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Regular version of the site
2022/2023

English for Business Purposes. Upper-Intermediate Course - 1

Language: English
ECTS credits: 3
Contact hours: 48

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The discipline refers to the variable educational tracks offered to students of the curricula for Bachelor's and Specialist's degrees of choice while mastering the optional course of English in accordance with the Concept of the Development of English-language Communicative Competence of HSE Students. This course is designed for students who want to communicate effectively in English in the workplace. It allows for the personalization of the learning experience with a structured modular approach that gives flexibility to focus on specific needs and learning outcomes. Students who have completed the discipline will learn basic professional terminology and vocabulary for the implementation of business communication and commercial activities and acquire oral and written skills in the field of business communication. Role-playing games involving telephone conversations, exchange of letters, participation in meetings, and meetings with business partners as well as case studies form and develop students' business communication skills in a meaningful and authentic professional context. By the end of the course, students will gain the skills and confidence to communicate effectively in English at the B2 level (HSE Scale 50-59).
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The course focuses on introducing students to the general vocabulary of work-place English and the main language functions and is aimed at acquiring language mastery relevant to common business communication areas, such as career choices and professional development, dealing with business sectors and managing projects. To apply BC skills to the specific subject area of International Affairs, from business conversations in the workplace, to negotiations and presentation skills. To acquire the basic skills of business communication (structural elements, business register peculiarities, essential business vocabulary) within multiple touch points from which to explore the possibilities of use of any given language skill. To build the basic skills of argumentative communication in English and successful representation of intentions and results to ensure the maximum range and authenticity of business content. To master presentation agility and fluency with the various skills, practical training in functional business areas such as presentations, negotiations, meeting facilitation, and brainstorming.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • To develop skills of using basic reading techniques skimming and scanning (predicting, understanding main ideas, understanding details)
  • To form skills of note-taking
  • To develop skills in delivering a monologue (informative/descriptive/argumentative/persuasive speech)
  • To develop skills in giving a presentation (informative/descriptive/argumentative/persuasive speech)
  • To develop skills in writing a summary
  • To develop skills in writing e-mails (business correspondence)
  • To develop skills of participating in dialogues on general, academic, and professional topics (active listening, questioning, responding to questions, emphasizing, discussion strategies)
  • To develop understanding of articles, reports and specialised texts concerned with contemporary problems at the vantage operational proficiency level
  • To develop skills of using basic listening techniques (predicting, understanding main ideas and details) To develop skills of using basic reading techniques skimming and scanning (predicting, understanding main ideas, understanding details) To develop understanding of lectures and learning context To develop understanding of specialised complex longer texts/articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems (CEFR)
  • To develop skills in writing a detailed structured CV
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • English for Business Purposes. Upper-Intermediate Course - 1
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Written Assessment (WA)
    The test can be retaken within 10 working days if the absence has been officially documented. Summary Assessment Criteria (max 10 points), CV, Letter Assessment
  • non-blocking Oral Assessment (OA)
    MONOLOGUE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (max 10 points),
  • non-blocking Student Independent Work Assessment (IWA)
    Task Achievement • Coherence and Cohesion • Grammar Accuracy • Lexical Resource • Meeting the deadline. Grading scale: 10 =100 - 96%, 9=95 - 91%, 8=90 - 86%, 7 = 85 - 78%, 6 =77 - 71%, 5= 70 - 61%, 4 = 60 - 51%, 3 = 50 - 36%, 2 = 35 - 21%, 1 = 20 - 1 %, 0 = 0%.
  • non-blocking Final Assessment (FA)
    The interim exam lasts 70 minutes. The exam is a written paper-and-pen test and is aimed at checking whether the student can demonstrate the acquisition of the learning objectives set. The exam consists of two parts, i.e. Listening (L) and Writing (W) that weigh 50% and 50% respectively in the total mark for the exam: Listening (L): Listen to the text ONCE and complete the tasks. Max. 10 points. Writing (W): Read the text. Write a summary on the text you have read. A student should write a 150-word summary. Students have no more than 20 minutes to complete the Listening (L) part and 50 minutes to complete the Writing (W) part. Grading formula: L*0,5 + W*0,5 = 10 The actual scores for Listening are turned into percentages which are tuned into a final mark out of 10 points. Grading scale: 10 =100 - 96%, 9=95 - 91%, 8=90 - 86%, 7 = 85 - 78%, 6 =77 - 71%, 5= 70 - 61%, 4 = 60 - 51%, 3 = 50 - 36%, 2 = 35 - 21%, 1 = 20 - 1 %, 0 = 0%. Writing is assessed against the criteria. Period of FA: 10 days prior to the 2nd module’s session. The release of examination papers: during the session. Retaking exams: till the 15th of February 2023. Time limit: 70 minutes online/offline. The structure of the exam: 1. Listening (L): Listen to the text ONCE and complete the tasks. Max. 10 points. Students have no more than 20 minutes to complete the Listening (L) part. 2. Writing (W) Read the text. Write a summary on the text you have read. A student should write a 150-word summary. Students have 50 minutes to complete the Writing (W) part. Grading formula: L*0,5 + W*0,5 = 10.
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2022/2023 2nd module
    0.3 * Final Assessment (FA) + 0.25 * Written Assessment (WA) + 0.25 * Student Independent Work Assessment (IWA) + 0.2 * Oral Assessment (OA)
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Keys to management, Cotton, D., 1996

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Company to Company: a new approach to business correspondence in English : Student's Book, Littlejohn, A., 1994
  • Effective presentations, Comfort, J., 2009
  • English for business studies : a course for business studies and economics students: student's book, MacKenzie, I., 2001
  • Стогниева, О. Н.  Английский язык для экономистов (B1–B2). English for Business Studies in Higher Education : учебное пособие для вузов / О. Н. Стогниева. — Москва : Издательство Юрайт, 2020. — 197 с. — (Высшее образование). — ISBN 978-5-534-10008-2. — Текст : электронный // Образовательная платформа Юрайт [сайт]. — URL: https://urait.ru/bcode/456076 (дата обращения: 28.08.2023).