This article begins with an examination of phenomena such as the market, homo economicus and entrepreneurialism, which have become salient in discussions of neoliberalism in recent years and which are central to the contributions to this special issue. In the second half of the article, the focus shifts to the author's personal take on these…

This article examines the language practices of Vietnamese students in Taiwan in relation to their social connectedness across different contact zones. Data were obtained from interviews with Vietnamese students of English-medium programmes in Taiwanese universities. Findings suggest that the students, in managing their English and Chinese in…

This paper investigates the language fluency problems of skilled immigrants from mainland China to Canada. It capitalises on interview data to explore the relationships between Chinese immigrants' identities, second language practices, and language skills. It reports the informants' difficulty in integrating into their workplaces and their…

This paper considers the differential placements of social actors in the contemporary English university, as practices consistent with neoliberal ideologies become increasingly influential. It uses Layder's theory of 'social domains' and the first-hand experiences of the author to explore how the options available -- to students, those on…

In the years since the second Thatcher government (1983-87), and continuing until the present, universities in the UK have been subjected to a series of neoliberal reforms which have had a deleterious effect on academics' working conditions and on the kind of research they are required to produce. 1986 saw the introduction of regular sector wide…

This article examines language trainers as language workers in an Austrian language education company. The study interrogates what the trainers' discourses, ideologies and practices about the nature of their work are, and how these reside within the logic and discursive practices of their employer. A close analysis of interview, ethnographic and…

The 'intercultural turn' in foreign language education has brought to the fore the need to foster intercultural competences. Yet in contexts where virtually all intercultural communication is mediated by English as a foreign language (hereafter EFL), proficiency in that language determines to a large extent access to intercultural experiences,…

Translingual practice is an emergent theoretical perspective which emphasizes the capacity and disposition for meaning-making across linguistic boundaries. Following on studies of globalized workplaces that have focused on lingua franca English, this article explores translingual practice as represented in interview and blog narratives recounted…

In this article the main question is: what might Social Semiotics offer to studies of the "cross-cultural"? Social Semiotics distinguishes between "society" and "culture". "The social" is the domain of "interaction" seen as semiotic work, organized in fields of power. "Culture" is the repository of semiotic resources, of material and non-material…

This article discusses and compares how Chinese and English postgraduate students manage a harmonious relationship with university instructors by managing rapport and doing relational work in their academic request emails. The rapport-management strategies were explored and then further evaluated in relation to the taxonomies of relational work…

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, employers are seeking "global-ready graduates," that is, individuals with an intercultural mindset, who can interact effectively and appropriately with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In response, tertiary institutions are creating more opportunities for…

Increasingly students want to go abroad to study--to further their knowledge of English, experience a new culture and cultivate skills. Universities have been actively courting these students, sometimes without regard to their impact on responsibilities of heads of department, secretaries and support staff. Much is written on the intercultural…

The current international nature of socio-economic activities is reshaping workplace settings and creating the need for large numbers of employees to perform successful communicative acts with a wider range of interactants than in the past, often using a language other than their mother tongue. Against this backdrop much emphasis has been placed…

This article describes the results of a six-month ethnographic case study of a French immigrant of Senegalese descent and how he recreates the culture of an American company's speech community. Data were collected through interviews, field notes, and shadowing the participant at his place of employment. The transcribed interviews and field notes…