Introduction

The chapter begins with a discussion of language use at work, considering its prominent role in the operations of many workplaces and professional roles. Speaking, writing and interacting with other colleagues, (prospective) customers or clients, or any other members of the public all form an important aspect of what we do when we work. At the same time, issues associated with communication continue to be some of the most widely reported in this important sphere of public life. In the chapter, I discuss the reasons behind this trend and consider the potential of applied linguistics to address real-world issues where communication takes centre stage, and to account for and inform the communicative practices of work. The chapter considers also the extent to which linguistics research can engage with the evaluation of language use, and label specific communicative practices as, for example, ‘effective’. The chapter ends with an overview of the key aims and the structure of this book, providing a departure point for the broader discussion of how leadership and collaboration are realised in talk at work, and the broader implications of this.