Joint production of intercultural discourse: communication in a multicultural workplace release_gm6iklhilzcb7mr5bd4s3h5o4m

Abstract

This paper is based on an analysis of audio-recordings of naturally occurring interactions conducted in English in a multicultural workplace. The participants are non-native speakers of English from diverse ethnolinguistic backgrounds. Whilst such interactions are commonly associated with cross-cultural miscommunication, findings revealed that these speakers adopt a collaborative style of discourse in their interactions. Examples are presented of some of the strategies which facilitate their construction of mutually intelligible meanings. The observations of this study are consistent with previous studies of strategic competence (Faerch and Kasper 1984) and meaning negotiation (Long 1982, Canale 1983) among second language learners. However, this research draws on the insights of research on collaborative discourse among native English speakers (e.g. Coates 1989, 1993, Ferrara 1992) to emphasise the relevance of joint text production in the intercultural context. The paper concludes with the presentation and discussion of a model of collaborative intercultural discourse.
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