Pragmatic manipulation of metapragmatic expressions in BELF meetings

Abstract This article explores the function of metapragmatic expressions (MPEs) as pragmatic manipulation during Business English as a lingua franca (BELF) meetings within the framework of the socio-cognitive approach (SCA), with special attention to how MPEs in the chair’s utterances reveal their way of using institutional power to accomplish communicative tasks. Drawing on data from three BELF meetings from the Vienna-Oxford International Corpus of English, four types of MPEs are identified in the chair’s utterances. Their pragmatic manipulation is examined in three dimensions: information-oriented, procedure-oriented, and interpersonal relationship-oriented. Data analysis reveals that MPEs are intended to activate shared senses (e.g., shared experiences, mutual knowledge, and common interests) and current senses (e.g., personal judgments, evaluations, and opinions). The activation of these senses supports the creation of emergent common ground to control and shape ongoing interactions, which leads towards task accomplishment. The findings shed light on English language teaching and professional training.