Course detail
Business English
FEKT-HBENAcad. year: 2018/2019
The course focuses on characteristic features of professional business communication. Students will be introduced to the LSP language in common economic and business contexts.
The course develops students´general and business vocabulary as well as grammatical structures typical for technical language. The stress is put not only on the development of communication skills, but also on the ability to use the acquired knowledge actively.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Department
Learning outcomes of the course unit
- orientate themselves in English economic terminology relating to the covered topics,
- read and understand authentic professional texts at the upper-intermediate level,
- discuss covered economic topics,
- apply gained specialized terminology in simulations of negotiations within business meetings or presentations.
Prerequisites
Students are able to:
- use the grammatical structures according to the requirements of the given level,
- apply the knowledge of both formal and informal style in written communication,
- use the language means for the description of places and people,
- list and describe a number of free time activities and sport disciplines and discuss them in different social contexts,
- characterize different jobs and professions,
- communicate in the situations connected with travelling,
- disccuss the problems of tourism,
- express their opinion on media, especially the Internet and other electronic media,
- describe essential features of the scientific and technological development and its influence on lifestyle,
- give an account of different environmental problems and explain them in different contexts.
Co-requisites
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
2. An examination - the examination consists of two parts - listening and reading. Students may achieve 30 points for each part maximum. Final assessment reflects also the points achieved in the tests. Maximum number of points is 100.
The credit test and examination are based on the subject matter discussed during the semester and on the basic literature.
75% active participation in seminars and continuous work on given assignments are required.
Course curriculum
I. Business practice:
1 Recruitment: recruitment stages, interviewing candidates, job applications
2 Management: functions of a management, managerial skills, management styles, new trends in management and company structure
3 Project management: phases, tasks within each phase, possible risks
4 Teamworking: team roles, effective teambuilding, cooperation and communication of team members
5 Marketing: market segmentation, marketing research, marketing mix, product life-cycle
6 Advertising: communication mix, target groups, objectives of an advertising campaign, communication media, advertising agencies
7 Business informatics: introducing new technology, setting up a company website, its content and design, testing and maintenance
8 Meetings: preparation phase, types of meetings, chairing a meeting, participating in a meeting
9 Negotiating: asking questions, developing your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Argument), negotiating techniques and negotiators
10 Presentation skills: presentation preparation, structure, delivery techniques, visulas and voice techniques
II. Business negotiations in the context of cultural differences:
1. Managerial skills: linear-active vs. multi-active vs. reactive cultures
2. Teambuilding: individualistic vs. collectivist cultures
3. Attitudes to time - presentations and meetings: monochronic vs. synchronic/polychronic cultures
4. Negotiation and bargaining: deal-focused vs. relationship-focused cultures
5. Business relationships and networking: specific vs. diffuse cultures
6. Attitudes to criticism: specific vs. diffuse cultures
7. Attitudes to risk: high uncertainty avoidance vs. low uncertainty avoidance
8. Meetings: result-oriented vs. consensus-oriented cultures
9. Presentation skills: substance-oriented vs. style-oriented cultures; low context vs. high context cultures
10. Questioning style: direct vs. indirect cultures
Work placements
Aims
- activation of grammatical structures typical for technical language,
- enhancing their general and business vocabulary,
- acquiring presentation skills in English.
Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
The course takes over 13 weeks in the form of language exercises. 75% active participation in seminars is required. Absence must be properly apologized. If the absence exceeds 75%, it must be compensated by students for missed hours.
Recommended optional programme components
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
MacKenzie, Ian. English for Business Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Trappe, Tonya, and Graham Tullis. Intelligent Business Upper Intermediate. Coursebook. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006.
Recommended reading
Classification of course in study plans