Digital pragmatics and AI tools in business English

This study examines the role of English as a global lingua franca in business communication, highlighting the transformative impacts of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) on English language teaching (ELT). While research in ELT has traditionally examined English for Specific Purposes (ESP), limited attention has been given to how digital platforms such as email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and AI-driven tools reshape communicative practices in professional contexts. Utilizing business linguistics, digital pragmatics, and AI-assisted terminology teaching, this study employs a mixed-methods design that combines survey data with discourse analysis across six industry sectors. The findings reveal the rise of hybrid communication styles that merge written and spoken modes, alongside new challenges in register, tone modulation, intercultural negotiation, and the ethical use of AI in professional discourse. By integrating interdisciplinary insights from business linguistics and AI into ELT, the study advances innovative approaches to preparing learners for multilingual, digitally mediated workplaces. It contributes both theoretical perspectives on evolving lingua franca practices and practical recommendations for curriculum design, particularly in the areas of ESP, AI-based terminology learning, digital pragmatics, and intercultural competence.