(Critical) Language awareness in business communication

In the last 20 years, critical approaches to language and literacy education have established themselves as an academic field, with an abundance of empirical studies applying Critical Literacy principles in classes and curricula at schools and universities. Noticeably absent from the contexts of implementation are courses in Business English and business communication. This article describes and evaluates a small-scale attempt to infuse Critical Language Awareness (CLA) principles into the teaching of a 4-week business communication module at a Singapore polytechnic. The overall framework and activities are discussed, and students’ work is evaluated. The analysis traces changes in students’ metalinguistic awareness; specifically, their ability to view language as constitutive of social relations, which is argued to be an important component of CLA. The authors emphasize that the disciplinary and institutional contexts, as well as students’ disposition toward language, and experience with critical-reflexive dialogues need to be considered before a particular critical approach is implemented. While maintaining that the introduction of CLA in business education may need to be more incremental than in liberal arts settings, the article offers further support for the infusion of critical language awareness in the business domain.

► Critical language awareness was infused in technical business correspondence module.
► Teaching focused on relationship between language and interpersonal relations.
► Students’ metalinguistic awareness was raised.
► Study highlights constraints and benefits of critical approach in business communication.