Introduction

Language in the Workplace

In this course, Professor Veronika Koller (Lancaster University) discusses language in the workplace. She starts off by introducing some key terms and phrases used to refer to workplace discourse. In the second module, we analyse the types of language used for recruiting and onboarding. In the third module, we discuss diversity in the workplace, focusing especially on accents. In the fourth module, we consider how to be inclusive linguistically in the workplace, analysing some examples of cultural sensitivity and insensitivity in corporate communication. Finally, in the fifth, we examine the nuance of communicating via digital media in the workplace, and consider some methods of analysis for digital workplace communication.

Introduction

In this lecture, we introduce the discussion of language in the workplace, focusing especially on: (i) phatic communication, and (ii) different ways to refer to workplace discourse, such as 'corporate communication,' 'business language,' and 'organisational discourse.'