Course detail

Business English

FEKT-XPC-BENAcad. year: 2023/2024

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 both on the development of communication skills and the ability to use the acquired knowledge actively as part of solving case studies that cover topical events.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

PhDr. Bc. Dagmar Šťastná

Department

Department of Foreign Languages (UJAZ)

Entry knowledge

Knowledge of English at B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Completion of the subject Practical English 2.

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.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Assessment
Credit test – 40 point total / minimum points to meet the course requirements is 24.
1. 75% attendance
2. E-learning activities – maximum 10 points (without a required minimum of points)
3. Credit test – maximum 30 points (without a required minimum of points)

Examination – 60 ponits total / minimum points to meet the course requirements is 30.
1. Listening with comprehension – maximum 30 points / minimum 15 points
2. Reading with comprehension (professional text) – maximum 30 points / minimum 15 points

100 points in total (credit test and examination). The final score is calculated from the achieved number of points.

The content and forms of instruction in the course are specified by a regulation issued by the lecturer responsible for the course and updated for every academic year.
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%, missed classes must be compensated by students.

Aims

The course focuses on characteristic features of professional business communication. Students will be introduced to the LSP language in common economic and business contexts, which represents:
- activation of grammatical structures typical for technical language,
- enhancing their general and business vocabulary,
- communication and presentation skills in terms of working environment,
- application of principles of business correspondence.

At the end of this course, students should be able to:
- 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 and business meetings,
- apply specialized terminology in business negotiations, presentations, communication within international teams, or business correspondence.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

JOHNSON, Christine a Irene BARRALL. Intelligent Business Upper Intermediate. Skills Book. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006. ISBN 9780582846968.
MACKENZIE, Ian. English for business studies: a course for business studies and economics students. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-521-74341-9.
TRAPPE, Tonya, Graham TULLIS, Louise PILE, Susan LOWE, Christine JOHNSON a Irene BARRALL. Intelligent business: upper intermediate business English. Harlow: Pearson Education, 2006. ISBN 0-582-84809-1.

Type of course unit

Language exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

PhDr. Bc. Dagmar Šťastná

Syllabus

The following topics will be covered during the semester:
I Business practice:
1 Recruitment: job application, recruitment stages, digitalization and mobile technology in human resources
2 Management: functions of a management, characteristics of a good manager, managerial skills
3 Company structure: types of company structure, acquisitions, mergers, building business relationships
4 Negotiating: types of negotiations, negotiators' strategies, developing BATNA, cross-cultural negotiations
5 Project management: project phases, tasks within each phase, possible risks and their solution
6 Teamworking: team roles and responsibilities, effective teambuilding with focus on relevant communication skills
7 Meetings: types of meetings, meeting techniques, attending and chairing a meeting, digital technologies
8 Business informatics: corporate information systems and creating company websites
9 Marketing: market segmentation, marketing research, marketing mix, the role of digital media in advertising
10 Presentation skills: types of presentations and their structure, preparation, technical equipment, presentation in terms of multinational corporates

II Cross-Cultural Business Behaviour:
1 Managing: linear-active vs. multi-active vs. reactive cultures
2 Team-working: individualist vs. collectivist cultures
3 Presentations and meetings: monochronic vs. synchronic cultures
4 Bargaining and negotiating: deal-focused (confrontational) vs. relationship-focused (harmonising)
5 Business relationships and making small talk: specific vs. diffuse cultures
6 Attitudes to criticism: specific vs. diffuse cultures
7 Attitudes to risk: high certainty avoidance vs. low certainty avoidance
8 Meetings: consensus-oriented vs. results-oriented cultures
9 Giving presentations: substance-oriented vs. style-oriented cultures, low context vs. high context cultures
10 Questioning styles: direct vs. indirect cultures.

VUT

Faculties

University Institutes

Parts

Business English

Type of course unit