| This study explores Business English in a sociolinguistic framework. More specifically, business journalism style of The Wall Street Journal, an American English newspaper, and The Nation, a Thai English newspaper, is analyzed to determine whether there are variety-specific differences in Business English. The comparison is based on selected syntactic features, such as passive sentences and nominalizations, and social-cultural norms which govern each speech community. In general, the analysis is based on the assumptions of ethnomethodological approach adopted by various researchers in discourse analysis which utilizes the theoretical framework of Dell Hymes' ethnography of communication. In addition, the methodology used in this study employs computer technology to facilitate the identification of occurrences of linguistic features and to ensure the incorporation of a large data base. It also addresses the question whether a combination of a quantitative and qualitative approach is an effective tool of conducting cross-cultural linguistic investigation. Another aspect which this study addresses is English for Specific Purposes and its place in English education in Thailand. It is suggested that English for Specific Purposes should be approached from a communicative competence standpoint. Finally, pedagogical directions of English in Thailand are given, as well as suggestions for further research in the area of discourse analyses are discussed. |
