Abstract
The use of many languages for work purposes is not new. However, in the globalized world, the unprecedented level of mobility of people and businesses results in complex linguistic landscapes. This constitutes the norm rather than the exception for employees. In this chapter we discuss multilingualism in relation to the workplace and present some early scholarship as well as areas open for future research. We draw on research related to European settings, which has been the focus of our own studies, but the phenomena we discuss are applicable to professional settings around the world. We discuss the relationship between language policy and language practice and provide the reader with a brief critical review of studies that have influenced the development of thinking in the area. Special attention is paid to issues around ideology and language practice as well as the problems for carrying out research in workplace settings. The multilingual workplace has attracted a lot of interest over the years. The fact that professional activity takes place in a cosmopolitan and transient context has generated considerable literature about the multilingual, multinational, and intercultural dimensions of the world work. It is common however for research to remain discussed within rigid disciplinary and methodological boundaries. The aim of this chapter is to bring together studies from different linguistic subfields and provide an overview of key issues and debates.
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Mahili, I., Angouri, J. (2015). Language Awareness and Multilingual Workplace. In: Cenoz, J., Gorter, D., May, S. (eds) Language Awareness and Multilingualism. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02325-0_26-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02325-0_26-1
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Language Awareness and Multilingual Workplace- Published:
- 27 December 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02325-0_26-2
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Language Awareness and Multilingual Workplace- Published:
- 08 August 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02325-0_26-1