The course aims to enable students to achieve level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (intermediate level) in the following skills:
- Listening and reading comprehension: students will be able to
understand texts relating to their areas of interest and their subject area
understand the news (in written and audio form)
- Speaking (both alone and in conversation): students will be able to
discuss everyday topics related to their personal lives or professional environment;
after reading press articles or watching a video, summarise the main points and then discuss them with the teacher (in-depth questions, brief opinion);
talk about a TV series or films they have watched in English, whether closely or loosely related to their field of study or their job;
present and promote a product or service in order to highlight its benefits
- Written expression
Students will be able to write professional emails
The course is primarily aimed at developing oral and written communication skills at B1 level (see CEFR). It focuses on
- writing texts required in a professional context (emails, descriptions of products or services);
- oral skills such as everyday conversations, discussing the news and describing products or services for sales purposes.
Through these communication skills, particular attention will be paid to grammatical and lexical accuracy, as well as to pragmatic skills.
The course will cover the following topics: well-being at work (relationships, working environment), communication (internal and external), business, and ethics in the workplace.
The course will be given through interactive sessions in which students will be expected to participate actively.
Both language skills and communication skills (‘soft skills’) will be developed.
The course will be delivered in a hybrid format, with five face-to-face sessions and three sessions on the Microsoft Teams platform. Students will be added to the 'team' in due course. Opportunities to practise oral and written expression are planned for each session.
The final mark is calculated as follows:
A) Continuous assessment (60%):
- Written and oral tasks completed during class sessions (25%):
o Email (10%)
o Description and presentation of a product or service (15%) – no resit possible in August (mark carried over)
- Grammar/vocabulary (35%):
o Test 1 (15%)
o Test 2 (20%)
B) Oral exam during the exam period (40%)
- Presentation of a press file** and a ‘business’ series
The course can only be passed if all parts have been successfully completed.
August session
In the event of an overall fail for the course, students need only retake the parts for which they did not achieve at least 10/20. The final mark and the mark allocation for the August resit session are the same as during the academic year:
* The grammar/vocabulary tests will cover the vocabulary units mentioned in the self-study section as well as the grammar and vocabulary covered in class (lecture notes, videos and texts). Specifically, students will be asked to: (1) identify and correct errors (vocabulary, grammar and style) in sentences or paragraphs, (2) complete sentences with the appropriate word (vocabulary, grammar and style), and (3) translate short sentences.
** Students must submit a press file in order to be eligible for the oral exam.
Please note: the ‘Product description and presentation’ assignment cannot be retaken in August. The June mark is carried over automatically.
Lecture notes are available on Webcampus.
Vocabulary book: Bill Mascull, Business Vocabulary in Use – Intermediate, 3rd edition, Cambridge University Press (2017).
| Training | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Economics and Management (Evenings and Weekends Schedule) | 2 | 6 | Yes |