A practitioner's commentary on Louhiala-Salminen et al. (2005): Tackling BELF communication challenges in cross-border mergers and beyond

Abstract

Based on the findings of English as a lingua franca in Nordic corporate mergers: Two case companies, speakers in international mergers who use BELF face communication challenges that result from two main sources. The first one is related to the speakers’ performance in English and includes language use and communicative practices. The second source refers to how speakers apply their sets of cultural values and beliefs in their discourse. By applying a framework of communication skills and coaching style activities the trainer can help learners develop a balanced discourse and build trust with their counterpart. These activities can further be applied in cultural transformation processes where speakers encounter similar challenges.