Abstract
This chapter is primarily based on a review of related literature, and it discusses the role of English as a common language across the globe and in business endeavors worldwide. It particularly takes a close look into the recent history of the emergence of English in global business activities at the end of the 1990s and the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Together with the rapid process of globalization, there have been a number of economic, political, and social events that contributed to the rise of English internationally. In addition to establishing itself as a world-renowned BELF (Business English as Lingua Franca), English has influenced business education, intercultural communication, and even the corporate cultures of companies entering new global markets or undergoing takeovers or mergers. The chapter also discusses some potential challenges which becoming a truly global language may entail.
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Shegebayev, M. (2020). Rise of English as Business Lingua Franca at the Turn of the Century: An Overview. In: Brunn, S., Kehrein, R. (eds) Handbook of the Changing World Language Map. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73400-2_228-1
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