ECTS credits ECTS credits: 6
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 18 Interactive Classroom: 30 Total: 51
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: English and German Philology
Areas: English Philology
Center Faculty of Business Administration and Management
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
This course has been designed for students with little or no previous experience in the business world and with a pre-intermediate level of English, which corresponds to the A2 level on the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR).
The main objective of the course is to improve students’ communicative skills so that they can interact in everyday work situations. At the end of this course students should reach level B1 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
To reach this general objective, students will have to develop their Business English language skills, with a focus on technology, and work on reading, writing, listening and speaking. This will allow them to improve their fluency, and to gain confidence when using English in work situations as a means of communication, both written and spoken.
The specific objectives of this course are the following:
• To introduce students to basic concepts of business, with a focus on technology
• To stimulate students’ interest in the subject
• To develop students’ reading, listening, writing and speaking skills
• To focus on language functions and structures particularly useful in business life
• To increase the students’ knowledge of specific vocabulary and idioms used in a business context
• To give students practice in writing business communication documents
• To give students practice in listening to and extracting information from recorded material containing natural speech in business situations
The course has three modules:
1.- Business language basics
2.- Business communication
3.- Managing people and operations
Each module comprises three main sections:
BUSINESS THEORY: this section presents different business topics through reading texts and documents and includes comprehensive exercises, vocabulary, listening activities, speaking and writing tasks. Some of the main topics dealt with in this section are: Production, commerce and trade, types of business: private and public sector, technology and business, organizations and their structures, human resources, supply chain management, quality management, …
The material presented in this section will provide students with appropriate and relevant vocabulary in various contexts in the field of business and technology.
BUSINESS PRACTICE: this section contains practical examples and authentic documents related to the topics dealt with in the theory section (financial documents, notes, emails, phone calls, letters, orders, invoices, etc.) It presents various aspects of written and oral business communication, principally focusing on phraseology and functions, completed with a series of consolidation exercises (completion, reordering, matching, True/False) as well as a large variety of exercises for oral and written business communication, with a gradual progression from guided to free production. The aim is to improve students’ communicative abilities in order to allow them to communicate effectively in English both in social and professional situations within a business environment. Students must also actively strive to develop their linguistic ability, build their confidence, and improve their fluency in order to better prepare themselves to employ spoken English, as well as written English, in whatever situation they are likely to face in the future. These situations can be divided into five core subjects: Socializing, Telephoning, Dealing with business correspondence and exchanging information
BUSINESS LANGUAGE AND SKILLS: this section focus on lexis (vocabulary and phraseology), functions, and grammar. It contains different types of exercises to help students develop and consolidate the specific business vocabulary from within the module. To deal with the situations mentioned in the previous section, it is necessary to master different skills and learn how to perform different functions in English, such as:
• Introducing yourself
• Greeting and introducing people in formal and informal situations
• Offering to help, making requests and asking for permission
• Making and receiving phone calls
• Exchanging phone messages
• Exchanging information over the phone
• Spelling names and saying abbreviations
• Breaking bad news over the phone
• Writing business letters with a correct structure and layout
• Replying to correspondence
• Writing e-mails
• Writing a short report
• Breaking bad news in an e-mail, fax or letter
• Exchanging information about a schedule
• Exchanging information about specifications and numbers
• Discussing an organizational chart
• Explaining how to do things
• Describing processes and procedures
• Introduction to the world of e-commerce
• Describing the impact technology has had on the business environment and business processes
• Discussing the role of social media in business
The Grammar content briefly illustrates and tests the principal grammatical structures using examples taken from the corresponding module or in the same context. This theoretical part has been designed to provide students with the opportunity to review basic grammar points and prior grammar knowledge as well as an introduction to new key aspects of grammar that will allow them to confidently express themselves in relevant contexts.
1. VERB TENSES 1: PRESENT
2. VERB TENSES 2: PAST
3. VERB TENSES 3: FUTURE
4. THE PASSIVE
5. CONDITIONALS
6. COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
7. ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS (COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES)
8. QUANTIFIERS, and other relevant grammar points
COMPULSORY:
• Text book:
SKOESTER, A., PITT, A., HANDFORD, M. & LISBOA, M. (2012). Business Advantage (Intermediate). Cambridge University Press
• Any grammar practice suitable for intermediate and upper intermediate level (see below: 1 GRAMMAR AMD PRACTICE section).
