The course focuses on business English in a variety of situations. Important key areas are presenting, promoting and advertising both companies and products. Cultural and intercultural issues will also be discussed.The language level necessary at the end of the course is B2 on the CEFR scale.

The course will focus on the main topics and skills concerning presentation, advertising and economic-business terminology.

Other topics will include digital/multimedia language and contexts and the globalization of language and communication; the aforesaid have made English necessary as a lingua franca international communication/business.

No pre-requisite courses are requested before attending this course.

 knowledge and understanding :

By the end of the course students will understand and possess vocabulary and skills necessary to present and promote products and speak about economic-business topics if the level concerned is B2 on the CEFR scale. They should be able to converse on topics related to globalization and the internationalization of communication in today's business world.  They should be able to understand spoken and written English if the topics concern economics, business and commercial subjects.

The language level in this course is B2 on the CEFR Council of Europe scale, i.e. an upper-intermediate language level.   

 applying knowledge and understanding

 students will be able to read and understand written and audio materials at the B2 level if the topic is business English, and should be able to answer appropriately.  

 making judgements 

 students will be able to read and understand  and analyze information necessary to understand both the general theme and specific important points in written and audio materials if they concern business topics and are at the B2 level.

 learning skills 

Students will be able to apply language skills and knowledge acquired in previous courses and use them to acquire specialized vocabulary and grammar structures concerning the topics discussed in this Business English course.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

 Please contact the instructor for a list of the seminars and Business English certification opportunities available through Cambridge Examinations (the U. of Urbino is a certified examination centre).

Teaching

Classroom lectures will be offered during the Second/Spring semester.

Language skills Students will practice all language skills: •reading •writing •listening •speaking.  During class activities and additional practice is encouraged through links on Blended Learning as well as additional listening and reading materials.

Update: given the health situation with covid-19 it will be possible for students to attend lessons on the UniUrb distance learning platform,

i.e. "the Moodle platform" › blended.uniurb.it;  look for the Business English II Course.

Course books

Procure this text:

Business Benchmark Upper Intermediate Vantage - Guy Brook-Hart with David Clark /2nd Edition - BEC Edition) B2 -Cambridge- 2013.

 Optional text for business letters: John Taylor, Elisabetta Zazzeroni, "Mailing -an introduction to Internet business writing" - ARAS Edizioni - Fano - febbraio 2014

 Optional text available on the course website, to be used during lessons:   Catherine Farwell's presentation called 'Dispensa'

Assessment

The oral exam: will consist in a conversation with the student on the readings in the  Course Business English textbook: Business Benchmark Upper Intermediate Vantage

Students take the mandatory written exam first; when they pass that they may take the oral portion of the exam.  

The pass mark for the written portion of the exam will be valid for 1 year.  In each exam session (usually a one-month period) students may take the written exam and then the oral exam.  Upon request it will be possible for students to take both portions on the same exam date, but this exception requires prior written approval  from the instructor.  Please write an email well ahead of the exam date to seek authorization.  Appropriate reasons for such requests include work commitments and extensive travel to get to the exam site.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are expected to purchase the textbooks that appear above and prepare for the Written and Oral portions of the course exam via self study.

Attendance

  Non-attending students must contact the lecturer directly, in good time before they take the course exam: catherine.farwell@uniurb.it

Course books

 Please see the 'Attending students' section; the information there pertains to non-attending students as well.

Assessment

  Please see the 'Attending students' section; the information there pertains to non-attending students as well.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.