Business English 1

Subject	Business English 1
Semester	3rd and 4th semester
Type	Required
ECTS	9 ECTS
Study programme:	Business studies
Primary language:	English

Introduction
The course will be held in English, and it is a compulsory course in compliance with the officially approved curriculum of the Undergraduate Degree Programme in Business Studies.
 
Course Prerequisites
English language competence at Level B1 or the completed final matura exam.
 
Objectives and Competences

• Focus is on spoken production in various business contexts,
• Business English skills used in a professional environment both inside and outside the company,
• Comprehension and the use of authentic business texts and literature on selected topics (marketing, managements, corporate finance, stock exchange. etc.),
• Formation and presentation of business concepts, ideas and achievements (arguments, business reports),
• Ability to extend one's knowledge by reading and understanding professional literature (books, articles, reports etc.),
• Ability to take part in meetings and negotiations,
• Ability to give effective presentations,
• Effective business and professional writing (business letters, formal emails, reports, CV-s).

Intended Learning Outcomes
After passing the exam students will be able to communicate in the business environment.
The focus of the course is on spoken and written production, therefore students are expected to take part in meetings and negotiations, give effective presentations, communicate in various business situations and produce written documents.
During the preparation for Cambridge Higher Exam, the focus is on all four skills in line with the structure of the exam.

Content

• interactive and applied fluency practice to encourage students to express their opinions and ideas clearly and with confidence, integrating new vocabulary and idiomatic phrases, and incorporating more sophisticated and complex language structures,
• team work where students establish their own companies,
• revision of challenging grammar points as feedback based on students written and spoken production,
• listening and reading practice to improve students' understanding of documents and oral presentations on business topics,
• increasing the range of vocabulary related to business and social situations, developing the students' ability to effectively communicate in international business environments (including business letters and e-mails),
• role-plays are used during sessions to simulate a wide variety of business situations such as presentations, marketing techniques, negotiations, job interviews, telephone communication and international meetings,

Learning and teaching methods

• Tailored and effective language training based on students' individual and group work.
• Students’ creativity is fostered during their team work ‘Establishing your own company’.
• The students are encouraged to actively participate in speaking activities, language issues are given as feedback after these activities.
• Presentation and analysis of selected topics based on authentic English texts.
• By researching, discussing and working in groups all language skills are used and developed.
• Class discussions, role-playing.
• Audio-visual materials.
• Student presentations, home assignments.

Assessment methods
During the course work the students are preparing for the international exam Cambridge Business Higher, which is the basis for the final grade.
Students may also decide to take the Business English exam at our Faculty. Then the final grade is composed of active participation in group work (20%), term paper and its presentation (20%), and the written and oral exam (60%).

Course material

• Brook-Hart, Guy. 2009. Business Benchmark. Advanced. Student's Book. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Wood, Ian et al. 2013. ASS Cambridge BEC Preliminary. Student's Book. Hampshire: Heinle, Cengage Learning.
   

Office hours

• Before and after sessions.
• Upon request.