Global English in International Business: An Introduction

English is the language of global business. Nevertheless, we need more than language in order to communicate internationally. We also need cultural understanding; after all, language shapes culture and culture shapes language. Teachers and learners of English for International Business must be aware of the issues at stake so that they may avoid the misunderstandings that can arise from culturally insensitive use of language. In this wide context, the Annual Report genre is proposed as a tool for practising English for Business and English an International Language. Indeed, the Annual Report genre still contains the accounting statements and other technical and regulatory information, but this information is only just one small part of a very much larger story. It has become a key way of projecting a global self-image – a way of portraying the corporate personality and, most importantly, a way of delivering both implicit and explicit messages. These considerations must involve – from a pragmatic point of view - a serious revision of the contents of the Business English courses in the Faculties of Economics: the intercultural and cross-cultural perspectives are fundamental for Italian students in Business and Economics, who are looking for specificity in the English courses they attend.