Challenges for Internationalization. The Role of English as a Lingua Franca in the Corporate Environment

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction: Rakuten's English policy - a bold but rewarding move
• Definition of the term “Lingua Franca”
  • Historical use
  • Recent use
• Historical Aspects: The development of English into the world-wide Lingua Franca
  • Reasons for English becoming the "World Language"
  • Geographic spreading of English proficiency
  • Comparison: Recent Statistics vs. 1999 Statistics
• Opportunities of English as a Lingua Franca
  • Opportunities within the enterprise itself
  • Opportunities for the enterprise in a global context
• Risks of English as a Lingua Franca
  • Risks within the enterprise itself
  • Risks for the enterprise in a global context
• Resulting Challenges
  • Assessment of skills: different types of tests
    • TOEIC
    • BULATS
    • Comparison
  • Training of employees
  • Establishing the use of English as Lingua Franca
• Conclusions
• Prospects for the future of English as the World Language

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This bachelor thesis aims to assess the opportunities and risks that the use of English as a common language within an enterprise poses. It addresses the resulting challenges and offers possible ways to approach these. The thesis also aims to provide a deeper understanding of the definition of the term “Lingua Franca” in both historical and modern contexts.

• Opportunities and risks of using English as a corporate language
• Challenges associated with implementing English as the lingua franca
• Assessment of language proficiency through various tests
• Training of employees in English language skills
• The historical development of English as a global language

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction of this thesis discusses Rakuten Inc.'s successful implementation of English as the official language within the company. It highlights the challenges and benefits of such a policy.

Chapter 2 defines the term “Lingua Franca” and explores its historical and contemporary uses.

Chapter 3 delves into the historical aspects of English's development into the world-wide lingua franca. It examines the reasons for its rise to prominence and its geographic spread.

Chapter 4 outlines the opportunities of using English as a lingua franca, both within an enterprise and in a global context.

Chapter 5 explores the risks associated with using English as a lingua franca, including those within the enterprise itself and those that may arise in a global context.

Chapter 6 examines the challenges that arise from using English as a lingua franca, including the need to assess employee language proficiency, training employees, and establishing the use of English within the enterprise. It also compares the TOEIC and BULATS language tests.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis focuses on the role of English as a lingua franca in the corporate environment. It examines the opportunities and risks of using English as a common language within an enterprise, as well as the challenges of assessing employee language proficiency, training employees, and establishing the use of English within the enterprise. Key themes include globalization, internationalization, language skills, communication, corporate culture, and the historical development of English as a global language.