Integrating multi-communication research and the business English class

The study reported in Gimenez's (2014) article investigated multi-communication (MC) practices at four multinationals based in London, UK. Following previous studies, the article defined MC as “the act of holding multiple conversations at the same time” (Gimenez, 2014: 2), expanding the coverage of the term ‘conversation’ to include not only face-to-face but also electronically mediated communication (e.g., talk over the telephone, email, instant messaging IM). The study also expanded on previous research by examining the underpinning role of digital media in workplace interactions, and revealed a set of interactional skills, such as ‘thematic threading’, ‘presence allocation’, ‘media packaging’ and ‘audience profiling’, needed to communicate effectively in the contemporary workplace. It also revealed a preference for efficiency rather than effectiveness, highlighting that efficiency “has become a more relevant feature of business communication in today's highly technicalised workplaces” (p. 3). Based on its findings, the article suggested applications for the business English (BE) class, featuring a number of technology-enhanced tasks that aim at helping students to feel prepared for the communication demands of the contemporary workplace.