Practical learning of English - business language

general courses

Having acquired English language competences at the level B2 plus/C1.

A student can understand extended speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar. A student can understand most TV news and current affairs programmes. A student can understand the majority of films in standard dialect (listening).

A student can read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints. A student can understand contemporary literary prose (reading).

A student can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible. A student can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining their views (spoken interaction).

A student can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to their field of interest. A student can explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options (spoken production).

A student can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to my interests. A student can write an essay or report, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view. A student can write letters highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences (writing)

Classroom

The objective of the course is acquiring English proficiency in the field of business to acquire competences of English proficiency of the level C1 plus (CEFR). Students are to improve Business English skills.

The objective of the course is acquiring English proficiency in the field of business to acquire competences of English proficiency of C1 level (CEFR).

Students can understand extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signalled explicitly. Students can understand television programmes and films without too much effort (listening). Students can understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style. Students can understand specialised articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do not relate to their field (reading). Students can express myself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. They can use language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes. They can formulate ideas and opinions with precision and relate their contribution skilfully to those of other speakers (spoken interaction). Students can present clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects integrating sub-themes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion (spoken production). Students are to improve listening, speaking, and reading skills.

Particular attention is paid to the development of communication skills using business-related lexis.

Teaching contents:

- students become acquainted with the lexical material in the following branches of business: business communication, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, management styles, organizational and financial structure of entrepreneurship, relations between employees, risk in business and risk management, building teams, customer service;

-practising using the following grammar structures in speech: present tenses, past tenses, structures to express future, conditional sentences, articles, prepositions, infinitives, gerund forms, modal verbs.

Student workload:

60 hours (Organized hours 2 hours weekly x 1 semester = 30 hours; Self-study – 30 hours - preparation for classes, 15 hours - preparation for evaluation 15 hours)

The condition to be able to take the final exam (during examination session and retake session) is the presence in classes (according to the Rules of Study at the University of Warsaw)

The student has the right to 2 unexcused absences per 30 hours of classes. A lecturer decides on the manner of catching up with the material discussed during the classes a student has not attended.

If it is not possible to conduct classes on university premises, classes

shall be held with the aid of distance learning tools, most likely Google

Meet and others recommended by the University of Warsaw.

1. Market Leader. Course Book. Upper Intermediate Business English. David Cotton, David Falvey, Simon Kent. [2001] 2003. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

2. Business Vocabulary in Use. Advanced. Bill Mascull. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

3. Articles from The Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, and from YouTube and Business Insider.

Knowledge

the student knows the English language at the level C1 plus (K2_W09)

Skills

The student communicates using grammar rules and lexical items of the English language at the level of C1 plus (K2_U10)

Competence

The student can evaluate their language knowledge and information received (K2_K01)

The student thinks and acts in an industrious manner, while initiating activities for the social environment (K2_K02)

A pass is granted when the student has passed two tests in the semester and the final test in the last but one class of the semester.

The criteria used for evaluating the final (written) test result from percentage bands:

60% – 68% - 3

69% - 77% - 3+

78% - 86% - 4

87% - 95% - 4+

96% - 98 % - 5

99% -100% - 5 !

The student is permitted to have 2 hours of unexcused absence.