Using English as Economic Capital in a Chinese–Australian Workplace: Implications for Teaching Business English in China

ABSTRACT With China’s economic growth over the past 30 years, a large number of Chinese enterprises are facing the challenge of developing their businesses internationally. Thus, it has become necessary to improve the effectiveness of transnational and intercultural business communication for these enterprises. In this article, through narrating the first author’s ethnographic observations in a Chinese–Australian company, the researchers explore the challenges of transnational and intercultural business in terms of English communication and services. They suggest how these challenges can be met from the perspective of future employees in globalizing enterprises and practitioners of Business English education in Chinese universities. This study contributes to developing effective practices for transnational and intercultural communication and services in globalizing enterprises and the pedagogy of Business English in Chinese universities, with the aim of enabling future university graduates to develop language as economic capital in a globalized business context.