Course outline / description 
    
 
Brief Course Description International Business English Course

This course combines specialized classes in International

Business English communication skills and concepts with general
English language skills. This course is designed to give students
the English skills they need to work effectively in today’s global
marketplace. English skills and vocabulary are developed through
exercises, case studies, role plays and research on business topics
including: I.T., finance, accounting, marketing, advertising, sales,
negotiation, business practices, and cultural comparisons in
business operations and appropriate grammar. Visits to businesses
and guest speakers on specialized topics may be arranged during
the course. Students can take either or both elective courses.
Students take the Essential English course in the morning and two
Business courses in the afternoon. The afternoon Business class
from 1pm to 150pm focuses on language, reading and listening.
The class from 2pm to 250pn focuses on speaking, writing and
case studies.

Course Prerequisites All prospective students must take the Tamwood placement test,
either onsite, via the agent or online. If the student places at Level
5 or above, they are eligible for the course. Existing students can
transfer from Level 5 or the end of Level 4.

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  Course outline / description 
    
 

Attendance Expectations 80%

Learning Objectives/Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to:

-make effective presentations in business situations

-accurately use the language of negotiations

-communicate confidently and effectively in business meetings

-use specialist vocabulary in formal business and colloquial

business jargon

-recognize the features of different genres of business

correspondence, such as memos, emails, and business letters as
well as business articles and essays

-employ strategies to be a successful employee or employer in the

workplace

-prepare for and participate in debates on business topics

-follow and demonstrate understanding of lectures, talks and

interviews on business topics delivered by authentic business
specialists

 
Course details
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
1 Communication
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Adjectives for
communicators, idioms for
communication
Listening: A communications expert
Reading: For or against email
Speaking: Discussion of
communications
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
2 Marketing
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Word partnerships
Grammar: Compound nouns
Listening: A professor of
Marketing, a Chief Executive of a
Marketing training organization
Reading: Branding and luxury
goods
Speaking: Discussion of marketing
strategies and branding
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
3 Building Relationships
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Describing relations
Grammar: Multi-word verbs
Listening: A Business Relations
Manager, a Head of Global
Corporate Responsibility
Reading: Global Networking and
Course outline / description 
Topic and Focus Block 3
Communication
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Communications
Case study: Communications at an
electronics company
Skills: Dealing with communication
breakdown, Role play – board meeting,
Writing business emails
Topic and Focus Block 3
Marketing
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Marketing terminology
Case study: Cosmetics company –
creating a global brand
Skills: Brainstorming, Creating a
television commercial, Writing action
minutes
Topic and Focus Block 3
Building Relationships
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Relationships
Case study: Hotel and spa group –
building customer loyalty
Skills: Networking, Creating and agenda
and an action plan, Writing a sales letter
    
  Course outline / description 
    
 
Business in China
Speaking: Discussion of companies
that have good relationships with
their customers, Global networking

(Doing business internationally –

listening, reading and speaking
about working across cultures)

Week Topic and Focus Block 2 Topic and Focus Block 3

4 Success Success
Block 2: Language, reading, Block 3: Case study, oral and written
listening, speaking skills

Vocabulary: Collocations, prefixes Vocabulary: Success

Grammar: Review of present and Case study: Football club – obtaining a
past tenses new sponsorship deal
Listening: MD of a technology Skills: Negotiating, Writing a press release
development company and / or a letter
Reading: Profile of Carlos Sim (a
very successful entrepreneur and the
world’s second richest man)
Speaking: Discussion of what
constitutes success and failure in
business

Week Topic and Focus Block 2 Topic and Focus Block 3

5 Job Satisfaction Job Satisfaction
Block 2: Language, reading, Block 3: Case study, oral and written
listening, speaking skills

Vocabulary: Synonyms, word forms Vocabulary: Job satisfaction

Grammar: Passives Case study: Technology company –
Listening: Motivation, An HR policies on staff relationships
Director at Procter and Gamble Skills: Cold calling, proposing guidelines
Reading: Working at Marriott and discussing inter-personal relationships
Hotels and KPMG in the workplace, Writing guidelines
Speaking: Discussion of motivation
and burn-out, satisfaction and
frustration, comparison: which is a
better company to work for

