English as a lingua franca in business negotiations

This dissertation contributes to the study of English as a lingua franca in business negotiations focussing, among other aspects, on the pragmatic functions of conditionals. What sets English as a lingua franca apart from other forms of usage? Is there a regularity to the use of conditionals? What functions do different forms of conditionals have in lingua franca English business negotiation? The author uses business encounters recorded at an international music trade fair as her data and shows that non-standard as well as standard conditionals are used in different phases of business negotiations to indicate different degrees of commitment.