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Project

Language policy: towards a dynamic model of language competencies for international companies in Flanders

Multinational companies operate in several countries and their employees often speak different languages, whichgives them a multilingual profile. Management needs to make sure that the communication between the employeesand with the customers is still effective. It is tempting to think that adopting English as a company language(language policy) solves all communicative problems. But if not all employees or customers are native speakers ofEnglish, this policy can result in miscommunication for which new solutions have to be found. If only they couldhave foreseen the potential outcomes of their language policy! In this research, we develop a model that will allowcompanies to do exactly that: figure out the consequences of a language policy before implementing it. We will lookfor factors that influence the success or the failure of a language policy in a multinational company in Flanders,using surveys, observations, focus groups and interviews. We will analyze how the nature of the company orindustry determines their relative weight and importance. The focus will be on one industry (chemical sector) andwe will examine one company from this sector (BASF). The research will be the first step in the development of a flexible, dynamic model that captures the relationship between all factors related to the multilingual profiles of the companies. This modelcan then serve as a tool for companies because they will be able to predict the possible outcomes of a plannedlanguage policy.
Date:1 Apr 2016 →  31 Mar 2017
Keywords:LANGUAGE FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, LANGUAGE POLICY, LANGUAGES FOR BUSINESS, LANGUAGE PLANNING
Disciplines:Economic development, innovation, technological change and growth, Management