Otsu2020

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Otsu2020
BibType INCOLLECTION
Key Otsu2020
Author(s) Akiko Orsu
Title An analysis of BELF small talk: a first encounter
Editor(s) Mayu Konakahara, Keiko Tsuchiya
Tag(s) EMCA, Japanese, Small talk, Malaysian, Lingua franca, English as a lingua franca
Publisher Palgrave Macmillan
Year 2020
Language English
City Cham
Month
Journal
Volume
Number
Pages 213–232
URL Link
DOI 10.1007/978-3-030-33288-4_10
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title English as a Lingua Franca in Japan: Towards Multilingual Practices
Chapter

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Abstract

While businesspeople recognise that skilful management of small talk is extremely important to establish and maintain a good working relationship, it is often difficult for them to have small talk, off their usual business topics. It is reported to be even more difficult when they meet for the first time. This chapter analyses small talk between two BELF (English as a business lingua franca) users, a Japanese architect and a Malaysian hotel employee, who meet for the first time. With a conversation analytic approach, the analysis reveals two features of the talk-in-interactions: (i) the way in which the interactants pay careful attention to the selection of topics and the flow of conversation in order to save face or to avoid disturbing territoriality of another party, and (ii) the way in which the interactants work collaboratively to make their communication successful by using a variety of communication strategies.

Notes