 
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
6 Risk
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Word partnerships
Grammar: Adverbs of degree
Listening: MD of the Institute of
Risk Management
Reading: Insuring trade risks
Speaking: Discussing risks faced by
businesses
(Working in new markets:
Listening, Reading and Discussion)
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
7 Management Styles
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Management qualities
Grammar: Text references
Listening: The author of
Management and Organisational
Behaviour
Reading: Management styles: Anna
Wintour, Editor of Vogue, Jim
Buckmeister, CEO of Craigslist
Speaking: Discussion of the traits of
a good manager, management styles
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
8 Team-building
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Prefixes
Grammar: Modal perfect
Listening: Founder of team-
building specialists Fresh
Reading: Team building on a
Course outline / description 
Topic and Focus Block 3
Risk
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Describing risk
Case study: A Mining Company considers
a new Joint Venture
Skills: Reaching agreement, Discussing
and evaluating risk, Writing a report
analyzing options and making
recommendations
Topic and Focus Block 3
Management Styles
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Management styles
Case study: Multinational company seeks
a manager for an international project
team
Skills: Presentations, selecting candidates,
Writing a report of recommendations for
the Board of Directors
Topic and Focus Block 3
Team-building
Case study, oral and written skills
Vocabulary: Team building
Case study: Kitchen company – motivating
the sales staff
Skills: Resolving conflict, discussing
proposals, Writing a letter suggesting

 
cookery course
Speaking: Discussion of being a
team player, role-playing:
criticizing and defending
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
9 Raising Finance
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Finance, money and
loans, money idioms
Grammar: Dependent prepositions
Listening: MD of Blackstone, a
private equity firm
Reading: Finding finance for a
start-up company
Speaking: Money, loans, debt,
payment
(Managing international teams:
listening and speaking – role-play:
a meeting)
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
10 Customer Service
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Complaints
Grammar: Gerunds
Listening: Director and GM of
Raymond Blanc’s restaurant
Reading: Changes in Customer
Service
Speaking: Discussion of customer
care
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
11 Crisis Management
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Course outline / description 
solutions and / or a letter warning an
employee of the consequences of
unacceptable conduct
Topic and Focus Block 3
Raising Finance
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Finance
Case study: Finding a distributor for a
filmmaking team
Skills: Negotiating, drafting an agreement,
Writing a summary of negotiations and
indicating how to move forward
Topic and Focus Block 2
Customer Service
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary: Customer Service
Case study: Budget airline dealing with
complaints
Skills: Active listening, prioritizing,
writing a report summarizing problems
and making recommendations
Topic and Focus Block 2
Crisis Management
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills

 
Vocabulary: Handling crises
Grammar: Conditionals
Listening: Professor of Ethics and
Social Responsibility talking about
the Toyota crisis
Reading: Companies handling a
crisis well and badly
Speaking: Discussion of what is
needed in a crisis, discussion of
likelihood and past mistakes
Week Topic and Focus Block 2
12 Mergers and Acquisitions
Block 2: Language, reading,
listening, speaking
Vocabulary: Describing mergers
and acquisitions
Grammar: Prediction and
probability
Listening: Director of Mergers and
Acquisitions Research Centre, Cass
Business School
Reading: Acquiring a green
business
Speaking: Discussion of the effects
of mergers and acquisitions
(International negotiations –
vocabulary, listening and speaking)
Course outline / description 
Vocabulary: Crisis management
Case study: Video game company’s
response to a psychologist’s report about
the effect of violence in video games
Skills: Asking and answering difficult
questions, holding a press conference,
Writing a report on a crisis as a journalist
and / or for the company
Topic and Focus Block 2
Mergers and Acquisitions
Block 3: Case study, oral and written
skills
Vocabulary:
Case study: Cosmetics group looking to
acquire new businesses
Skills: Making a presentation to a group of
investors, discussing possible acquisitions,
Writing a report of recommendations