English B2 – Listening Syllabus 2014/15
INSTRUCTOR
Peter Cullen
e-mail: peter.cullen@uniurb.it
ricevimento: lunedì ore 8-9 DISTI 2° floor – corridor on the right, first door.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to help students apply knowledge of culture and business acquired in the first year to
develop a marketing plan that could be implemented in a real company. Studies will take place entirely in
English based on the MacDonald and Wilson’s Marketing Plans, How to Prepare Them, How to Use Them
(Wiley: 2011).
Students at the B2 level in English are NOT expected to purchase a textbook for the listening exam. Material
for this exam is provided online through the blog www.cl4englishlistening.wordpress.com. Further material
for independent study is listed at the end of this syllabus. Students are invited to test themselves via the
resources on the blog, specifically the practice exams available on the page “resources”.
Although not a regulation, it is fundamental that students come to class. Active linguistic skills such as
listening and speaking require constant practice and exposure. It has been statistically proven that students
who DO come to class perform better on the exams! There is also material for self-study at the Centro
Linguistico d’Ateneo on Via Budassi and on the blog www.cl4englishlistening.wordpress.com. You may ask
the secretaries there for the listening material for Doctor Cullen’s B1 listening course: this includes exercises
as well as exam simulations and exams from previous years.
We will hold periodic exam simulations throughout the year. These are very useful experiences in which the
student can see what a language exam in CL4 actually looks like and learn how these exams are structured.
This important practice helps calm the nerves and produced better results!!! DO COME TO THESE!!!
The B2 level (2nd year) written exam is divided into 3 parts
1. Grammar test (a variety of exercises including a brief translation exercise from English into Italian)-no
dictionaries allowed !
2. Reading Comprehension (use of dictionaries allowed)
3. Writing (about 250 words) (use of dictionaries allowed)
The average of the three parts will determine a final grade for the written exam which is worth a third of the
total for English 2.
The other two parts are:
1. Listening + “accertamento linguistico”
2. Corso monografico
The course will deal with a wide variety of topics, in order to prepare for the written exam, and the oral
“accertamento linguistico”. For this part of the oral exam students must study all 8 units from The Business
2.0 (MacMillan Ed.) and be prepared to discuss and explain the topics from any of the units.
It is necessary, however, for students to participate and be responsible for doing homework, and studying
topics which may not be covered during class. Those who cannot attend lessons should contact the
teachers for more information.
It is necessary to do practice tests during the year, beginning early in the year (during the first semester !),
in order for each individual to focus on his/her weaknesses and work on improving these with help from the
teachers.
It is especially important for students to practice writing as a part of their homework since improvement in
this area takes time and cannot be done in a short period. It is necessary to hand in work done at home and
have it corrected by the teachers in order to make progress.
As a university student, and a language student, YOU have the responsibility to organize your time for study
and make use of the resources provided to you. Your teaching staff is available to assist you as much as
they can. DO contact teaching staff via email or after class with any problems, observations or comments
about the subject matter. Specific questions related to administration and university procedures may be
directed to the Department’s student tutors. Their email is tutor.lingue@uniurb.it
MODULE 1 – What is Marketing and How does Culture Play a Role?
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1 Understand basic vocabulary and expressions related to management for marketing.
2 Understand basics of question framing.
3 Understand basics of conversational turn taking, interjections and response/reply.
WEEK 1
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 2
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 3
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 4
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
Understanding the Marketing Process
To establish the concept of marketing, its fundamental role in business and the impact
of the marketing environment.
To be able to distinguish between the tactics used in marketing (advertising, customer
selling and personal selling, for example) and the marketing concept.
To understand the importance of a pan-company orientation towards marketing, rather
than marketing as a separate function.
To clarify what customers look for in suppliers – better ways to solve their problems.
Intro vocab on Marketing and Management.
Question framing – how to ask open-ended and directed questions.
Intro to project – discussion on marketing and company management, understanding
“value propositions”.
The Marketing Planning Process – Main Steps
To understand the difference between strategies and tactics.
To understand the key process steps in the identification of corporate capabilities and
needs of the market (the matching process), which are summarized in a SWOT
analysis.
To be able to diagnose a company’s marketing planning process effectively, and
identify its strengths and weaknesses, sources of information, and means of
improvement available.
Language of teamwork, role assignment, self-evaluation of skills. Job Descriptions
Marketing team formation and role assignment: Roles:
Project Management and planning (2-3 people)
Human Resources Management (2-3 people)
Market research and data collection (15-30 people) – sub: segment? 1° & 2° reserach
Writing and production (report, ppt) (5-20 people) – sub: ppt, sections, comm. channels
Presentation and Q&A (sales force/PR) (3-5 people)
The Marketing Planning Process – Removing the Myths
To appreciate that imposing a structured marketing planning system in itself is not
sufficient to produce the expected results.
To understand how different organizational issues can influence the effectiveness of a
company’s marketing planning process.
To identify the relative strength of these influences and the barriers that have to be
overcome.
Question framing, listening for information, listening for asking questions, note taking,
