Teaching English for Business and Economics is a 72-hour course structured to mainly macroeconomic topics.
Course description The English course (72 hours over two terms) is made up of classes held by three lecturers. Those students who need to comply with the entry requirements (B1/PET English Certificate) can attend a 60-hour distance-learning course provided by CLAT (the university language centre) and supervised by a tutor. Click here www.economia.unige.it/doc/didattica/info_inglese.pdf for further information. All students are required to sign up for the course on the Aulaweb (http://economia.aulaweb.unige.it/) both to gain access to all materials and get updates from lecturers. The lecturers’ course is an upper-intermediate one and is offered to undergraduates who already have a good knowledge of English. Credits: 9 credits. Available as a 5/6-credit course for Erasmus students only and upon agreement.
Prerequisite to take the course: none
Prerequisite to take the exam: it is necessary to have a B1/ PET certification to access the oral exam, or to have completed 60 hours of distance learning course on the Clire platform and take the final exam on the arranged dates. All information at the following link: http://www.economia.unige.it/doc/didattica/info_inglese.pdf).
Lessons will be held eclusively in person in the classroom. The goal of teaching is to strengthen reading and listening skills and reinforce the communicative skills acquired during previous study of the English language. Focus will be put on understanding current English social, economic and political issues, working on different text typologies, to enable students to engage with native and non-native speakers in an English-speaking environment. In order to do so students will work on a folder containing selected texts (articles, essays, excerpts from books and manuals - all materials are available online on the Aulaweb course page). Emphasis will also be placed on critical reading (a closer text analysis for unveiling meaning at a deeper or metaphorical level within a text) and critical thinking (the ability to compare and contrast information and ideas from different sources). Students will be divided into 3 groups based on students’ surname initials (A-D; E-O; P-Z).
General language skills - level B1/B2 (CEFR)
Grammatical forms suitable for understanding key points of familiar topics. Lexical baggage suitable for handling with ease situations that may occur in L2 countries or wherever it is used as a lingua franca. Syntactic skills for producing simple texts related to topics that are familiar or of personal interest. (See glossary on most common situations-travel, education, family, health, food, etc.). Oral practice suitable for expressing experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly explaining reasons, opinions and plans.
Grammatical forms suitable for understanding the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics. Vocabulary baggage suitable for understanding technical discussions in the field of specialization. Oral practice apt for moderately fluent and spontaneous interaction that makes communication with native speakers effortless for interlocutors possible. Advanced syntactic and stylistic skills for producing clear, detailed text on a wide range of topics capable of explaining a point of view on a topic while providing the pros and cons of various options.
Sectoral language skills related to the various branches of business - B1/B2 CEFR
Integration of grammatical forms and syntactic skills between B1 and B2 levels. Specialized vocabulary baggage with insights related to complex terminological situations concerning macroeconomics and some of the historical and contemporary economic theories. Major topics include: domestic economic policies; international development economic policies; international markets; transportation; financial issues; GDP and other growth indices; Network Economy theory and practice; international politico-economic institutions.
Acquisition of practical skills of sectoral English (written, spoken and read) in the field of economics for handling situations of interaction in the international business world-from job interview to statistical report or presentation in front of a business group or audience.
Topics
Course content varies according to current events and continuous updating with respect to some main topics, including: domestic economic policies; international development economic policies; international markets; financial issues; GDP and other growth indices; Network Economy theory and practice; international political-economic institutions.
Text types
The variety of content goes hand in hand with an equally diverse range of text types: newspaper and magazine articles, both industry and academic; articles from specialized blogs and websites; excerpts from institutional websites; official reports from governmental and nongovernmental organizations; essays and book chapters; and excerpts from textbooks and manuals in industry fields. The variety of text types enables the reader to grasp stylistic and register differences in the use of the English language in general and in the field of expertise with an analysis of the various distinctive features and the pragmatic and linguistic aspects that characterize them.
All texts – i.e. newspaper and magazine articles, excerpts from books and manuals,
reccomended reports and essays - are ready for download on the Aulaweb resources (http://economia.aulaweb.unige.it/)
Grammars
Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use. Intermediate, Cambridge
University Press (latest edition);
Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, Oxford University Press, (latest edition); an English learners' dictionary, e.g. Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press;
For online pronunciation, see amongst others www.howjsay.com
Ricevimento: Thursdays by appointment.
MONA NISHIZAKI (President)
SUSAN MARIE CAMPBELL (President Substitute)
ELGA NICOLINI (President Substitute)
October 2023
Oral exam following a written part assessing the students' entry level (see below for further details)
Assessment criteria: listening comprehension (the student understands the questions asked by the lecturer) effective reporting of content, critical reading skills, extensive knowledge and use of ESP (English for Specific purposes) terms, adequate pronunciation
Oral assessment.
