Learning objectives
Overall spoken interaction
• Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes interaction with speakers at a similar or higher level possible.
• Take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining personal views and opinions.
• Present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to business management, marketing, and other topics.
• Explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Overall listening comprehension
• Understand speech and presentations of moderate length and follow lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar.
• Understand the important points of a short TV news and current affairs feature with standard British or American pronunciation.
• Develop strategies for difficult communication situations—phone conversations, strong accents, unfamiliar topics, etc.
Overall reading comprehension
• Read short to medium-length articles and reports on business management and marketing in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints.
• Understand the overall meaning of more complicated texts—particularly articles regarding business and marketing topics.
Overall written interaction
• Write clear texts on subjects related to the business marketing and communication.
• Write a short report or analysis, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view.
• Write emails to make arrangements or to provide updates or information on a topic.
Prerequisites
A beginning course in English.
Course unit content
Business English
Full programme
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Bibliography
“Principles of Marketing” -- The University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Creative Commons license https://bit.ly/2xa3eYR
Teaching methods
This course integrates all core language skills—reading, writing, speaking, pronunciation, and listening—in a balanced and clear series of units all of which are centered on the work, life experiences, and communications needs of the participants.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final examination consists of one written test. The exam paper is the same for attending and non-attending students. The exercises are to be completed in 90 minutes. No dictionaries are allowed. Devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc. are forbidden.
The exam paper includes:
A. nineteen grammar multiple choice questions
B. one grammar and vocabulary exercise with ten multiple choice, gap-filling options
C. ten business collocations that must be matched to their synonyms
D. two content questions that are taken from the required reading for the course
E. one email writing exercise (one question with all pertainent information included)
F. one short opinion or analysis essay (one question given with a provided text to respond to; minimum length 200 words).
To pass the exam, students need to obtain a total score of at least 18 out of 30. The “lode” is awarded if the highest score is reached in every exercise.
Students who complete all the required homework for the class may receive up to two bonus points.
The final grade is published in esse3 within eight days of taking the exam.
All the components of the final exam refer to the grammar areas, the lexis, the text typologies, and the topics covered during the semester, both in class and for homework, with a view to properly assessing the extent to which students have reached the learning objectives described above.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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