Syllabus

Title
5181 Fremdsprachliche Wirtschaftskommunikation I - Englisch
Instructors
Univ.Prof. Almut Köster, M.A.,Ph.D.
Contact details
almut.koester@wu.ac.at
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
02/27/18 to 02/28/18
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Subject(s) Bachelor Programs
Foreign Language Business Communication I - English
Foreign Language I - English
Elective Course I - Foreign Language Business Communication English
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Thursday 03/15/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 03/22/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 04/12/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 04/19/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 04/26/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 05/17/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 05/24/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 06/07/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 06/14/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01
Thursday 06/21/18 01:00 PM - 03:30 PM TC.5.01

On this page:

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Contents

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A PILOT CLASS AND DIFFERS FROM REGULAR EBC1 LVs, SO PLEASE READ ALL THE INFORMATION BELOW CAREFULLY.
IN PARTICULAR YOU WILL NOT NEED EITHER THE EBC1 COURSEBOOK OR THE NEW HANDBOOK OF BUSINESS ENGLISH FOR THIS LV, AND THERE IS NO TUTORIAL SUPPORT FOR IT.
THIS CLASS IS INTENDED TO HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY AS REGULAR EBC1 LVs. IF YOU PASS IT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PROCEED TO EBC2 AS NORMAL.

The syllabus for this LV consists of all material contained in the specified units of the textbook (see literature)

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Learning outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES (LOs)

After successfully completing this course, students will be able:

  • (LO1) to demonstrate a level of English communicative competence equivalent to B2 on the Common European Framework with respect to reading, writing, and listening skills;
  • (LO2) to understand and apply important concepts from the fields of business communication, the competitive business environment, rewarding performance and branding,and to recall and appropriately use the essential terminology and other typical features (structures, collocations, etc) associated with them;
  • (LO3) to combine the various abilities mentioned above in order to understand intermediate level written texts about these business fields, both oral and written, and to write appropriate passages of communications relating to them;
  • (LO4) to understand the communications issues involved in writing first-contact and internal business mails and to produce competent examples of such communications;
  • (LO5) to understand and interpret content from a variety of recorded oral business communications and discussions.

In addition, this course fosters the ability:

  • to explain and summarise, in German (or other native language), English texts relating to the business fields mentioned; and
  • to engage in spoken business communication in a variety of contexts such as telephone conversations, meetings and presentations.
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Attendance requirements

As with all PI courses, attendance is a requirement to pass EBC1. As a special concession, you may miss up to two (2) meetings of your LV. However, if you miss a third, you will automatically fail the course. This condition applies whatever the reasons for your absences may have been.

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Teaching/learning method(s)

EBC1 is divided into ten units, each centred on an aspect of one of the business fields mentioned in learning outcome LO2 above, and divided into three parts, dealing respectively with business content and terminology, language development, and text comprehension and production. EBC1 classes (one for each of these units) involve a range of activities based on the course literature (see 'Literatur' below), including:

  • discussion of business topics and issues;
  • vocabulary development and reinforcement of grammatical structures;
  • listening comprehension;
  • spoken communication practice         
  • text production;
  • examination preparation.

 

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Assessment

If you satisfy the attendance requirement above (see 'Regelung zur Anwesenheit'), your final score will be made up of the following elements:

  • Mid-Semester Test - 20%
  • Home Exercise - 5%
  • Participation - 5%
  • Final Test - 70%

In general, no dictionaries or other reference materials are allowed in the two tests.Exceptionally, if you are neither a German nor an English native speaker, you may use a bilingual dictionary of German and your mother tongue (but NOT any form of electronic translation device) in the Final Test only.

If you do not take the Mid-Semester Test or submit the Home Exercise, and you attend no classes after Unit 5, you will receive no grade, and you will not lose an 'Antritt'. Otherwise your grade will be based on your final score, as follows:

  • 0-59% - grade 5
  • 60-67% - grade 4
  • 68-75% - grade 3
  • 76-84% - grade 2
  • 85-100% - grade 1

EBC 1 is a PI class, so if you receive a grade 5 you will have to re-take it in a later semester in full (i.e., including class attendance and all 4 assessment elements).

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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). Registration is effected on a first-come, first-served basis. Any unfilled slots will be filled from waiting lists in accordance with study progress and in cooperation with the Vizerektorat für Lehre und Studierende.

Individual EBC1 instructors are NOT involved in registration and will NOT reply to mails on the subject.

As EBC1 is a PI course, there is no need to register separately for any of the tests (see above).

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Readings
1 Author: Handford M, Lisboa M, Koester A & Pitt A
Title:

Business Advantage B2

Publisher: Klett / Cambridge University Press
Year: 2012
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Book
2 Author: Mautner G.
Title:
 

Englische Grammatik für die Wirtschaftskommunikation

Publisher: Linde
Edition: 3., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage
Year: 2014
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Strongly recommended (but no absolute necessity for purchase)
Type: Book
3 Author: Mautner G.
Title:

Language Training for English Business Communication: Prüfungsvorbereitung für EBC1 & EBC2

Edition: 3., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage
Year: 2011
Content relevant for class examination: No
Recommendation: Strongly recommended (but no absolute necessity for purchase)
Type: Book
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Recommended previous knowledge and skills

The only formal requirement for EBC1 is completion of the STEOP. However, please bear in mind that the course assumes that you have reached the level of the Austrian Matura exam in English. This level will be tested in the Mid-Semester Test (see above).

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Availability of lecturer(s)

You can contact your instructor during his/her office hours, immediately before or after class or by mail.

Last edited: 2018-05-28



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