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Adapting authentic workplace talk for workplace training 531

rooted in real workplace language. Our analyses of the complexities of authen-
tic workplace interaction suggest that teaching materials need to move beyond
formulaic phrases and artificially constructed text book dialogues, which bear
little relation to genuine workplace talk. The evidence surveyed in this paper in-
dicates that distinctive ways of doing things develop in particular communities
of practice. Our experience suggests that teachers therefore need to make use of
multi-media resources for work-oriented communications skills courses, based,
preferably, on authentic interaction in the organizations and worksites in which
their students will be working.
In conclusion, authentic materials are a valuable resource for assisting mi-
grants to become more informed, sensitive, flexible, and strategically equipped
communicators in their second language (Tomlinson and Masuhara 2004: 7).
Such materials can be instrumental in encouraging critical awareness of the as-
sumptions and values that lie beneath utterances and behaviour, and in develop-
ing the ability to assess situations and recognize multiple interpretations. Most
importantly for intercultural communication training purposes, such materials
can help alert trainees to likely areas of cultural difference thus enabling them to
better negotiate the distance between their own and the new culture. In sum, our
work on authentic materials provides evidence that the expensive and complex
business of collecting and analysing authentic workplace interaction has worth-
while practical outcomes for those engaged in preparing people for the com-
municative demands of the workplace.

Appendix

‘Mistakes creeping into our work’

The workplace: A ministry of the New Zealand Government

The people:
– Sara (53) is the manager of a team within this ministry.
– Ripeka (48) is communications manager for the ministry.
– Ella (42), Simon (37), and Marisse (34) are all report writers who work in
the team.
– The team have worked together for about one year.

The situation:
Sara is holding a weekly meeting with her team. She has noticed an increas-
ing number of writing errors in documents produced by the team. These
documents include letters sent to the public, and reports posted on the min-
istry website and sent to government officials.