• A bilingual English-Spanish, Spanish-English dictionary and a good Business English dictionary (see below: 2 DICTIONARIES section).
COMPLEMENTARY:
1 GRAMMAR AND PRACTICE
ALEXANDER, L.G. (1990). Longman English Grammar Practice. Longman
BRIEGER, n. & SWEENEY, s. (1994). The Language of Business English: Grammar and Practice. Prentice Hall CUDER DOMÍNGUEZ, P. y R. LÓPEZ (2005). Gramática Oxford para estudiantes de inglés: Bachillerato. Oxford U.P. DUCKWORTH, M. (2003). Business Grammar and Practice. Oxford U.P.
EASTWOOD, J. (1999). Oxford Practice Grammar. Oxford U.P.
MURPHY, R. (2002). English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. Cambridge U.P. SWAN, M & C. WALTER (1997). How English Works. Oxford U.P.
2 DICTIONARIES
Cambridge International Dictionary of English. Cambridge U.P.
Diccionario Oxford Inglés Español, Español-Inglés. Oxford U.P.
Oxford Dictionary of Business English. Oxford U.P.
Longman Business English Dictionary. Longman.
Diccionario Oxford Business Español-Inglés Inglés-Español. Oxford. LOZANO IRUESTE, J.M.; Diccionario Bilingüe de Economía y Empresa. Pirámide
3 VOCABULARY
FLOWER, J. (1990). Build your Business Vocabulary. Language Teaching Publications
HORNER, H. & P. STRUTT (1996). Words at Work. Cambridge U.P. LEWIS, M. (Ed.) (1987). Idioms at Work. Language Teaching Publications MASCULL, B. (1996). Key Words in Business. HarperCollins Publishers
MASCULL, B. (2002). Business Vocabulary in Use: Intermediate. Cambridge U.P. REMACHA, S & MARCO, E (2007). Professional English in Use ICT. Cambridge
4 BUSINESS ENGLISH
ASHLEY, A. (1984). A Handbook of Commercial Correspondence. Oxford U.P. BRUCE, K. (1992). Telephoning. Longman ELLIS, M. & N. O'DRISCOLL (1987). Socializing. Longman
FARRAL, C. & M. LINDSLEY (2008). Professional English in Use: Marketing. Cambridge U.P. KERRIDGE, D. (1988). Presenting Facts and Figures. Longman
NATEROP, B.J. & R. REVELL (1997). Telephoning in English. Cambridge U. P. O'DRISCOLL, N. & A. PILBEAM (1987). Meetings and Discussions. Longman PRODROMOU, L & LUCIA BELLINI (2012). Flash on English for Commerce. ELI SMITH, A. (2013). Best Commercial Practice. ELI STRUTT, P. (1995). Longman Business English Usage. Longman
5 PRONUNCIATION
HANCOCK, MARK (2003). English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge ONLINE RESOURCES http//www.elionline.com
1 DICTIONARIES
https://www.oed.com https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/
http://www.ldoceonline.com/
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
http://thesaurus.reference.com/ http://www.wordreference.com/
2 GRAMMAR
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/index.cfm
http://www.englishpage.com/grammar/
3 PRACTICE
http://www.english-test.net/
http://esl.about.com/od/intermediateenglish/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students who take this module must…
C1. Apply effective communication skills in a business and technological environment, both in their own languages and in English
HD1. Use, prepare and communicate information in a foreign language.
HD5. Handle oral and written communication in a precise and clear way to convey knowledge, methodologies, information, results, problems and solutions.
HD6. Demonstrate capacity for autonomous learning and self-assessment.
CP9. Approach problems and challenges from different points of view with the ability to adapt to new situations and realities.
The course has a practical and functional approach. The objective from the very beginning is that the students use the type of language that they are going to need during their professional career. Students will have to interact among themselves and actively make an effort to use the language to communicate. Different activities have been developed to help students to communicate effectively in a business environment by exposing them to a specific type of language that is used in this field.
