Syllabus

Title
0567 Fremdsprachliche Wirtschaftskommunikation I - Englisch
Instructors
Brian Campion, B.A.
Contact details
Type
LVP
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/19/12 to 10/09/12
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Thursday 10/11/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 10/18/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 10/25/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 11/08/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 11/15/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 11/29/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 12/06/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 12/13/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 12/20/12 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Thursday 01/10/13 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM H 3.35 (C)
Contents

The EBC1 syllabus consists of the following:

  • all material contained in the EBC1 Coursebook
  • all keywords in the New Handbook of Business English listed in the Coursebook
  • all grammatical issues covered in those sections of the Mautner grammar (see 'Literature' below) explictly mentioned in the EBC1 Coursebook

Learning outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES (LOs)
After attending this course, students will be able:

  • LO1: to demonstrate a level of general English competence equivalent at least to B2 (lower) on the Common European Framework with respect to reading and writing skills;                                                                                                                              
  • LO2: to understand and apply important concepts from the fields of business organisations, business transactions, personnel management and marketing, and to recall as required the essential terminology associated with them;                                                                                                                                             
  • LO3: to recall at will, and use, the English equivalents of basic German terminology from these fields, as well as other typical features (structures, collocations, prepositional usage, etc) of the associated language;                                                                                   
  • LO4: to combine the various abilities mentioned above in order to understand lower-intermediate level written texts about the above business fields, and to write, in context, short, appropriate passages of communications relating to them.

In addition, this course fosters the following soft skills:

  • Ability to explain and summarise, in German (or other native language), English texts relating to the business fields mentioned
  • Improved aural/oral skills
Teaching/learning method(s)

EBC1 is divided into ten units, each centred on an aspect of one of the business fields mentioned above and divided into three parts, dealing with business content and terminology, language, and text comprehension and production, respectively. EBC1 classes (one for each of these units) involve a range of activities based on the course literature, including:

  • discussion of tricky content issues;
  • vocabulary development and reinforcement of grammatical structures;
  • listening comprehension; and
  • examination preparation.
Assessment

EBC1 is assessed by means of a single examination held three times each semester, in the three University examination weeks. As for all LVP classes, you must register separately for the examination using the LPIS system.

In general, no dictionaries or other reference materials are allowed in the exam.Exceptionally, if you are neither a German nor an English nativespeaker, you may use a bilingual dictionary of German and your mothertongue (but NOT any form of electronic translation device).

The exam lasts 2 hours and consists of two parts. Please note that these constitute a single examination. If you fail it, for whatever reason,you must re-sit both parts.

In order to pass the EBC1 examination, you must score:

  • at least 20 of the 40 points available for Part I;
  • at least 60 of the 100 points available for Part II;
  • an overall percentage score* of at least 60%
    * Your overall percentage score is calculated as follows:
    (Part I percentage + 3 x Part II percentage) / 4.
    In other words, Part II counts for three times as much as Part I.

Please note that ALL these criteria must be satisfied at A SINGLE exam.

Notealso that if you score in the range 20-23 on Part I, you will need toscore more than 60 in Part II in order to satisfy the requirement for60% overall.

If you fail to satisfy ANY of the above requirements, you will be awarded a grade of '5'.
Ifyou satisfy ALL the above requirements, you will be awarded a positive grade onthe basis of your overall percentage score (PS), as follows:

  • PS 60-67 -> Grade 4
  • PS 68-75 -> Grade 3
  • PS 76-84 -> Grade 2
  • PS >85 -> Grade 1
Exceptionally, candidates who score 18 or 19 points on Part I willbe awarded a pass, if and only if their Part II score is at least Grade3 level (ie 68 points or more).
Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists

Registration
You can register for an individual EBC1 class (LV) ONLY by means of the LPIS system. For exact dates and times of classes, please see the WU's Directory of Classes (Vorlesungsverzeichnis / VVZ). Having registered for a class you should attend it - and no other - throughout the semester.

Registration for the EBC1 exam is done separately, again via LPIS.

Readings
1 Author: Copnall, A., Fiebinger, M., Landsmann, L. and Ross, C.
Title: EBC1 Coursebook

Publisher: MBS
Edition: latest edition
Remarks: Available at Management Book Service (MBS)
Year: 2010
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Script
2 Author: Obenaus, W./Weidacher, J.
Title: NEW Handbook of Business English.

Publisher: Linde
Year: 2006
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Book
3 Author: Obenaus, W./Weidacher, J.
Title: NEW Handbook of Business English: Dictionary & User's Guide.

Publisher: Linde
Year: 2006
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Book
4 Author: Mautner, G.
Title: Englische Grammatik für die Wirtschaftskommunikation.

Publisher: Linde
Edition: 2., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage
Year: 2008
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Book
5 Author: Obenaus, W./Weidacher, J.
Title: This is the Manager Speaking.

Publisher: Linde
Edition: 3., aktualisierte Auflage
Year: 2003
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Book
Recommended previous knowledge and skills
There are no formal requirements for EBC1; provided you are registered for a Bachelor programme, you may take it. However, please bear in mind that the course assumes that you have reached the level of the Austrian Matura exam in English.
Availability of lecturer(s)
Your EBC1 instructor will hold weekly Office Hours, the times of they will announce. A full list of instructors' office hours can be found on the homepage of the Institute for English Business Communication (http://www.wu.ac.at/ebc/About_us/Contact_Information )
Unit details
Unit Date Contents
1 Business Organisations I: Aims & Activities
2 Business Organisations II: Legal Framework
3 Business Transactions I: Inquiries & Offers
4 Business Transactions II: Orders & Contracts
5 Corporate Management
6 Human Resources I: Personnel Management
7 Human Resources II: Industrial Relations
8 Marketing I: Product and Price
9 Marketing II: Promotion
10 Marketing III: Distribution
Last edited: 2013-01-15



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