Course detail

English for Business Communication 1

FP-AOP1Acad. year: 2014/2015

The course follows up on language studied in the compulsory course of Business English in the first year of study. The course is focused on general language as well as characteristic features of business communication at B2 level. It provides students with the relevant specialist language and professional communication skills they will need in the workplace.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Mgr. Dita Gálová, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Foreign Languages (ÚJ)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

The course is intended to deepen the student’s language skills necessary for professional communication using relevant vocabulary.

Prerequisites

Course is intended for students who are familiar with the language at B1 level (intermediate) since it focuses mainly on vocabulary and communication skills. They are expected to have completed the course of Business English in the first year of study.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course it taught by means of language lessons focused on practicing language skills and developing vocabulary. It includes also individual work of students in the elearning environment.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Course-unit credit is awarded on condition of having attended the seminars actively and worked out all assigned tasks for self-study. Students have to pass a credit test reaching 60% points as minimum. The credit test has one regular term and two resits.

Course curriculum

1. U1 Connections: Tense overview. Question forms.
2. U1 Connections: Making and changing arrangements. Structuring presentations.
3. U1 Connections: Developing conversations. Making a good impression.
4. U2 Transformation: Modal overview – obligation, permission, prohibition. Future forms.
5. U2 Transformation: Body language. Structure a pitch.
6. U2 Transformation: Persuasion techniques. Pitching an idea.
7. U3 What’s up?: Present perfect and past simple.
8. U3 What’s up?: Discourse markers. Talking about problems. Euphemisms.
9. U3 What’s up?: Reacting to news. Crisis management.
10. U4 A better world: Countable and uncountable nouns. Articles overview.
11. U4 A better world: 'Time' and 'money'. Metaphors – money, water, happiness.
12. U4 A better world: Handling meetings. Making decisions.
13. Credit.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The aim of the course is to acquaint the students with language skills used in professional communication (reading, listening, speaking, writing) and to provide them with specific structures of business English.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Attendance at seminars is systematically checked by the teacher. Absence may be in justified cases compensated for by the agreement with the teacher.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

APPLEBY, R. and WATKINS, F. International Express Upper-Intermediate Student's Book Third Edition. OUP 2014. ISBN 978-0-19-459761-6 (EN)

Recommended reading

MANN, Malcolm a Steve TAYLORE-KNOWLES. Destination B2: grammar and vocabulary : [with answer key]. Oxford: Macmillan, 2006. ISBN 9780230035386. (EN)
MASCULL, Bill. Business vocabulary in use: advanced. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-521-74940-4. (EN)
MURPHY, Raymond. English grammar in use: a self-study reference and practice book for intermediate learners of English: with answers. 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, c2012, x, 380 s. ISBN 9780521189064. (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BAK Bachelor's

    branch BAK-EPM , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch BAK-EP , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch BAK-UAD , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective

  • Programme BAK-KME Bachelor's

    branch BAK-MME , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective

Type of course unit

 

Language exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Pavla Staňková
Mgr. Petra Zmrzlá, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. U9 Logistics.
2. U9 Exchanging information – placing and handling of orders.
3. U9 How to leave a voicemail message. Reported speech.
4. U10 Facilities. Describing a place of work.
5. U10 Meetings - making suggestions and recommendations.
6. U10 Nouns and quantifiers.
7. U11 Decisions.
8. U11 Meetings - Participating in a discussion.
9. U11 How to be persuasive. First and second conditional.
10. U12 Innovation.
11. U12 Presenting – giving a formal presentation.
12. U12 How to respond to difficult questions and comments. Superlative forms.
13. Credit test.