1. Introduction
2. Communication in business: Managers, models, modes
3. Language: The key to communication
4. Communication in context: Cultures, organisations, settings
5. Four functions of language
6. The language system: Signs, structure, selection
7. Language variation and change
8. Rhetoric: Selling your ideas
9. Communication and power
10. Communication and identity

On successful completion of the course, students will be able:

• To recognise the central role of language and communication in businesses and a range of business contexts.
• To name and explain basic concepts in business communication.
• To draw on this knowledge to understand and apply communicative strategies.
• To recognise a range of linguistic choices that speakers/writers make in order to convey information, to express emotions and opinions, to get other people to do things, and to build relationships.
• To establish connections between language use and key social concepts such as power and identity.

While attendance is not mandatory, students will benefit from in-class explanations and real-life examples illustrating the phenomena discussed in the coursebook. Thus, regular attendance is strongly encouraged.

Attending the lecture is not necessary (though of course extremely useful …!) to be able to do the exam.

The coursebook “Introduction to Business Communication”, specifically tailored to WU students, represents a comprehensive overview of the material required for the examination. Following the structure of the coursebook, the lecture course is designed to support student learning through further in-depth explanations as well as authentic business examples. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own personal and professional experience to gain insights into the more theoretical aspects of the course. Moreover, students will engage with real-life best and worst practice examples and apply the theories and concepts discussed as part of the course. In addition to the lecture course and the coursebook, online materials will give students the opportunity to view multimedia content relevant to the course. 

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No prior knowledge of business communication is required. However, as the course will be delivered in English, students' English-language competence will be expected to be at least at B2 level.

Please refer to the homepage of the Institute for English Business Communication: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/ebc/about-us/team