English in the Nordic workplace

Abstract

This chapter explores the role of English in the workplace in the Nordic countries and argues for a more holistic view on the use of English. Following a literature review of previous studies of English in Nordic workplaces, the chapter illustrates how English in the workplace can be studied from three perspectives: language ideologies, language policy and language practices. Building on studies of one large corporate Danish workplace, the chapter shows how the introduction of English as a corporate language was influenced by language ideologies about English as the natural language, how the employees variously embraced and resisted the new language policy and how employees handled the language policy in their daily work through different language practices. The chapter introduces the concept of language-based exclusion and reflects on the advantages of studying language practices, policies, and ideologies together in order to understand the impact of linguistic diversity in terms of power, status, inclusion, and exclusion.

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