners&#39; progress<br />in using English in business communication in both groups, especially regarding the<br />use of speech acts, was monitored by five tests, one after each of the topics covered<br />during the course.<br />The data collected in the research, both quantitative (collected by tests and<br />questionnaires) and qualitative (collected by questionnaires and interviews), were<br />thoroughly analyzed. The analysis led to a conclusion that learners from the<br />experimental group showed substantially better improvement in tests and their overall<br />ability to communicate in business related contexts.<br />The significance of this research is manifold and suggests that greater attention<br />should be paid to designing business English courses for professionals and to a<br />thorough needs and business context analysis. Such courses would enable learners to<br />develop their pragmatic competence more successfully and, consequently, improve<br />their business communication.</p>

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The financial sector of South Africa is increasingly under pressure to ensure that the language used in all communication is aligned with international best practice and, furthermore, that the correct business terminology is applied. Standards of language proficiency and usage have, however, deteriorated over the past few years. This appears to be due mainly to lack of good language education at school level. In Nedbank, specifically, the language used by employees in written external communication is not always on par as is evident from the documentation that Nedbank Editorial and Language Services (Nels), the “language custodian” of the bank, has to edit and translate. Nels decided six years ago that, instead of rewriting all these documents, which is not timeor cost-efficient, to rather give business-writing training across the bank to enable Nedbank employees to increase their general writing proficiency of English. This study aims to establish whether there are discrepancies in the type of error made in English as used by Coloured Afrikaans mother tongue speakers and White Afrikaans mother tongue speakers in order to determine how to customise the business-writing training materials to the benefit of each cultural grouping in Nedbank. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die finansiële sektor in Suid-Afrika is toenemend onder druk om te verseker dat die taal wat in alle kommunikasie gebruik word in ooreenstemming is met internasionale “beste praktyk”, en verder dat die korrekte besigheidsterminologie gebruik word. Taalvaardigheids- en taalgebruiksvlakke het egter oor die afgelope aantal jare verswak, waarskynlik a.g.v. onvoldoende taalonderrig op skool. In Nedbank is die taalgebruik van werknemers in geskrewe eksterne kommunikasie nie altyd van ’n aanvaarbare standaard nie, soos duidelik blyk uit die dokumentasie wat Nedbank Editorial and Language Services (Nels), die bank se “taalbewaarder”, moet redigeer en vertaal. Nels het ses jaar gelede besluit om besigheidskryfkursusse vir die hele groep aan te bied, eerder as om al die eksterne kommunikasie oor te skryf, wat nie tyd- en koste-effektief is nie. Sodoende kan werknemers hulle algemene skryfvaardighede in Engels verbeter. Hierdie studie probeer vasstel of daar moontlike verskille is in die soort foute wat in Engels deur gekleurde Afrikaans-moedertaalsprekers en wit Afrikaans-moedertaalsprekers gemaak word, in ‘n poging om doeltreffende opleidingsmateriaal te ontwikkel vir elke kulturele groepering in Nedbank.

This study compared simulated sales negotiations with authentic negotiations. Specifically, three areas of language were considered: (i) chat phases, (ii) mitigation in disagreements, and (iii) argumentation. Findings indicated that greatly reduced use of chat phases in the simulations led to an impoverishment of the interactional aspect of communication. A statistical analysis indicated that mitigation of disagreements was significantly reduced when compared to authentic negotiations. Finally, in spite of the difference noted between professional and non-professional negotiators in the simulated negotiations, a significant increase in the use of argumentation was found in the simulations. Even though further research would be required, it could be hypothesized that these differences may be attributed to the one-off nature of simulations, the absence of a surrounding business context and the intrinsic difficulty of using interactional language in simulations. These factors should be considered when simulations are used and designed for business and LSP training courses. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

The aim of this project is to address the need for effective English learning and develop an English curriculum which practically meets learners' needs. The project is for students who study business English in Korean community college. This project presents effectiveness of English learning in the content concerning with English for specific purposes, project-based learning, cooperative learning, computer-assisted language learning, and technological literacy. These ideas are incorporated into the project to develop the unit, Creating a Company, which consists of six lesson plans.

[Truncated abstract] This study explored the use of English as a global language in multinational settings, particularly in regard to business contexts. The study was undertaken from an applied linguistics perspective with an education focus. An ethnographic approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data-gathering techniques, was employed. An analysis of the language practices in two multinational companies, one in Malaysia and the other in Hong Kong, served to explore the global role of English. Such observation helped to identify the English and intercultural communication skills that business graduates will require to operate successfully in multinational contexts. Among the skills that were found to be important were the use of English for email communication; greater tolerance for and accommodation of the different accents and varieties of English; the ability to write informal reports in English; development of both oral and written communication skills in English to high levels; and the ability to work collaboratively with people from different national, cultural and linguistic backgrounds . . . More carefully considered teaching and learning approaches, which fully utilise the rich cultural diversity already existing in Australian universities, can assist the development of business graduates who will be more culturally sensitive and able to operate in international/ intercultural contexts. There is scope for further research on similar themes with other multinational companies in the same or different locations; there is also much scope for further work in the area of internationalisation of curriculum, which aims particularly to develop graduates’ intercultural communication skills to enable them to operate confidently in global and multinational settings.