From form to function: mobile language resources in the Vietnamese customs setting

Nguyen, T. C. N., Kettle, M. and Doherty, C. (2019) From form to function: mobile language resources in the Vietnamese customs setting. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 12(4), pp. 344-363. (doi: 10.1080/17513057.2019.1572208)

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Abstract

English language for Customs is considered crucial for working in an international airport; however, few if any empirical studies have investigated the language repertoires of customs officers in such a multilingual and multicultural, but security-sensitive, context. This paper drew on Blommaert’s sociolinguistics of globalization and Hymes’s Ethnography of Communication to examine naturally occurring interactions in English between Vietnamese customs officers and foreign travelers. We explore typical communicative practices in customs and the factors influencing the interactants participating in these practices. Examining interactions in detail provides insights into the communicative resources that customs officers utilize to accomplish order and security in the airport, currently experiencing escalating numbers of international travelers. Findings highlight the functional deployment of English as the airport lingua franca and non-verbal resources to accomplish meaning, notably around the smooth and efficient security processing of travelers. The paper concludes with implications for English for Specific Purposes curriculum design and materials development in the important but previously neglected area of customs communication.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This work was supported by Vietnam International Education Cooperation Department-Queens- land University of Technology joint-scholarship [grant number 8980900].
Keywords:Customs, English for customs communication, ethnography of communication, intercultural communication, lookalike English.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Doherty, Prof Catherine
Authors: Nguyen, T. C. N., Kettle, M., and Doherty, C.
Subjects:L Education > LC Special aspects of education
P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
P Language and Literature > PE English
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Education
Journal Name:Journal of International and Intercultural Communication
Publisher:Taylor and Francis
ISSN:1751-3057
ISSN (Online):1751-3065
Published Online:05 February 2019
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2019 National Communication Association
First Published:First published in Journal of International and Intercultural Communication 12(4): 344-363
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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