Business English Skills

Course Syllabus

Course Title Business English Skills

Teaching Hours 45H
ECTS 4
Professor Ms. Mayssa Souissi
Email mayssa.souissi@esprit.tn
Mobile 00216 55 453 251
University Esprit – Higher School of Engineering and Technology

1. General course information

a) Course overview :

This Business English Skills syllabus is designed to prepare Business / Engineering students to use
English in a present or future work situation. Students will develop English skills with a focus on
business contexts and environments, and they will learn key communication skills that are used
regularly in the business world.
This syllabus provides practical reading, speaking, listening and writing skills for students who
might be applying for the Business English Certificate (BEC).

b) Course objectives :

This course is intended to assist Business / Engineering students to :

 Develop key communication skills to present, negotiate and convince.

 Increase their knowledge of key Business concepts worldwide.

 Expand vocabulary related to specific Business situations.

 Cope with difficult situations in the workplace in diplomatic and correct Business English.

c) Course learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to :

 Follow and understand a range of spoken materials such as interviews, discussions and
presentations.
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 Deal confidently with different types of text such as Business publications and
correspondence.

 Produce different pieces of writing, such as essays, proposals, pitches and emails.

 Communicate effectively in face-to-face situations.

 Increase grammar and vocabulary range to utilize in the exam.

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 d) Pedagogical approach

The teaching methodology is designed to bring about transfer of knowledge and skills keeping in
mind the needs of the students and their pace of learning.

This syllabus englobes different approaches notably co-operative learning, inquiry-based learning
and problem-based learning. While part of any session is likely to involve direct teaching, the
emphasis is on student participation and the teacher should encourage students to take part actively
in discussion and in tasks.

Students are also expected to spend time studying outside the class, while the teacher provides
guidance, facilities and materials to help them develop their expertise as Business English
language learners. For this syllabus, students are invited to consolidate their class work, to read,
watch or listen to materials in Business English, to prepare and rehearse role plays and pitches for
the class, to write assignments, undertake mini projects and generally acquire a repertoire of
effective language learning strategies.

The continuous assessment is interspaced so as to help students become aware of their current
level and expertise. Added to that, students will get feedback as to where they stand in relation to
the BEC standards.

e) Course materials

Adapted materials designed with reference to the « Market Leader » and the « Business
Benchmark » will be used in class, linked to the topic areas studied.
Topic-based self-access resources (authentic print, powerpoint slideshow, audios and videos),
dictionaries and grammars will be available and posted to students’ platform for extensive
learning.

2. Course content

The table below demonstrates the intended weekly activities.

Chapter Theme Duration Independent study & Assignments

Teamwork / Communication - Reading

-Talking about teamwork 6H
-Infer information from a listening track - Grammar
-Improving communication within a team
1 -Using idioms
-Taking and leaving voicemail message
3
 -Practicing on using Defining Vs Non defining
Relative Clauses

Flexible benefits / Staff Appraisal

-Talking about job satisfaction 3H - Vocabulary
2 -Talking about appraisal systems
-Using vocabulary related to job satisfaction
-Writing an opinion essay - Writing

Brand Power / Public Relations - Case Study (group

-Talking about brands and marketing 6H work)
-Talking about public relations
-Organising a PR event
-Writing different forms of emails - Writing
3
- Vocabulary

Marketing disasters / Going Global 3H - Role play

4 -Talking about marketing disasters
-Talking about entering foreign markets - Quiz Assessment
-Expressing hypothetical situations (If Clauses)
-Writing a short report

5 Reporting Results / Green Initiatives 4H - Group presentation

-Talking about company performance
-Describing trends (Mixed Tenses)
- Grammar
-Describing cause and effect
-Discussing the environmental impact on
Businesses - Vocabulary
-Describing a chart

4
6 Process description 4H - Writing
-Analyzing stages of different types of processes
-Practicing on using the passive voice and
sequencers to describe a process
-Describing a process diagram

7 E-commerce and Business Risks 4H - Quiz assessment

-Explaining what E-commerce is and how it
works - Writing
-Discussing the pros and cons of E-commerce
-Discussing Business risks and risk management
-Using adverbs of degree
-Writing an argumentative essay

8 Business Competition / Ethics 5H - Listening

-Developing vocabulary and idiomatic
expressions related to competition - Grammar
-Interpreting information from a listening track
-Discussing some ethical issues
-Practicing on using various narrative tenses

9 Pitch perfect 6H - Vocabulary

-Understanding the psychology of success
-Exploring and developing vocabulary related to - Listening
pitching startups
-Practicing with transitions - Individual presentation
-Pitching a Business idea (pitch)

10 Review 4H - Grammar
-Practicing on various grammatical points
-Reinvesting vocabulary in speaking and writing - Reading
-Reviewing the structure of opinion and
argumentative essays - Writing

- Listening
Total Teaching Hours 45 H

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 3. Methods of assessment

a) Continuous Assessment

The continuous assessment is conducted by coursework 40%, which integrates the following :

 Individual and group oral presentations

 Oral interactions (including pair work)
 Written tasks of various length (essays, emails)
 Listening/ viewing
 Communicating the gist of simple reading passages
 Quizzes

P.S : A measure of classroom participation, progress and motivation accounts for 20% of the
overall assessment.

b) Summative Assessment

A final exam comprising listening comprehension, reading comprehenshion, grammar, vocabulary

and writing accounts for 40% of the total credit.
Results are proceeded in accordance with the ECTS grading scale below :

Mark Grade Evaluation

ECTS
90-100 A Outstanding
80-89.99 B Very Good
70-79.99 C Good
60-69.99 D Satisfactory
50-59.99 E Sufficient
35-49.99 Fx Fail
0-34.99 F Fail