Relevance, Significance, Utility in information.
Meet the company – understanding marketing problems. Presentation of the marketing
problem by the client company.
Completing the Marketing Audit – The Customer and the Market Audit
To understand why market definition and segmentation are vital to marketing planning,
and the economic importance of market share.
To appreciate the necessity for understanding customer value requirements and
competitor value positioning.
To be able to map out the structure and dynamics of a broad market, prior to
segmentation analysis.
To be able to audit a customer base using the appropriate classification techniques.
To be able to produce needs-based segments.
4 Ps. Understanding the product or service internally. UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH
RESOURCES
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
Group work – each team analyzes a different aspect of the company and product in
terms of the marketing question posed by the company. Focus on relation to customers
and market.
WEEK 5
OBJECTIVES
Completing the Marketing Audit – The Product Audit
To understand the rationale behind the concepts and tools described.
To be able to complete an analysis of a company’s products using the tools.
To be able to interpret the resultant information in relation to setting marketing
objectives and strategies pertinent to the products.
Web search skills, data base skills, cultural approaches, statistical approaches.
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
Group work – data collection and orientation of the strategic plan. Corresponding with
company managers. Marketing teams product audit the client company.
MODULE 2 – Planning: Research teams and organizational managment
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1 Interact independently with the client company via email
2 Discuss propositions, defend positions, explain to teammates research results, discuss planning progress
WEEK 6
Practice Simulation Exam
WEEK 7
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 8
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 9
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
Setting Marketing Objectives and Strategies
To understand the importance of setting realistic marketing objectives and strategies, to
determine a company’s direction and performance.
To be able to synthesize the findings of the marketing audit into a SWOT summary.
To evaluate the risks attached to key assumptions, which relate to a company and its
business environment.
To be aware that the marketing model is changing, from one of ‘make and sell’ to one of
customer-focused competition.
SWOT, language of risk evaluation
Two teams work on Internal and two teams work on External factors - teams discuss
analysis at the end. Identification of objectives and strategies for the company plan.
The Integrated Marketing Communications Plan
To be able to distinguish where impersonal, or indirect, communication can be used
most effectively.
To identify advertising and sales promotion objectives and produce appropriate plans.
Marketing mix and communications strategies. Advertising v publicity and promotion,
media types and language. Language of value communication (remember Business
Comm kids?)
Teams divide up to investigate advertising channels, promotional channels, b2b comm
Channels, trade fairs. Discussion of participated and guerrilla comm. strategies. Group
discussion of comm mix application to their marketing plan.
The Sales Plan
To gain a greater understanding of the contribution of direct sales within a company’s
communication and marketing plans.
To understand the importance of sales management, the use of objectives and
motivation.
Personal selling affords bilateral communication, enabling information to be gained and
given by both parties, thus connecting corporate objectives and customer wants.
To know how to manage a portfolio of key accounts.
Discussion of diffs between sales and marketing. KAM and role of sales in total
marketing objectives.
Sales language as a point of information exchange – transmission and collection.
Intelligent and directed sales language. Group work on sales strategy in the marketing
plan.
WEEK 10
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
The Pricing Plan
To understand the difference between ‘price’ and ‘cost’ and the various methods of
pricing, and systems of costing.
To be able to identify key factors that influence pricing options.
To understand how to set realistic prices and prepare a pricing plan.
Reading and discussing graphs and charts
Group work on pricing in the marketing plan
MODULE 3: From planning to implementation: Defending propositions
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to
1 Discuss fundamentals of what makes up a culture and discuss categorization
2 Use language of identity: individual and group
3 Express critique and analysis of contemporary western cultural systems
WEEK 11
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 12
WEEK 13
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 14
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 15
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
The Multichannel Plan – the Route to the Market
To describe the six steps of the multichannel strategy process.
To critically appraise the suitability of a channel intermediary.
To evaluate a company’s customer service package and physical distribution policy.
Language of distribution networks and communications networks. B2B and end user
functions in the value chain
Marketing teams discuss and decide on network channels in terms of the client
company’s need.
Practice Simulation Exam
The Customer Relationship Management Plan
To understand the role of CRM.
To understand how an organization needs to be integrated around customers in order
to serve them holistically and maximize their value.
To understand how to craft relevant conversations with customers through each
touchpoint in order to retain them and grow their value.
To be able to benchmark a company on a stage model of CRM, and determine the next
steps for the company to take.
Customers – finding them and retaining them. Brevity, Clarity, Significance and Loyalty.
Language leading to value creation for the end user
Marketing teams work on customer profiles and measurement methods that can be
outlined in their marketing plan in support of their decisions.
Implementation Issues in Marketing Planning
To understand the degree of formality required of a planning system relative to the size
