Practical Communication Strategies II - ENGL564
Compulsory/Elective: Compulsory
Stage:
Hours assigned:
Method of assessment:
Number of credits:
Two
42
Continuous 100%
3
Objectives
The Practical Communication Strategies subject aims to:
1.
integrate, apply and extend the theoretical constructs considered in Analysis
of Contemporary English and Practicum to practical spoken and written tasks in the
workplace;
2.
develop participants’ skills and proficiency levels in listening, speaking,
reading and writing for the Hong Kong workplace;
3.
provide students with guided practice in a wide range of communication
strategies for successful communication in the work place;
4.
help students develop a high degree of confidence in the use of English in
the many different communicative situations likely to be met in
management both in a Hong Kong context and internationally.
Practical Communication Strategies is divided across two stages of the first year of
the Programme: Practical Communication Strategies I (in Stage 1) and
Practical Communication Strategies II (in Stage 2).
Syllabus
The following is an indicative sequence of the components of the Practical
Communication Strategies II subject. Wherever possible, however, topics will be
integrated with, and build on, other components of the programme. The specific
content and sequence of the syllabus also responds to the backgrounds and needs of
students.
1.
1.1
1.2
1.3
Meetings and negotiations
Meeting and negotiating skills
Agendas and meeting documents
Minutes
2.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
Presentations
Organisation of information
Structuring of presentations
Use of visual aids
Computer-mediated presentations, eg Powerpoint
Tips for presentations, including pace and language cues
3.
3.1
3.2
Public speaking
Planned
Unplanned
4.
4.1
4.2
Interviews
Job interviews
Appraisal interviews
5.
4.1
4.2
4.3
Report writing
Kinds of reports
Layout specifications
Style and argumentation in reports
6.
6.1
6.2
6.3
Other documents
Tenders
Circulars and notices for public display
Job advertisements
7.
5.1
5.2
The Media
Newspaper reports
TV interviews
Assessment
Continuous Assessment:
100%
Continuous assessment will be based on a minimum of three assignments completed
throughout the subject.
Reading List
The subject will be heavily dependent on authentic communication data collected
in a range of workplace contexts. This will include exemplar texts selected from
various sources, eg reports, letters, brochures, e-mail correspondence, web pages etc.,
as well as authentic video data of business communication in action.
A number of commercially available training videos dealing with advanced level
business communication skills will also be used as required.
Required
Bilbow, G T (1995) Writing Business Reports: a Case-study Approach for Hong
Kong. Hong Kong: Commercial Press
Bilbow, G T (1996) Business Speaking for Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Longman
Boden, D. (1994) The Business of Talk: Organisations in Action. Cambridge: Polity
Wallach, J & G Metcalf (1995) Working with American: a practical guide for
Asians on how to succeed with US managers. New York: McGraw-Hill
Suggested
Pennycook, A (1994) The Cultural Politics of English as an International
Language, Harlow: Longman
Swales, J M (1990). Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
York Associates:
(1993). Effective Meetings. The York Training Packs, York: York Associates
(1997). Effective Negotiations. The York Training Packs, York: York Associates
(1997). Effective Presentations. The York Training Packs, York: York Associates
Reference
Adam J.H. (ed.) (1990). Longman dictionary of Business English (New edition)
Harlow: Longman.
Alexander L G (1993). Longman Advanced Grammar Harlow: Harlow: Longman
Sinclair J. et. al. (1987). Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary. London:
William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd..
Sinclair J. et. al. (1991). Collins Cobuild English Guides, Prepositions. London:
Harper Collins.
Sinclair J. et. al. (1993). Collins Cobuild English Guides, 3 Articles London: Harper
Collins.
Swan M. (1983 or later). Practical English Usage, ELBS
Roget's Thesaurus (any edition).
Prepared by: Prof Grahame T Bilbow & Ms Jane Lockwood