The Intercultural Professional

Description

This book considers what is at stake for professionals whose work increasingly involves communicating in linguistically and culturally diverse contexts, and argues for the need to better understand the crucial role of languages and cultures in the modern workplace. With a focus on the experience of multilingual professionals, the author's position is that such professionals, exemplified by those who have relocated internationally, deploy their unique linguistic, cultural and intercultural repertoires in their work. This book examines the ways in which professionals interpret and manage their experience of working within and across languages and cultures in ways that create affordances for them, their professional practice, and those who depend on their knowledge and expertise. It will be relevant to undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking studies in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, intercultural education and professional communication in any discipline. Acknowledgements......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Introduction......Page 12 Ways of Thinking About Professional Expertise and Identity......Page 17 Languages, Cultures and Professional Interactions......Page 21 A Narrative Study of Professionals......Page 27 The Professionals......Page 29 David......Page 30 Charlotte......Page 31 Katherine......Page 32 Gérard......Page 33 Félix......Page 34 Hervé......Page 35 Laurent......Page 36 Juliette......Page 37 An Outline of the Book......Page 38 References......Page 41 Introduction......Page 47 Ways of Thinking About Languages and Cultures in the Contemporary Workplace......Page 50 Languages, Cultures and Working Together......Page 54 Complexity, Challenge and Risk......Page 60 Possibilities and Affordances: Interculturality......Page 65 Conclusion......Page 69 References......Page 70 Introduction......Page 78 Understanding Self Through Narrative......Page 81 Exploring the Relationship Between Self, Narrative Text and Context......Page 86 The Study......Page 88 Participants......Page 89 Creating and Interpreting Narratives......Page 90 Conclusion......Page 98 References......Page 99 Introduction......Page 103 Risk, Reflection and Reflexivity......Page 104 Assessing Risk......Page 112 Positioning People......Page 119 Calibrating Responses......Page 126 Discovering Connections......Page 130 Conclusion......Page 139 References......Page 143 Introduction......Page 148 Investing in Linguistic and Cultural Resources......Page 149 Drawing on Linguistic and Cultural Repertoires......Page 157 Developing an Intercultural Orientation......Page 165 Conclusion......Page 177 References......Page 181 Introduction......Page 185 Reflecting on and Resisting Broader Societal Narratives......Page 187 Realigning and Redefining the Self Within Broader Societal Narratives......Page 196 Conclusion......Page 209 References......Page 214 Introduction......Page 218 Navigating Tensions and Rewriting Professional and Personal Narratives......Page 220 Finding Ways of Being, Participating and Belonging......Page 229 Rethinking Interculturality in Professional Life......Page 236 Concluding Thoughts......Page 238 References......Page 243 References......Page 248 Index......Page 263