and diversity of operations.
To understand the degree of involvement at all levels of management.
To be able to produce a timetable for planning.
Language of strategic communication, structural problems, timing problems
Marketing teams self-evaluate their structures and progress to goal. Marketing teams
reflect on the company’s structure and orientation to market. Reflection on
adaptations/modifications to structural integration and comm with the client company.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Marketing Planning
To spell out the crucial importance of measuring the financial consequences of the
often substantial expenditure of marketers.
To spell out methodologies for the three different levels at which marketing activities
need to be measured.
More on graphs, charts and data analysis. Importance of USING measurement! How
and when to apply it. Types of graphs and charts – readability and effectiveness.
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
Marketing teams form and review the data to present to clients. Which data to include
directly, which data to exclude or incorporate?
MODULE 4: Marketing Plan Presentation and Critique
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to
1 Use basic vocabulary of business systems
2 Relate business practices like management and marketing to language and culture
3 Be aware of and identify listening strategies for video and audio comprehension
WEEK 16
Simulation Listening Exams 1 and 2
WEEK 17
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
A Step by Step Marketing Planning System
To review and revise the market plan produced for the client company.
Check list of marketing plan components – submission of written plan to company
WEEK 18
Presentations to Company
OBJECTIVES
Each marketing team presents their “pitch” to the company for evaluation of applicability
and functionality.
Formal presentation English, presentation of written report.
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 19
OBJECTIVES
USE OF
ENGLISH
LISTENING and
SPEAKING
WEEK 20
Preliminary evaluation language, question framing, stress management, discussion of
product finalization and text revision
ppt referral, Q&A.
Critique and Evaluation of the Experience
To understand what the experience produced for the client, the students and the course
Reflection, argument, methods of self, team and course evaluation. Making
suggestions, defending results, understanding dynamic HUMAN systems in business.
Discussion of the experience. Group critique at levels of: individual, team, instructor,
course. Language of evaluation, appreciation, critique, shared experience, dissolution
of marketing teams.
Simulation Listening Exams 3 and 4
RECOMMENDED READINGS
1. Svend Hollensen: Global Marketing 6th Edition (Pearson, 2013).
2. Seth Godin: Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers
(Pocket Books, 2005).
3. Hooley, Piercy, Nicoulaud: Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning (Prentice Hall, 2011).
4. Phillip Kotler: Principles of Marketing 6th Edition (Pearson, 2013).
5. Phillip Kotler: Marketing 3.0 (Wiley and Sons, 2010).
6. Jay Conrad Levinson: Guerrilla Marketing: Cutting Edge Strategies for the 21st Century 4th Edition
(Piatkus, 2007).
7. Martin Lindstrom: Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Broadway Business, 2010)
8. Malcolm MacDonald: Marketing Plans – How to Write Them, How to Use Them 7th Edition (Wiley and
Sons, 2011).
RECOMMENDED
DICTIONARIES
ONLINE
BUSINESS
ENGLISH
DICTIONARY
BILINGUE: Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary / Oxford-Paravia Il Dizionario- EnglishItalian, Italian-English (OUP)
MONOLINGUE: Oxford English Dictionary (OUP)
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english
LISTENING
ORAL EXAM
USEFUL LINKS
EXAMS
This exam consists of a brief (3 - 3.5 min) recorded text. You will listen to the text three
times with a pause of 3 min and 4 min between each listening. The question sheet
consists of 5 open answer questions each worth 6 points. This exam may be taken
during any exam session of the academic year independently of the rest of the rest of
the B2 written exam. All sections of the written exam must be passed by the end of the
academic year in order for the student to register the completed mark.
This consists in a brief conversation about basic situations in life and then turns to
specific language, culture and business related topics. Students are expected to read
at least 8 chapters from The Business 2.0 B2 and be able to discuss them. Discussion
means conversation about the topic, not repetition of the content. This is valid for oral
exams with any B2 instructor.
FOR FURTHER READING
Further reference of European Common Framework Requirements are listed in the
following pages.
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/cadre1_en.asp
The following websites are useful for the necessary independent study:
www.cl4englishlistening.wordpress.com – blog containing material directly related
to B1 and B2 listening at DIST Uniurb. Also contains links to dozens of external
resources for language, culture and business related topics.
www.engvid.com – website containing hundreds of instructional videos on many
points of grammar, reading and listening strategies, composition, business language,
and vocabulary building.
www.lcbenglish.wordpress.com – blog specifically with writing and style guides (see
right-hand column)
www.ted.com – online presentations on many topics from culture and economy to
politics, psychology, sociology and science. Often a resource and inspiration for
language exams.
http://fora.tv/ - excellent site offering videos of conference presentations. Many indepth discussions and presentations on the leading academic topics of our time.
http://www.economist.com – link to The Economist, UK business, economics and
political society weekly magazine. Online audio and video is good.
USEFUL BOOKS

Raymond Murphy: English Grammar in Use (Cambridge English)

Bill Mascull: Business Vocabulary in Use – Intermediate (Cambridge English)

Ann Baker: Ship or Sheep? 3rd Edition (Cambridge English) – a pronunciation
course

Michael McCarthy, Jeanne McCarten: Grammar for Business (Cambridge
English)

The Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition (University of Chicago Press) –
standard academic and professional manual on American composition style

New Oxford Style Manual (Oxford University Press) – standard academic and
professional manual on British compostion style