Syllabus

Title
1170 Fremdsprachliche Wirtschaftskommunikation II - Englisch
Instructors
Dr. Barbara Schmidt-Unterberger
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/28/20 to 10/01/20
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Tuesday 10/13/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 10/20/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 10/27/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 11/03/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 11/10/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 11/17/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 11/24/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 11/24/20 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 12/01/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 12/15/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 12/22/20 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 01/12/21 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Tuesday 01/19/21 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM Online-Einheit
Friday 01/29/21 12:00 PM - 02:00 PM Online-Einheit
Procedure for the course when limited activity on campus

Da der Campusbetrieb im Wintersemester nur eingeschränkt möglich sein wird, findet EBC2 im Distanzmodus statt. Das heißt, dass jede Woche ausführliche Lernmaterialien wie zum Beispiel kommentierte PowerPoint Präsentationen und spezielle self-study Aufgaben zu den entsprechenden LV-Einheiten auf Learn@WU online gestellt werden. Außerdem gibt es in den Lernaktivitäten und den Musterklausuren als dauerhaft verfügbare Lernressourcen.

 

Live Sessions über MS Teams oder Zoom:

Jede/r Vortragende wird im Laufe des Semesters 5 live Sessions über MS Teams oder Zoom abhalten, die die wichtigsten Themenbereiche wiederholen und Fragen zur Prüfungsvorbereitung aufgreifen.

Die Teilnahme an diesen live Sessions ist freiwillig, wird aber stark empfohlen! Die jeweiligen Termine werden rechtzeitig vor Unterrichtsbeginn im VVZ und auf Learn@WU bekannt gegeben.

Teilleistungen:

  • Mid-Semester Test und Final Test werden online abgehalten
  • Die Home Exercise wird ebenfalls über Learn@WU abgewickelt

Alle weiteren Informationen werden auf Learn@WU bekannt gegeben.

Contents

ACHTUNG: Die als „Online-Einheiten“ angeführten Termine gelten als Self-Study Zeiten, die 'Live Sessions' via MS Teams oder Zoom mit Ihrer/Ihrem Vortragenden sind folgende:
1) Mittwoch, 14.10. 14:00 - 14:45
2) Dienstag, 17.11. 14:00 -14:45
3) Mittwoch, 16.12. 11:00 - 11:45
4) Dienstag, 12.1. 14:00 - 14:45
5) Mittwoch, 20.1. 14:00 - 14:45
Weitere Details zu den Live Sessions erfahren Sie von Ihrer/Ihrem Vortragenden. Bitte lesen Sie regelmäßig Ihre WU Emails!

***

The course syllabus consists of the following: 

  • the material contained in the EBC2 Coursebook and
  • all keywords in the New Handbook of Business English listed in the Coursebook
Learning outcomes

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

  • LO1: to demonstrate a level of general English competence equivalent to at least B2 (upper) on the Common European Framework with respect to reading and writing skills;
  • LO2: to understand and apply concepts from certain business and economic fields (companies, corporate structures, business combinations, financial management, securities markets, banking, payment instruments, currencies, the balance of payments, national economies, and economic policy) 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, to discuss the above fields in an appropriate manner, to understand the principles of paragraphing, and to apply these to a range of paragraph types (in particular, graph descriptions & interpretations, and simple arguments);
  • LO4: to combine the various abilities mentioned above in order to understand intermediate-level written texts about the above business and economic fields, and to write communicatively-effective short (one- or two-paragraph) texts, both descriptive and analytical, relating to them.

In addition, this course fosters the following skills:

  • Explanation and summary in German (or other native language) of English texts relating to the business fields mentioned
  • Improved aural/oral skills
  • Improved ability to analyse and understand texts in general
  • Effective university-level study
Attendance requirements

As with all PI courses, attendance is a requirement to pass EBC2. As a special concession, you may miss up to three (3) meetings of your LV. However, if you miss a fourth, you will no longer be able to pass the course. This condition applies whatever the reasons for your absences may have been.

 

Teaching/learning method(s)

Classes are of a workshop nature and involve a wide range of activities based on the course literature and designed to develop the requisite skills and knowledge.

These will include some or all of the following:

  • response to student questions and other discussion about tricky content,
  • reading and working with texts;
  • development of paragraph-writing skills
  • further language development, involving both vocabulary and more advanced structures;
  • writing and evaluating of short texts in response to instructions.

Some activities will take the form of pair or small-group work.

Assessment

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

  • Mid-Semester Test - 20%
  • Home Exercise - 5%
  • Final Test - 75%

In general, no support materials (Hilfsmittel) are allowed in either of the two tests. Exceptionally, if you are neither a German nor an English native speaker, you may use a paper-based bilingual dictionary of German and your mother tongue (but NOT any form of electronic translation device, nor any specialist business or economic dictionary).

    If you do not take the MST 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

    As EBC2 is a PI class, 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 3 assessment elements).

    Readings
    1 Author: Gasser, W./Landsmann, L./Raab, M./Ross, C./Zeilinger, R.:
    Title:

    EBC2 Coursebook


    Edition: February 2020
    Remarks: Available at Management Book Service (MBS) on campus
    Year: 2020
    Content relevant for class examination: Yes
    Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
    Type: Script
    2 Author: Mautner, Gerlinde
    Title:

    Englische Grammatik für die Wirtschaftskommunikation


    Publisher: Linde
    Edition: 3. Auflage, ANM: die 4. Auflage wird zu Mitte des WS 2020/21 verfügbar sein
    Year: 2014
    Content relevant for class examination: Yes
    Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
    Type: Book
    3 Author: Obenaus, Wolfgang/Weidacher, Josef
    Title: New Handbook of Business English + Dictionary & User's Guide

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

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


    Publisher: Management Book Service
    Edition: 3. Auflage
    Year: 2011
    Content relevant for class examination: Yes
    Recommendation: Strongly recommended (but no absolute necessity for purchase)
    Type: Script
    Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists

    If you wish to take this course you must register for an individual class (LV) using the LPIS system; individual EBC2 instructors are NOT involved in registration and will NOT reply to mails on the subject.
    Please note that it is generally NOT true that all EBC2 places are taken as soon as registration starts; once ALL available places have been taken, more will be opened gradually, up to the limits set by room size and pedagogical considerations. 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.
    Having registered for a class you must attend it and no other throughout the semester.
    You do not need to register separately for the Final Test (PI).

    Recommended previous knowledge and skills

    In order to take EBC2 you must have:


    Availability of lecturer(s)

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

    Unit details
    Unit Date Contents
    1 Companies I - Key Features
    2 Companies II - Corporate Governance
    3 Business Combinations
    4 Financial Management
    5 Securities Markets
    6 Banking
    7 Payment
    8 Foreign Exchange
    9 The Balance of Payments
    10 National Economies I
    11 National Economies II
    12 Economic Policy
    Last edited: 2020-09-14



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