The intercultural component in Business English textbooks

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2013-01-01Department
Filología Francesa e InglesaSource
Ibérica 26 (2013) : 171- 194Abstract
The relationship between culture and business is crucial; therefore, in an
international business context Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC)
is essential for effectively dealing with other cultures. The Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages highlights the relevance of intercultural
language education in developing effective communication across linguistic and
cultural boundaries (Council of Europe, 2001). Thus, in recent years, whereas
there has been an increasing interest in Intercultural Business Communication
(IBC), relatively little attention has been paid to the study of the intercultural
component in texts used for the teaching of English for Business, despite the
fact that textbooks are a key resource for language instructors. This paper aims
to examine the role that the intercultural component has played in Business
English textbooks since the 1960s. It explores whether and to what extent those
textbooks have promoted the acquisition of ICC, at the same time it reviews the
development of ICC as a concept and the ways in which it has been taught over
the years. A selection of 67 general Business English textbooks published
between 1963 and 2009 are analysed.