Translanguaging, agency, and transpositioning: unpacking Chinese business expatriates’ communication practices in Singapore
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Bin Ai
Bin Ai is professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China. He obtained his PhD in Deakin University, Australia in 2014 and his research interests focus on applied linguistics, multilingualism, and intercultural communication studies.
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Siying Tian
Siying Tian is an undergraduate at the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China. Her recent research interests focus on applied linguistics and business communication.
Xiaomei Qiao is professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China. She obtained her PhD in University of Arizona, USA in 2009, and her research interests focus on applied linguistics and language and cognitive processes.
Abstract
Under the influence of economic globalization, many globalizing companies are seeking for overseas markets and sending employees to a host workplace as business expatriates. Although extant studies have explored issues relating to business expatriates’ cross-cultural practices, insufficient attention has been given to them from the perspective of the interplay of their translanguaging practices, agency, and their transpositioning. In this study, a cohort of Chinese business expatriates’ language/communication experiences in Singapore are examined, and in-depth interviews conducted to collect data for this paper. It is found that, although these business expatriates preferred to maintain their Chinese positioning, they have actively exercised agency and utilized translanguaging practices to achieve transpositioning and effective business communication. The collected data and its implications inform our suggestions for globalizing companies and business expatriates. This study provides insights into the translanguaging practices and transpositioning of business expatriates, contributing to transnational business communication research and offering language policy suggestions for globalizing enterprises.
Funding source: The National Research Fund for Social Sciences
Award Identifier / Grant number: 25BYY086
Funding source: Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Award Identifier / Grant number: 2024120073
Award Identifier / Grant number: 2025110966
About the authors
Bin Ai is professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China. He obtained his PhD in Deakin University, Australia in 2014 and his research interests focus on applied linguistics, multilingualism, and intercultural communication studies.
Siying Tian is an undergraduate at the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China. Her recent research interests focus on applied linguistics and business communication.
Xiaomei Qiao is professor at the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China. She obtained her PhD in University of Arizona, USA in 2009, and her research interests focus on applied linguistics and language and cognitive processes.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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Research funding: This work was supported by Shanghai University of Finance and Economics under Grant [No. 2024120073, 2025110966] and the National Research Fund for Social Sciences under Grant [25BYY086].
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Data availability: The qualitative data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions. Participants did not consent to having their full transcripts and videos shared publicly. However, anonymized excerpts from the data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with appropriate ethical approval.
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