Review of the Advances in International Business English Research(2001-2024)

doi:10.12002/j.bisu.632

Abstract

Abstract:

A text-mining approach was used in this study to investigate the thematic research areas, developmental trajectories, representative theories, and methodological features of 725 business English papers that were published in SSCI journals between 2001 and 2024. The ﬁndings revealed that research on international business English centered on five major thematic areas, namely business English teaching, corporate external discourse, corporate internal communication, English as a lingua franca, and the linguistic and quantitative analyses of business discourse. Research on international business English has experienced ﬁve major developmental phases: discourse strategy in business contexts (2001-2005), cross-cultural business communication and need-based business English teaching (2006-2010), English as a lingua franca and corporate discourse governance (2011-2015), transnational corporation discourse and specialized business English teaching (2016-2020), and digital and data-driven business discourse and business English teaching (2021-2024). In addition, the representative theories of international business English research were cross-cultural business communication theory, intertextuality and genre analysis theory, and rhetorical theory. Empirical research methods occupied a dominant position, and nonempirical research methods mainly pertained to viewpoint synthesis and theoretical construction. The investigation into the trajectory of research on international business English will enable domestic business English academics to trace international trends; it sheds light on and has implications for research on and the teaching of domestic business English.

Keywords: international business English; developmental phases; thematic areas; representative theories; research methods; text-mining approach

摘要：

本研究基于Web of Science 数据库，运用文本挖掘法，考察了2001—2024年SSCI来源期刊发表的725篇商务英语研究论文中的热点话题、发展脉络、代表性理论和研究方法，梳理了国外商务英语的研究进展。研究发现，国外商务英语研究主要聚焦五大主题，即商务英语教学、企业对外话语、企业内部沟通、世界通用语和商务话语语言特征与计量分析；发展脉络呈现五波发展浪潮，包括商务语境中的话语策略（2001—2005）、跨文化商务交流与基于需求的教学（2006—2010）、世界通用语与企业话语治理（2011—2015）、跨国公司话语与专业化教学（2016—2020）、数字语境与数据驱动下的商务话语与教学（2021—2024）。代表性理论包括跨文化商务交际、互文性与体裁分析和修辞学理论。在研究方法上，以实证研究方法为主，非实证研究方法多为观点总结和理论建构。希望本研究有助于厘清国际商务英语研究脉络，并对国内相关研究及教学具有一定启示作用。

关键词: 国外商务英语, 研究进展, 主题领域, 代表性理论, 研究方法, 文本挖掘法

CLC Number:

H319

Li Chenxin, Li Lin. Review of the Advances in International Business English Research(2001-2024)[J]. Journal of Beijing International Studies University, 2026, 48(1): 128-141.

李称鑫, 李琳. 国外商务英语研究进展分析（2001—2024）[J]. 北京第二外国语学院学报, 2026, 48(1): 128-141.

Figures/Tables 3

References 35

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时间	热点话题词
2001—2005	context、business、discourse strategy、negotiation、culture、report、interview、mood、letter、move、work、survey
2006—2010	culture、meeting、organization、need、business communication、corpus、effect、concept、metaphor、relation、teaching、 subordinate
2011—2015	lingua franca、difference、meeting、corporation、student、genre、professional、teaching、manager、corpus、CSR、face、fact、politeness
2016—2020	discourse、company、text、interaction、student、critical discourse analysis、power
2021—2024	communication、context、model、effect、practice、information、use、service、relationship、impact、customer、product

时间	热点话题词
2001—2005	context、business、discourse strategy、negotiation、culture、report、interview、mood、letter、move、work、survey
2006—2010	culture、meeting、organization、need、business communication、corpus、effect、concept、metaphor、relation、teaching、 subordinate
2011—2015	lingua franca、difference、meeting、corporation、student、genre、professional、teaching、manager、corpus、CSR、face、fact、politeness
2016—2020	discourse、company、text、interaction、student、critical discourse analysis、power
2021—2024	communication、context、model、effect、practice、information、use、service、relationship、impact、customer、product