Syllabus

Title
0838 Fremdsprachliche Wirtschaftskommunikation III - Englisch
Instructors
Dr. Miya Komori-Glatz, MA
Contact details
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/26/22 to 10/05/22
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Wednesday 10/12/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM TC.3.12
Wednesday 10/19/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Monday 10/24/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM TC.3.06
Wednesday 11/02/22 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online-Einheit
Wednesday 11/02/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 11/09/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 11/16/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 11/23/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 11/30/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 12/07/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 12/14/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 12/21/22 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Wednesday 01/11/23 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM D1.1.078
Friday 01/13/23 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM TC.5.02
Wednesday 01/18/23 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM D1.1.078
Contents

The curriculum of this class is comprised of general language skills, core business content (i.e. the understanding of business principles and activities, technical terminology and registers) and communicative competence.

Please note that this course uses the Canvas learning platform. You will be expected to work through self-study material and asynchronous contributions on a regular basis as well as participating actively in class. There is a strong focus on interaction both in and out of class. Please read the syllabus through carefully to make sure you wish to participate in this class! However, if you are able to engage with the course, it should be interesting and rewarding.

Learning outcomes

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 (globalisation and sustainability, international market entry, financial management, legal English) 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:
    a) understand upper-level written texts about the above business and economic fields
    b) write communicatively-effective texts, both descriptive and analytical (specifically reports), relating to these
    c) plan and hold an oral discussion (presentation & interaction) in small groups on a relevant topic
    d) role-play a simple negotiation with students from a foreign university

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, particularly in discussions and simple negotiations
  • Improved ability to analyse and understand texts in general
  • Critical thinking
  • Intercultural communication and using English as a business lingua franca
  • Effective university-level study
    Attendance requirements

    As with all PI courses, attendance is a requirement to pass EBC3. 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.

    Please note that the online session on 2 November is a class that is held jointly with students from NHH Bergen (Norway). It is not necessary to attend it (providing you can otherwise meet the regular attendance requirement), but it is strongly recommended as it provides you with a unique opportunity to work with students from a different university. There are also 3 participation points linked to this session.

    Students going on exchange in January 2023 can start the course in October and complete the continuous assessment elements (Teilleistungen) which take place until December. If desired, you can also participate in the class report writing task in January while you are abroad as it will be held online. The Content & Reading test will be an on-paper test and you can take it (and the report writing task, if you prefer) at the end of the next semester, when you return (i.e. in June 2023).

     

    Teaching/learning method(s)

    This EBC3 course consists of a mix of self-study, interactive online activities, and live/on-campus classes relating to different aspects of the course.

    In the first part of the course, we will focus on preparing for our joint session with NHH Bergen, working through the content topics and discussing the orals and report writing.

    The second part of the course will comprise presentation sessions and the larger assessment elements (Report and Business English in Context tests). The orals will be held during the presentation sessions and students not presenting will be required to listen actively, ask questions and give feedback in class and/or asynchronously online. The Report and Business English in Context tests will also be held in the final sessions scheduled at the regular time. See information below for further details.

    Self-study materials
    Self-study materials will be posted regularly and are designed to be used alongside class materials. These comprise language, comprehension and content exercises to help you understand and be able to discuss business topics pertaining to globalised trade and sustainable business, international market entry, risk in international trade, financial management and legal English.

    Interactive activities
    During the course you will be invited to participate in a range of synchronous and asynchronous interactive activities, such as creating mini-presentations, posting and responding to threads in a discussion forum, peer-reviewing reports, and working together in small groups (2-4 people) on quizzes. These activities are intended to help build a class community as well as help you go deeper into the material and prepare for the assessments.

    Live/on-campus sessions
    The live/on-campus sessions will be held during the scheduled class times and will have a content and/or language focus, depending on the relevant unit. EBC3 is currently scheduled to take place on campus but this may change depending on developments with Covid-19 and the government regulations. Please keep checking your WU email, MS Teams and the notices (Ankündigungen) on LEARN for up-to-date information. These sessions will also comprise a mix of teacher-led input, spontaneous and prepared presentations and discussions, and preparation for the assessment elements.

    Please note that the attendance requirement refers to these sessions, and will be upheld regardless of whether we have class online or on campus.

    Assessment

    As EBC3 is a PI course, you must meet the Learning Outcomes by completing various tasks:

    (1) Oral group discussions (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 presentation and discussion on current business topics.

    (2) Report practice and peer review (12%): This is practice for the Final Report (see below). I will inform you about requirements and will set a deadline by which the homework must be submitted. You will receive 5 points for the timely submission of a reasonable draft, 2 points for a constructive peer review of one of your colleague's reports, and up to 5 additional points for the quality of your final submission.

    (3) Participation and interaction (13%): There will be a range of small activities and synchronous/asynchronous tasks throughout the course which are intended to encourage interaction and peer learning. You will find details about requirements, point allocation and timeframes on Canvas once the course starts.

    (4) Final Report (30%): In this assessment element you will need to write a new report on a market entry topic, as practised in (2) above. This will take place in class on 11 January but you may use a computer/laptop if you wish.

    (5) Business English in Context (30%): This will be an on-paper test combining the content knowledge covered in the course with reading comprehension and text-based tasks. This will take place in class on 18 January and can be taken on paper only.

    In order to pass the course, you must fulfill the following requirements:
    • score at least 60% of the overall points total achievable
    • complete at least THREE of the interactive elements (participation and interactive tasks and/or orals)
    • not miss more than 3 sessions in the live online/on-campus classes AND complete the Final Report and Business English in Context tests.

    ---

    The grade boundaries for EBC3 are as follows:

    Grade 1: 90-100%
    Grade 2: 80-89%
    Grade 3: 70-79%
    Grade 4: 60-69%
    Grade 5: 0-59%

     

    Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists

    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.

    Readings
    1 Author: Mautner, Gerlinde / Ross, Christopher
    Title:

    Englische Grammatik für Studium und Beruf. Verstehen - Üben - Anwenden.


    Publisher: Linde
    Year: 2021
    Recommendation: Strongly recommended (but no absolute necessity for purchase)
    Type: Book
    Recommended previous knowledge and skills

    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)
    Availability of lecturer(s)

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

    Provisional schedule below

    Please note that, while all scheduled dates are confirmed, the exact content of each class and/or the order of the topics covered is still subject to change.

    Unit details
    Unit Date Contents
    1 12 October

    Module 1 Global business I: Globalisation and trade agreements

    2 19 October

    Module 1 Global business II: Sustainability and the SDGs

    3 MONDAY 24 October

    Module 1 Global business III: Introduction to intercultural negotiations

    4 2 November AM

    Module 1 Global business IV: Joint session with NHH Bergen

    5 2 November PM

    Module 2: Orals I: Overview

    6 9 November

    Module 3 Report writing and market entry I: Overview

    7 16 November

    Module 3 Report writing and market entry II: Language focus

    8 23 November

    Module 3 Report writing and market entry III: Writing workshop

    9 30 November

    Module 4 Accountability I: Financial management

    10 7 December

    Module 4 Accountability II: Legal English

    11 14 December

    Module 2 Orals II: Groups 1&2

    12 21 December

    Module 2 Orals III: Groups 3&4

    13 11 January

    Final Report

    14 FRIDAY 13 January

    Module 2 Orals IV: Groups 5&6

    15 18 January

    Business English in Context

    Last edited: 2022-10-11



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