VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Communication strategies (CS) are fundamental to L2 pragmatics and Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF). Since BELF emphasizes the pragmatic use of English, the basic CS in pragmatics extends to more advanced BELF CS. Multilingual speakers focus on negotiating the main message by deploying various pragmatic strategies that embed communication strategies to enhance explicitness in meaning and preempt potential problems in interaction. In BELF, using successful communication strategies takes precedence over language proficiency, empowering BELF learners to become competent business individuals in multilingual workplace contexts. Understanding these dynamics is essential for designing pedagogical approaches that foster successful multilingual communication in contexts where English functions as a shared or second language. In this workshop, I will review basic CS in L2 pragmatics and more advanced CS in BELF through case studies mimicking real-life scenarios. Participants will explore the concepts through hands-on activities such as role-play, discussion, and guided analysis. Through this process, participants will brainstorm and learn ways to teach communication strategies to their students, enabling them to succeed in multicultural interactional contexts in business or otherwise. Participants will also have the opportunity to switch between learner and teacher perspectives to understand and explore communication strategies.