Syllabus: English Language and Culture for Business (CL4, LAZ, Lin-Az) B2 –
Listening
A.A. 2011/2012
Prof. Peter Cullen
This course is designed to integrate language learning with the content provided in the other courses
offered in the Language and Culture for Business programme. As such, the course is divided into 6
modules of three weeks each, most of which reflect the exam structure of the LAZ, Lin-Az
programme’s second year exam requirements. This structure should make the language lessons
complementary to the business and culture lessons, reinforcing both language and content learning.
The lessons are designed to provide the student with a functional command of the vocabulary and
expressions pertinent to these subjects.
Students at the B2 level in English are expected to obtain a copy of the text for this course:
T. Trappe, and G. Tullis, Intelligent Business – Intermediate Business English (Longman,
2005)
Chapters from this text will be used to integrate listening exercises with the appropriate module themes.
It is fundamental that students obtain this text as it provides the basic material for the oral
examinations. Other texts are indicated at the bottom of each module structure. These texts are
assigned by the relative subject professor and are not requirements of this course!!!
It is fundamental that students come to class. Active linguistic skills such as listening and speaking
require a great deal of 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. You may ask the secretaries there for the listening material for
Doctor Cullen’s B2 listening course: this includes exercises as well as exam simulations and exams
from previous years.
Students will be divided into groups and expected to create weekly presentations based on online
audio visual blogs and TV providers they will follow in their groups. Each week, representatives from
2-3 scheduled groups will present briefly the information and issues viewed or heard on their chosen
online source. Online sources address language, culture and business topics. The sites are assigned by
the professor, the composition of the groups is the responsibility of the students, but must be
registered with the professor in the online info groups section of the class register. Groups will present
according to the weekly schedule on this syllabus. Material presented in class may be used asked at oral
exams.
As well, the lesson ppt shows and other material and information is available on the professor’s blog:
cl4englishlistening.wordpress.com. This material includes exam information, audio files, links to
audio and video, as well as information about language and culture for business.
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!!!
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At the end of the year you will be asked to fill out course evaluations. These are designed to get
feedback on the quality of the lessons taught in the CL4 programme. They are anonymous. Although
administered in class, the professor has no way of knowing what YOUR comments are. Please be
objective and constructive in your criticism. This is an important instrument with which the
administrative and teaching staff can improve the quality of the programme. We greatly appreciate
your input!!!!
The module structure for the B2 Listening Course is as follows:
Module 1:
The Culture of Business Processes:
week 1 -
Business Culture and the Cultures of Business.
themes:
Course introduction: syllabus, blog, Online info groups, studying
cultural axioms of time and expectation
learning, perpetuation and change
(LE. pg. 13 – discussion: the American business model; homework: WB LE. pg. 5 T2 and T3)
week 2 -
Business Processes: Accounting for Expectation
themes:
planning processes
accounting processes
relationships between business, region and State
(LE. pg. 19 – discussion: leadership styles; homework: WB LE pg. 10 T4)
Online info groups 1 and 2 present.
week 3 -
The internationalisation of business
themes:
necessity and expectation in global trade
necessity and expectation in global management
views on multinationals and global businesses
(LE. pg. 22 – discussion: intercultural and multicultural business and leadership; homework: WB LE. pg. 14 T5)
Online info groups 1, 2 and 3 present
Module 2:
Internet, ICTs and Business contexts
week 4 –
ICTs and changes in communication
themes:
technology from telegraph to social networking
cultural expectations
rates of change
(LE. pg. 24 – discussion: culture and business strategy; homework: WB LE. pg. 18 T6)
Online info groups 4, 5 and 6 present
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week 5 –
Language and ICTs
themes:
ICT’s and global English
innovation, law and non-English computing worlds
language, ICTs and global networking
Online info groups 7 and 8 present
week 6 –
ICTs and global business
themes:
ICTs and products
ICTs and finance
ICTs and networking your business
(LE. pg. 30 – discussion: Anglicana and Americana – difference and similarity; homework: WB LE. pg. 22 T8)
Online info groups 9, 10 and 1 present
Module 3: Marketing: This module is designed to treat some of the themes taught in the Marketing
course.
week 7 –
The Object and Evolution of Marketing Studies
themes:
marketing theory
the discipline of marketing
marketing and the “new economy”
(LE. pg. 54 – discussion: the role of product recognition in the development of marketing; homework: WB LE.
