Business English 2

Subject	Business English 2
Semester	1st and 2nd semester
Type	Required
ECTS	6 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 Master's Degree Programme in Business Sciences.
 
Course prerequisites
English language competence at Level B2 (language competence level expected after the completed university-level Program in Business Studies).
 
Objectives and competences

• researcher’s development and serious preparation for research work encouraging students’ preferences
• encouraging ethics in research projects and business cases
• regular oral reports on research progress in class
• end-of-semester oral and written reports on students’ research findings
• writing reports, articles and letters of enquiry (finding potential research partners)
• research methods
• discussion points
• encouraging language production in meaningful business contexts
• encouraging speaking and writing: one spoken and one written assignment every week in line with the course plan
• differentiating between individualistic and collectivist business cultures

Intended learning outcome

• achieving fluency in spoken interactions
• capability of active participation in meetings and conferences (presentations, debates)
• writing effective business and academic reports
• capability of conducting individual research

Content

• Serious coaching to encourage individual students to become independent researchers capable of attracting funds and research partners
• Encouraging students to involve various aspects of ethics in their research projects
• Role-playing to encourage fluent spoken interaction in a wide range of more complex business situations
• Doing business across cultures
• Intercultural competences in business
• Team work on doing business in various countries around the world based on 9 criteria (business etiquette, business meetings and negotiations, dress code, punctuality, business gifts, socializing in business, high context vs low context cultures, collectivism vs individualism, cultural stereotypes)
• Understanding Geert Hofstede’s six criteria for differentiating business cultures (Power Distance, Individualism vs Collectivism, Masculinity vs Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long Term vs Short Term Orientation, Indulgence vs Restraint)
• individualistic and collectivist business cultures
• High Context and Low Context business cultures
• Doing business in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan and Australia
• The biggest blunders in international business, and what we can learn from them
• SWOT analysis based on cases from international business
• Business correspondence focusing on finding funds, business and research partners around the world
• Every student produces a spoken and written assignment every week in line with the course plan
• Encouraging creativity, innovation and ethical approach in doing business

Learning and teaching methods

• writing reports, business plans and business letters following communication activities in class
• presentations, meetings, negotiations, debates
• team work
• individual and group reports
• active involvement in research projects of other students
• role-playing, debates, audio-visual material, written and spoken assignments

Assessment methods
The final grade is composed of written assignments (20%), speaking activities (20%), and the written and oral exam (60%)
 
Course material

• Kim, Chan W; Mauborgne, Renée. Blue Ocean Strategy. Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant. Harvard Business Review Press. 2015.
• Hofstede, Geert. Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Sage Publications. 2003.
• Saunders, Mark N. K. Doing Research in Business and Management. Financial Times / Prantice Hall. 2014.
• Ricks, David A. Blunders in International Business. Wiley-Blackwell. 2006.
• Business Publications: Economist, Businessweek – Bloomberg, Fortune Magazine.
• E-classroom material
• Šega, L. Veliki moderni poslovni slovar, angleško-slovenski, Cankarjeva založba. 1997.
• English-English business dictionaries

 Office hours

• Before and after sessions
• Upon request