Veronika Hoelzli

English As a Corporate Language: Competent Use of English to Improve Communication in Multinational Enterprises in the European Union Veronika Hoelzli

The competent use of English is believed to be a necessary personal and professional skill for employees to make a prosperous and successful career in a modern, fast-paced business world. The initial assumption of this thesis is that the lack of English as skill in a multinational work environment might result in communication issues. These shortcomings may affect business operations, might lead to misunderstandings and, at worst, to business loss. Corporate language management seems to be neglected due to the lack of awareness of the significance of language competences. This thesis attempts to address the major issues in regards to the multiple demands on the work force of today?s labour market. A proposal for competent use of English to improve communication in multinational companies is tested by conducting interviews with employees and managers of multinational companies in Luxembourg.