Classes will be based on a combination of theoretical explanations, language activities (using oral and written texts from the business world which will allow students to see the language in use) and homework. Extra material will be given in order to complete classwork and is expected to be completed at home. Classes will be primarily practical and, therefore, active student participation is essential and will be evaluated throughout.
Practical activities include going over homework activities and clarifying any doubts, practice of grammatical structures and communicative skills, as well as simulation of real-life situations in which spoken and written English will be required and presentations.
To complement these activities, the students will also be expected to complete scheduled assignments and oral or written tests.
Students will also have the chance to speak to professors concerning any questions or doubts they may have, or if they would like any tailored feedback, during weekly office hours, which will be confirmed by the teaching staff at the beginning of term, or via email.
Assessment will be based on the continuous evaluation of the students throughout the course, as well as written and oral tests according to the following parameters:
I. ORDINARY EXAM PERIOD (January)
I.1.- Students who regularly attend classes.
Assessment will be continuous and based on the student performance throughout the year. Homework completion, active participation in class alongside written and/or oral tasks done during the year will all be taken into account.
The final mark will be calculated as follows:
a) Continuous assessment (40%)
• Active participation, assigned written tasks, and tests
b) Final exams (60%)
• Final written exam 50%
• Oral exam* 10%
* Depending on the students’ performance in the oral activities, they could have to take an oral exam to demonstrate their oral skills. The date for the oral exam will be announced in class. The final exam will be held on the official date set by the Faculty.
Students must achieve a minimum of 5 out of 10 in both the final exam oral exam to pass the subject.
I.2.- Students who have special permission not to attend classes
These students must complete and hand in continuous tasks and assignments by the agreed date, which will account for up to 30% of the final grade, the final tests will account for up to 60% and the remaining 10% will be based on an extra activity agreed with the teacher.
The final mark will be calculated as follows:
a) Continuous assessment: assigned written tasks, and tests (30%)
b) Final exams (70%)
• Final written exam 50%
• Oral exam 10%
• Extra activity 10%
The date of the oral exam will be announced at some point during the term. The final exam will be held on the official date set by the Faculty unless stated otherwise for specific cases.
A minimum of 5 out of 10 in both the final and the oral exam is required to pass the subject.
I.3.- Students who are retaking the course.
The assessment system for these students will be the same as for students in I.1 above.
II. EXTRAORDINARY 2nd SITTING (July)
The same system which is outlined for the ordinary January exam opportunity applies for the July resit. The continuous assessment grade will be retained.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
In the event of fraudulent or plagiarised work or submissions in tests or exercises, the terms stated in art. 16 of the “Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revision de cualificacións” will be applied.
This course is a compulsory subject taught during the first semester of the Grado en Empresa y Tecnología and is worth 6 ECTS.
The workload for students should be around 150 hours. Fifty hours correspond to classwork and the remaining 100 are devoted to personal and autonomous work. Broadly speaking, we could say that the average time of dedication to this subject is approximately 10 hours per week including class sessions.
Regular class attendance to class is essential, as well as the completion of the assigned tasks, including homework. Students’ active participation in class is an integral part of both their personal development, and that of the course itself. Missing classes, not completing the tasks or lack of participation will have a negative impact on students’ final grade.
Exercises, whether they be in class, as homework or online, are intended to consolidate the points explained in class.
Students are strongly recommended to make use of external resources in English, such as films, songs, the Internet and magazines, to increase their degree of exposure to the English language, not restricting themselves to the input provided during class sessions.
It is also recommended that they study on a daily basis, rather than solely relying on one or two sessions per week to revise the entire course content.
Antonio Alvarez Rodriguez
Coordinador/a- Department
- English and German Philology
- Area
- English Philology
- antonio.alvarez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Veronika Prokopova
- Department
- English and German Philology
- Area
- English Philology
- veronika.prokopova [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Reader
| Thursday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30-12:50 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom 6 |
| 01.21.2025 09:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 6 |
| 06.19.2025 09:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 6 |