The course aims to provide students with general competence in English language skills with specific competence regarding business English. Particular emphasis is given to text comprehension and communicative interaction with reference to the Common European Framework level B1.

The course programme will cover the main aspects of the English language as a communicative tool to be used within the field of business English. The course includes all the main grammatical structures of English and lexis of business English. The programme is designed to study and practice all the language skills: reading and listening comprehension, and written and oral production. 

Knowledge and understanding: the student will learn the most important lexis and terminology in the field of business English and the most frequently used idiomatic expressions. The student will acquire skills regarding the written and spoken language, particularly in dealing with business topics. (Micro-language reading and listening comprehension skills). The reference criteria is linguistic level B1 of the Common European Framework.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Extra didactic attivities and seminars will be held in the linguistic laboratory of the School of Economics by Dott.ssa Catherine Farwell.

Teaching

Lectures

Course books

N. Whitby, Business Benchmark Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate Student's Book BEC Preliminary Edition, Cambridge: CUP, 2008

N. Whitby, Business Benchmark Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate Personal Study Book BEC, Cambridge: CUP, 2008 (optional extra practice)

R. Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Third Edition, Cambridge (to use as self-access study) 

J.Taylor - E. Zazzeroni, MAILING, An introduction to Internet business writing, Ed. Montefeltro, 2012 (to use as self access study)

Assessment

The students must pass both a written and an oral exam. The written paper includes reading and listening comprehension and a writing exercise 100- 150 words (business letter, email etc.). Students must pass the written exam, (valid for one year), before doing the oral exam. It is possible for students to take both written and oral exams in one session. 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

The same as for attending students

Assessment

The same as for attending students 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

BEC/International certification

Students with  Cambridge Business English Certificate-Vantage B2 or equivalent officially recognised certification are kindly requested to contact the course teacher.

The course will be taught entirely in English.