Everyone Speaks English, Right?

In international business, notions of homogeneity §and standardisation are seen as synonymous with §globalisation. One world is equated with one §language and English, portrayed as the global lingua §franca, is promoted as the language of business. §Using Jean Baudrillard's theory of the cyclic §superposition of the singular, universal and global §as a framework and applying it to the case of New §Zealand-French business communications, this book §questions the beliefs underpinning Anglophone §reliance on English in the postmodern business §world. Examining historical shifts in attitudes to §language, it argues that the universal ideals of §unity and openness popularly associated with §globalisation are myths. It shows that foreign§languages receive little attention in the§international business literature and that much of§the cross-cultural advice for France is outdated and§misleading. This book also offers a diachronic and §synchronic view of the use of and attitudes to§foreign languages in New Zealand business and §provides, as a counterpoint, the views of French §customers. It will interest people in Communications,§Business, Foreign Languages and §Linguistics.