pg. 42 T14)
Online info groups 2 and 3 present
week 8 –
The Role of Marketing in Companies
themes:
internal and external interaction
marketing planning
(LE. pg. 55 – discussion: fine-tuning the market – market research, targets, market segment, market share;
homework: WB LE. pg. 47 T15)
Online info groups 4 and 5 present
week 9 –
Marketing Strategies and Approaches
themes: the development of marketing strategies
market research and methods of relational marketing
the 4 P’s
(LE. pg. 56 – discussion: - risk management and marketing strategy; homework: WB LE. pg. 50 T16)
Online info groups 6 and 7 present
Texts: Cozzi, G., and Ferrero, G., Principi ed aspetti evolutivi del marketing aziendale (Giappichelli, Torino,
2004).
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Module 4: Intercultural communication: This module is designed to address some of the themes
taught in Comunicazione interculturale.
week 10 –
Identifying needs for intercultural communication
themes:
What is IC and why is it significant?
L2 acquisition theories (behaviouralism, constructivism, innatisim, functionalism
neural science, brain mapping and connectivist approaches
(LE. pg. 60 – discussion: labour, outsourcing, and national economies; homework: WB LE. pg. 32 T11)
Online info groups 8 and 9 present
SECOND SEMESTER
week 11 –
Living in a hyphen – Cross-cultural communities and business
themes:
migration and populations
Italian emigration 1880’s to 2001
Italian immigration 1990 - 2001
(LE. pg. 64 – discussion: innovation, economic shifts and the BRIC countries; homework: WB LE pg. 38 T12)
Online info groups 10, 1 and 2 present
week 12 -
Global intercultural communication
themes:
language and power
understanding inter-cultures
innovating culture
(LE. pg 66 – discussion: economic blocks, economic regions, and outsourcing – comparative advantage;
homework: WB LE pg. 40 T13)
Online info groups 3 and 4 present
The texts are:
Module 5:
Globalisation:
week 13 –
Globalisation and world systems: 500 years or 5000?
themes:
world systems and globalisation – what do they mean?
how have societies globalised?
globalisation and change
(LE. pg. 123 – discussion: trade, marketing, privacy, regulation and law; homework: WB LE. pg. 59 T19 T20)
Online info groups 5 and 6 present
week 14 -
Globalisation and its proponents
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themes
opportunities and externalities
the significance of trade
global institutions
(LE. pg. 39 – discussion: public vs. private law – contract law; homework: WB LE. pg. 24 T9)
Online groups 7 and 8 present
week 15 -
Globalisation and shifting global balances
themes:
imperialisms
cultural ideals and exportation
global, national and regional
(LE. pg. 47 – discussion: international law and the environment; homework: WB LE. pg. 31 T10)
Online groups 9, 10 and 1 present
week 16 –
Simulation listening exam
Module 6:
Business and the Environment:
week 17 –
Material culture and resource exploitation in history
themes:
agriculture – an ancient natural disaster
cultures of industrial resource exploitation
cultures of educated ignorance – the service sector
(LE. pg. 68 – discussion: profit/loss vs. cost/benefit; homework: WB LE. pg. 53 T17)
Online info groups 2, 3 and 4 present
week 18 –
The climate crisis
themes:
the state of scientific research
business in a finite resources game
facing the challenge: living in a finite resources game
(LE. pg. 134 – discussion: innovation and business strategy; homework: WB LE. pg. 55 T18)
Online info groups 5, 6 and 7 present
week 19 –
Rich v Poor? Development theories and the environment
themes:
sustainable development – whose model?
the energy cycle in industry
adaptation and innovation – solutions?
(LE. pg. 74 – discussion: production efficiency and budget efficiency; homework: review)
Online info groups 8, 9 and 10 present
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week 20 – Listening exam simulation
The listening exam, therefore, will be constructed from the themes treated in class. Class material will
be available in the form of handouts or a “reader” which may be found in the photocopy room at
Collegio Raffaello, Piazza Rinascimento 13, or will be loaded on the blog so that you may download it.
The oral exam (accertamento linguistico) will be based on the course-book used for the lettorato: T.
Trappe, and G. Tullis, Intelligent Business – Upper Intermediate Business English.
Exam schedules may be found on the Faculty of Languages web-site or on the bulletin board at
Collegio Raffaello, Piazza Rinascimento13.
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