THIS COURSE IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS 'ENGLISH BUSINESS COMMUNICATION3' (EBC3). Bachelor students are required to have passed EBC2 prior to attending EBC3.

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 C1 on the Common European Framework;
• LO2: to understand and apply concepts from certain business and economic fields (globalization, international trade, legal matters, international payment, risks, countertrade, tender procedures, financial management, financial markets) 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 report writing, and to apply these in practice;
• LO4: to combine the various abilities mentioned above in order to understand upper-level written texts about the above business and economic fields, and to write communicatively-effective texts, both descriptive and analytical (specifically reports), relating to them.

In addition, this course fosters the following soft 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

As with all PI courses, attendance is a requirement to pass EBC3. In particular, you MUST attend 3 of the 6 in-person classes, without exception. Attending the live online sessions is voluntary but highly recommended!

SS21: Distance learning and rotation mode

This EBC3 course will consist of a mix of self-study, interactive online tasks, "live online sessions" and on-campus classes relating to different aspects of the course.

The first 6 sessions will take place online via Zoom during the scheduled class time. In these sessions, we will focus on the relevant business concepts and practise related vocabulary/collocations (e.g. in the form of short presentations, group discussions, quizzes etc.). We will also practise for the orals and report writing.

As of now, the plan is for the final 6 sessions (Sessions 7-12) to be held on campus in rotation mode (with half the group attending each class plus some additional online materials being provided for self-study). These on-campus sessions will comprise presentation sessions, when the orals will be held, practice for business concepts and related vocabulary/collocations, and preparation for the Final Test.

Self-study materials
The self-study materials comprise language, comprehension and content exercises to help you understand and be able to discuss business topics pertaining to globalised trade, international market entry, legal English, countertrade and tender, risk in international trade, financial management, and financial markets. They also give you information and instructions about preparation for the live online sessions/on-campus classes, and online tasks.

Live online sessions
The live online sessions will be held on Zoom and will have a content, language and/or communicative focus, depending on the relevant unit. These live online sessions are voluntary but are strongly recommended to help you understand what you need to do for the main elements of assessment. The activities are intended to help foster an interactive environment, keep you motivated and help you gain more knowledge of the content we study and its relevance to society and current affairs.

On-campus classes
As indicated above, the final 6 sessions (Sessions 7-12) are scheduled to be held in person. Details will be communicated in good time to comply with regulations in place at the time.

As EBC3 is a PI course, you must satisfy various criteria in order to pass:

Oral performance (15%): This element includes an oral assessment in which you will need to demonstrate proficiency in spoken English at the level of (or very close to) C1 under the European Framework of Reference, which is defined as follows:

• Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning.
• Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
• Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.

In groups of 3-4 people, you will conduct a discussion on current business topics. This will be held during the on-campus sessions in the second half of the course.

Written homework (10%): This is practice for the written report in the Final Test. I will inform you about requirements and will set a deadline by which the homework must be submitted. You will receive 5 points for timely delivery of an appropriate assignment, and up to 5 additional points for quality.

Participation in live online sessions (or on-campus classes) and online tasks (10%): You are invited to take an active part in the live online sessions (or in on-campus classes), i.e. to contribute actively to the various activities and  online tasks. I will inform you about requirements, point allocation and timeframes in the self-study materials.

Written Final Test (65%): The EBC3 Final Test is divided into three sections, corresponding to LOs 2-4 listed above (content, comprehension, communication). The first two consist of short questions of various types (e.g. gap fills, short answer tasks, multiple choice etc.) and text-based exercises. In the third section, you will be asked to compose a report-style text dealing with business concepts discussed in the course. 

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

In order to pass the course, you must fulfill the following requirements:

• score at least 60% of the overall points total achievable
• attend 3 of the 6 in-person on-campus classes and complete the Final Test

NOTE: You can choose freely whether to take the First OR the Second Final Test, but you will not be allowed to retake the exam at the second date if you fail to achieve a total score of at least 60% following the First Final Test. Also, please note that if you choose to sit the Second Final Test and cannot take it then, you will have to repeat the entire PI.

Bachelor students must have passed EBC2 prior to attending EBC3. Please note that registration via LPIS is required for 'EBC3'.

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 EBC3 instructors are NOT involved in registration and will NOT reply to mails on the subject.

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In order to take this course you must have passed

• the course EBC1
  
• the course EBC2 (at the latest, at the Exceptional Test before the start of the semester in which you wish to take EBC3)

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