COURSE INTRODUCTION
BUSINESS ENGLISH 2
2014/15
FIRST YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER
Lecturer: VIŠNJA KABALIN BORENIĆ
Office hours: Tuesday 12:00 – 13.00
Wednesday 16.00 – 17.00
Friday 14.00 – 15.00
Room:
16
Phone:
238 3205
E-mail:
vkborenic@efzg.hr
Info: www.efzg.hr/vkabalin & www.efzg.hr
The notice board in the Department corridor
Student tutor (BDiB): PETRA MITEVSKI
petra_mitevski@hotmail.com
Department secretary: IVANKA DVORŽAK
(Office where X-cards are issued)
- exam registration
- any other administrative issue
- language certificates for Erasmus
TIMETABLE 2014/15 (BDiB)
Joint session
Tue 10.30 – 12.00
Tutorials (by Petra)
Tue 14.00 – 15.00
Split sessions
β Wed 12.00 – 13.30
α Wed 14.00 – 15.30
Office hours
Wed 16.00 – 17.00
Intended learning outcomes (ILO’s):
Students will be able to:
• Use the basic economics and business
terminology within the realm of the selected
topics,
• Interpret and describe simple graphs,
• Discuss and debate a selection of topics on
economics and business in English
• Communicate appropriately in various business
situations, eg. meetings
• Prepare and write a short report and minutes in
English
TOPICS
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Business cycle
Retailing and e-commerce
International trade and the EU
Banking
Central banking
Exchange rates
Insurance
Accounting and financial statements
Stocks and derivatives
Bonds
Mergers and acquisitions
Skills focus:
• Language of meetings
– (incl. agenda, memo, minutes)
• Writing reports / memos / agendas
• Describing graphs and charts
REQUIRED LITERATURE
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•
MacKenzie, I. (2010) ENGLISH FOR
BUSINESS STUDIES, CUP
→units 14, 16-19, 21, 23, 26, 27
RESOURCE BANK 2 (2014/15 NEW !!!)
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students aspiring to grade A are expected to read
and be able to discuss all of the material provided
in the literature
(See Course content, RB p 2)
Copy on a USB – distribute to colleagues
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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Progress test 1 & 2, Report
Attendance and participation
Meeting
Oral exam
50%
20%
15%
15%
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
•
regular attendance is OBLIGATORY
– IF YOU MISS A CLASS: keep up-to-date with the
course progression (visit my web page, ask your
colleagues, see me or Petra during office hours,
email me…);
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active in-class participation (home
assignments, participation in discussions);
organizing & role-playing a business meeting;
passing progress tests or the
comprehensive exam
TWO EXAM OPTIONS
1) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT –
(BEFORE REGULAR EXAM DATES)
• business meeting 15%
• two progress tests (1short report included)
– (regular submission of written homework
assignments is a requirement)
50%
• active in-class participation 20%
• a comprehensive oral exam 15%
2) REGULAR EXAM DATES
• final comprehensive written test (regular
examination period)
50%
• final comprehensive oral exam (regular exam
period)
15%
• business meeting – during the semester 15%
• attendance and participation – in class 20%
MEETINGS
• TEAMS OF 5-7 STUDENTS (alphabetic order)
- exchange mobile phone numbers or e-mails
• TOPICS WILL BE ASSIGNED (OR CHOSEN)
- meetings will be held in my office during
office hours starting around 15 March
MORE INFO ON MEETINGS - SHORTLY
FINAL SCHEDULE - SHORTLY
• PREPARE THE TOPIC OF THE MEETING,
AGENDA, MINUTES AND ROLES
(hand in the memo with the agenda on the day
of the meeting and minutes on the next class –
obligatory element)
• USE CLASS INPUT (RB 2) ON THE
STRUCTURE AND LANGUAGE OF
MEETINGS
• REHEARSE YOUR ROLE ALONE AND WITH
YOUR TEAM
FINAL ORAL EXAM
• checks your speaking skills, coherent and
clear presentation of the subject
• students answer three questions on the
topics covered during the semester using
the relevant terminology
• this is followed by a brief discussion
• it lasts around 5-10 minutes
GRADING SYSTEM
50% 2 progress tests + short report (1 page)
(if students fail one test, they can take next test, but
score in both must be 50+%)
20% active in-class participation
(+ home assignments: do excercises, research, take
notes, write paragraphs…)
15% meeting : group assignment (individual grades)
15% oral exam (a brief coherent talk on a given subject, or
a conversation on the given subject; answering questions
using adequate business terminology…)
Grade: 5 (A)
Exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge and
understanding of the area of the study; evidence of
extensive and appropriate selection and critical
evaluation/synthesis/analysis; exceptional
demonstration of holistic and analytical thinking;
exceptional ability to diagnose business problems;
demonstrates excellence in explaining opinions and
direct argument; addresses the ILOs exceptionally;
demonstrates excellence in approach to learning;
excellent logical reasoning, practical and personal
competencies and communication skills.
Grade: 4 (B)
Very good knowledge and understanding of the area
of study as the student is able to relate facts/concepts
together with some ability to apply to known/taught
contents/contexts’; evidence of holistic and analytical
thinking; ability to diagnose business problems; may
rely on set sources to direct argument; addresses the
ILOs almost fully; demonstrates autonomy in
approach to learning; very good logical reasoning,
very good practical and personal competencies, very
good communication skills.
Grade: 3 (C)
Good knowledge and understanding of the area of
the study balanced towards the descriptive rather
than critical, holistic or analytical; some ability to
diagnose business problem; rely on set sources to
direct argument; address the ILOs; adequate
logical reasoning, good practical and personal
competencies, good communication skills.
Grade: 2 (D)
Knowledge and understanding is sufficient to deal
with terminology, basic facts and concepts, but
fails meaningful syntheses; weak ability to think
holistically; some ability to diagnose business
problems; arguments may be weak or poorly
constructed; addresses the ILOs with difficulties;
weak logical reasoning, sufficient practical and
personal competencies, sufficient communication
skills.
Grade: 1 (F)
Insufficient knowledge and understanding of the
area of the study; understanding is typically at the
word level with facts being reproduced in a
disjointed or decontextual manner; fails to address
the ILOs; fails to think analytically about the
discipline, weak logical reasoning, weak practical
and personal competencies, weak communication
skills.
Recommended literature:
Longman Business English Dictionary
Špiljak, V. ed. (2000) Englesko-hrvatski poslovni rječnik,
Masmedia
Murphy Grammar
Suggested sources:
• Business Week, The Financial Times, The Economist …
• CNBC, Bloomberg, business programmes on BBC and
CNN
• web sites: bized.com, investopedia.com, quickmba.com,
startup.wsj.com, dictionary.com,
harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu,
encarta.msn.com, acronymfinder.com, uefap.com, ,
cusd.com/calonline/econ
HOMEWORK: STUDY PAGES 2-5 IN RB 2
THIS WEEK …
– INTRODUCTION TO MEETINGS
– PLEASE get RESOURCE BANK 2
A.S.A.P.
– HOMEWORK: STUDY PAGES 2-5 IN RB 2