This course complements and is the continuation of English: Writing. Its main aim is to integrate theoretical knowledge, both previously acquired and new, with the practical skills of understanding and producing the spoken language. Further aims deriving from this are as follows:
- To provide students with language models (structures and lexis used in Business English) suitable for different professional situations related to the advertising and PR sectors (mainly business meetings and presentations) and opportunities to practise different types of interaction and talk about topics related to professional and non-professional life (Social English). - To improve students’ ability to understand the spoken language.
- To foster students’ ability to use language functions effectively: to express and ask for ideas, opinions, wishes; to negotiate, to solve problems, and so on.
- To help students to develop verbal communication strategies.
- To improve grammatical accuracy, fluency and pronunciation. A large part of the course is devoted to fluency activities which are carried out in pairs or groups and involve discussions of topics previously suggested by the students
- To increase students’ awareness of the cultural factors associated with the need to communicate effectively with professionals from around the world, with special emphasis on the Anglo-American model of verbal interaction.
- To encourage students to become as involved as possible in their own learning process.
- To foster students’ autonomy as well as the ability to work in groups.

To achieve these aims the course has been divided into 2 blocks, which are:
i) business meetings.
ii) presentations.

Each block contains specific learning activities which are directly related to the topic dealt with, as well as more general activities which continue throughout the course: talking on the telephone, social English and grammar and lexis.

The methodology used is very active and all the learning activities require a high level of participation from students, so attending classes is recommended. The standard of English is B2 / upper- intermediate (equivalent to Cambridge First Certificate in English).

Introduction to business meetings.
Key vocabulary.
Opening a meeting: setting the agenda.
During the meeting: expressing your opinion; expressing agreement and disagreement; interrupting; the importance of turn-taking.
Closing a meeting.
The important of cultural factors and cross-cultural communication.
Social English.
Talking on the telephone.
Fluency activities.

Introduction: how to give effective presentations (and how not to).
Basic techniques: the start; the main body (structuring your ideas; signposting); the finish.
Powerful techniques to connect with the audience: repetition, the rule of three, mantras, etc.
Questions from the audience and effective strategies for answering them.
Solutions to problems with numbers and strategies for presenting large numbers
Social English.
Talking on the telephone.
Fluency activities.

ECTS Credits

Business English Frameworks: Emerson P. (Cambridge University Press, 2002)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/english.shtm
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-english-gateway
http://iteslj.org/links/TESL/Lessons/Role_Plays/
http://prositeseslflow.homestead.com/businessenglish.htm
http://www.thehub.com
http://www.inc.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit2meetings

Perfect Your Presentations: Shipside S. (Dorling Kindersley, 2006)
Presentations in English: Williams E. J. (Macmillan, 2008) www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit3presentations/ http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/articles/index.plpage=7;read=1388
http://www.communication.howstuffworks.com
http://www.peo.cambridge.org/
http://www.eslcafe.com/idea/?display:923347923-14775.txt

Role-play of a business meeting, recorded on a CD or memory stick

A team presentation U, recorded on a CD or memory stick Grade will be awarded on the basis of the quality of the presentation and the attention paid to register, as well as the level of English.

Written exam containing vocabulary and language structure exercises; an exercise based on a text about a topic previously studied; analysis of  the partial or full transcript of a presentation.

Retake under the Continuous Assessment System
Requirements: students with final grades between 4.5 and 5 out of 10 qualify for the retake.

1


2

A 3-minute presentation (the topic is to be chosen by the student and related to advertising / PR) using the techniques studied. 

The presentation is to be recorded and given to the lecturer on the day of the written exam.

Written exam: grammatical concepts, language functions and lexis; writing the script of a presentation on a topic related to advertising / PR chosen by the lecturer The grade will be awarded in function of the of use of the correct register as well as the standard of English.

60%

40%

A short presentation on a topic chosen by the student and related to advertising / PR. The presentation is to be given on the day of the exam and will be recorded by the lecturer.