BUSINESS AND DIPLOMATIC ENGLISH
Business and Diplomatic English is an upper-intermediate speaking course for non-native speakers of English designed for future linguists, diplomats, journalists, lawyers, politicians, etc. It is aimed at developing the spoken fluency of the learners carefully preparing them for the extended speaking activities. Throughout the course the learner is exposed to a wide variety of specific vocabulary and structures commonly used at meetings, presentations, negotiations, debates, telephoning, interviews, etc. As a special feature, we will also study patterns of spoken grammar related to our topics. Learning by doing, learner-centered, function and competence-based approaches and other applied methods are key factors to successful performance.
Required Textbooks:
- Babayan A., Baghdasaryan S. /Debates and interviews/ methodological handbook 2011(Yerevan, YSU Press)
- Chambers Guide to English for Business (Language in Use). by Barbara Campbell, 2002.
Assessment methods:
- Testing
- Portfolio
- The course assessment is comprised of summative and formative formats aiming both at guiding learning and guiding the learning process.
Course Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Plan, compose and organize a meeting (AGM, decision-making, reviewing, information-gathering, etc. ) with an agenda, chairperson and participants.
- Speak on a certain topic using the appropriate essential vocabulary.
- Paraphrase, summarize, and synthesize information from debates and business readings.
- Enter into negotiations, make concessions, compromise over the issue, reach an agreement.
- Structure a presentation, outline the talk, describe the sequence, move to a new point, summarize the main points, invite questions from the audience.
- Identify and use cohesive markers, transition phrases in presentations.
- Make effective business calls, identify themselves, explain the purpose of the call and leave a message.
- Research, collect, logically present and organize ideas for writing a formal business report.
- Organize and roleplay various workshops, discussions and round tables according to the scenario.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Given a prompt, students will be able to plan, compose, and give a presentation under time constraints and role play a debate, meetings and interviews using appropriate vocabulary, accurate grammar, transition phrases and reference information from assigned source materials.
- Students will be able to identify main ideas and specific details in a text and summarize the information orally.
- Students will exhibit strong academic behaviors: regular attendance, timeliness, participation in class activities, perseverance, and adherence to University Code.
