In today’s globalised world, large-scale migration is the norm. A contributing factor to the successful settlement of migrants is the ability to access work and economic security. This book focuses on the lived experiences of migrants who (try to) access the workplace, and explores the barriers and support they encounter. The editors bring together studies which look at the ways in which inclusion and exclusion from the workplace are done linguistically from historical, discourse analytical, narrative and language assessment perspectives. The chapters represent an innovative, holistic, intersectional and multidisciplinary approach to the subject, and illustrate a wide range of analytical methods and theoretical tools for the study of multilingualism and professional identity. The rich empirical data contained in the book cover a variety of professional contexts and countries, and the book will appeal to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

This expert editorial team present a rich range of research from diverse temporal, geographical and linguistic contexts. Qualitative analysis of workplace interactions explores migrants’ lived experience and the complex relationship between language policy and actual practices. At the forefront of workplace discourse research, the editors strongly advocate an activist agenda for sociolinguistics and applied linguistics research. * Janet Holmes, Professor Emerita, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand *
This book offers rich insights into the various ways in which language matters in the working life of migrants. The fine-grained ethnographic and historical contributions remind us of the crucial political dimension of language and its impact on the lives of people on the move. The volume constitutes a valuable resource for sociolinguists, applied linguists and discourse analysts. * Alexandre Duchêne, University of Fribourg, Switzerland *
This outstanding volume employs interdisciplinary and critical sociolinguistic, theoretical and methodological frameworks to explore the debate over which language competences and ‘skills’ might be regarded as adequate or not, by whom and why – especially in the case of migrant workers. It becomes apparent that the workplace continues to be one of the salient contexts which perpetuates societal power asymmetries. This book is a must read for scholars and laypeople alike who are concerned about the rising inequalities in our globalized societies. * Ruth Wodak, Emerita Professor, Lancaster University, UK and University of Vienna, Austria *

Jo Angouri is Professor and Academic Director of Education and Internationalisation at the University of Warwick, UK. Her research focuses on workplace interaction (corporate/health), multilingualism, diversity and migration, and language and politics.

Julie Kerekes is Associate Professor in Language and Literacies Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada. Her research interests include interlanguage pragmatics, language and power in intercultural institutional settings, and workplace communication.

Minna Suni is Professor of Finnish Language at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She is a specialist in Finnish as a second language. Her recent research projects have focused on second language learning and use in the workplace.