Achieving “comity”: the role of linguistic stance in business English as a lingua franca (BELF) meetings

Abstract (B)ELF research has highlighted the consensual and co-operative nature of (B)ELF interaction, i.e., the presence of comity or harmony. This paper aims to explore the role of stance markers in achieving comity within a business context. The study of stance markers has broadened its scope considerably in recent years, notably focussing more on spoken interaction in context, yet linguistic stance in (B)ELF remains a largely unexplored field. This paper will analyse the use of stance markers, which comprise a range of lexical and grammatical features of language, in authentic audio-recorded BELF interaction in meetings. Stance markers are of interest in that they reflect the multifunctional nature of language in contributing to the dynamic enactment of both interpersonal and transactional functions of language. In expressing opinions, evaluation, and affect, stance is also intrinsically linked to facework and relational work, which are important for nurturing and maintaining comity. Fine-grained analysis of the data, focussing in particular on the use of hedges and boosters, illustrates the way stance markers contribute to the achievement of comity, for example in negotiating tasks, dealing with disagreement, or clarifying understanding. The data also reflect the way business conventions, knowledge, and relations impact on communication.