Administrative staff learning and using English to communicate with international students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose The lack of attention given to administrative staff calls for a study to consider their concerns regarding the learning and use of English to communicate in internationalized universities. This case study aimed to investigate how adequately administrative staff have learned and used English to communicate with international students in an internationalized university in Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach This case study drew on questionnaire and interview data to examine 15 administrative staff's learning and use of English for communication in an internationalized university. Findings The data analysis revealed the linguistic diversity and varying nature of communicative circumstances across university workplaces. The administrative staff were found to have applied multiple strategies to maximize the effectiveness of their English language learning and use for communication. They prioritized the learning opportunities for practicing English to address workplace communication needs. Originality/value These findings suggested that the disciplinary knowledge about English language learning and use for communication obtained from English for Specific Purposes (ESP) research and other fields should be used to broaden the English as an International Language (EIL) paradigmatic scope for research and pedagogy. We argue for a paradigmatic partnership to address the disciplinary limitations of EIL while simultaneously extending the established knowledge of EIL about English language learning and use for ESP and EIL communication.