native speaker

"If only the English would speak good English!" A survey on conference calls with native speakers, together with our guidelines on how non-native speakers can improve their conference call skills.

For some people, it's an irritating little phrase that should never be used. For others, it's a useful little filler that everyone should learn. What do you think?

Business Spotlight has looked at many linguistic, cultural and behavioural aspects of international business communication over the years. We have also carried out surveys to find out how our readers use English at work and what problems they face.

Many widely held views on international business communication are unfounded. Here are some of the most common myths.

We've prepared a (fictional) speech by a manager at an international meeting. How many examples of non-standard English can you find?

Are standard native-speaker models of English still relevant for international business? Ian McMaster investigates.