Multilingualism in European workplaces

Abstract

This state-of-the-art article includes a review of past and recent studies on multilingualism at work in European environments. One aim is to provide the reader with a cross-cultural picture of workplace studies on various languages in Europe, another to discuss both positive and problem-based accounts of multilingualism at work. The overview covers studies on workplace interaction in multilingual regions in Europe, on English as a lingua franca workplaces, on cross-cultural encounters in global businesses, and on workplaces with workforce diversity. The conditions for workplace discourse in Europe have been influenced by a series of changes taking place in recent decades. Globalization and technological advances have created new types of cross-cultural networks, at the same time as political changes and turmoil have led to migration and new and more complex multilingual workplaces throughout Europe. In the discussion section, the scope is enlarged and workplace discourse is related to various contextual frameworks. Finally, some key topics for future studies are sketched.