Article
Language, Power, and Professional Communication: An English Studies Perspective on Business and Legal Discourse
Language is not merely a neutral medium of communication but a powerful social instrument through which authority, professional identity, institutional legitimacy, and organizational relationships are constructed and maintained. This study examines the relationship between language, power, and professional communication from an English Studies perspective, with particular emphasis on business and legal discourse. Drawing upon Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), discourse studies, pragmatics, and professional communication theory, the research explores how linguistic choices influence organizational interactions, legal interpretation, professional authority, and institutional power structures. The study adopts a qualitative analytical approach based on contemporary literature in discourse studies, professional communication, and legal linguistics. Findings indicate that both business and legal discourse rely heavily on specialized linguistic conventions, persuasive strategies, genre-specific structures, and power-oriented communicative practices that shape professional outcomes and organizational effectiveness. Furthermore, language functions not only as a mechanism for transmitting information but also as a means of constructing professional identities, regulating institutional behavior, and reinforcing social hierarchies. The study contributes to English Studies scholarship by providing an interdisciplinary framework for understanding the communicative dynamics of professional environments and the role of discourse in the production and maintenance of power relations.