Why can’t you help me? Pragmatic and cultural competence advice for *EAL background **WSBO (* English as an additional language **Women who are small business owners)

Fester, A. & Thrikawala, S. (2025). Why can’t you help me? Pragmatic and cultural competence advice for
*EAL background **WSBO. New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.59690/fm90142

Owning a small business comes with several challenges and for those who identify as English as an additional language (EAL) migrant women who are small business owners (WSBO), some of the challenges are further exacerbated. These further challenges may be linked to the fact that they identify as female and that they are English as another language speakers. For the research project reported on in this article, a cohort of these businesswomen in Aotearoa New Zealand and specifically in the Waikato Region completed a survey and were interviewed on challenges that they faced. In the survey and interviews with the businesswomen and a group of their stakeholders, some challenges emerged that related to language and cultural competence. To provide potential solutions or management suggestions, interviews were conducted with a cohort of applied linguists who are English language teachers. The aim was to get the teachers’ perspectives and advice on how the businesswomen could address several language and cultural competence situations.

Keywords: businesswomen, pragmatics, intercultural communication, English as an international language, English as an additional language, applied linguists