OVERVIEW

The English for Business and Economics course is a 72-hour course structured around mainly macroeconomic topics.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

"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."

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. to improve reading and listening with respect to previous knowledge of the English language (B1):
   • Enhance Comprehension Skills: Improve the ability to understand main ideas and specific details in intermediate-level written and spoken texts in English.
   • Expand Vocabulary and Grammar: Increase vocabulary and grammatical knowledge to better comprehend and interpret various types of texts and spoken English.
2. develop tools to discuss socio-political-economic issues drawing on a variety of texts and talks
   • Critical Analysis: Develop the ability to critically analyze and synthesize information from diverse sources, including articles, reports, and lectures on socio-political and economic topics.
   • Effective Argumentation: Improve skills in constructing coherent and persuasive arguments based on evidence from a range of texts and discussions.
3. recognize the diversity of the English language as a mother tongue, as a L2 and as a lingua franca
   • Cultural Awareness: Gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and contextual variations in English usage across different regions and among non-native speakers.
   • Linguistic Sensitivity: Develop sensitivity to and appreciation of the diverse linguistic features and practices in global English, including accents, dialects, and pragmatic differences.
4. develop oral communication skills in academic and business contexts
   • Presentation Skills: Enhance the ability to effectively organize and deliver clear and engaging oral presentations in academic and business settings.
   • Interactive Communication: Improve skills in participating in discussions, negotiations, and collaborative tasks, demonstrating clarity, conciseness, and appropriate professional tone.

PREREQUISITES

Prerequisite for attending the course: none

Prerequisite for taking 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 on the Aulaweb platform and to take the B1 exam on the set dates. All information can be found here.

TEACHING METHODS

The course takes place over two semesters for 72 hours; lessons will be held exclusively in the classroom but students are required to work outside of class times as well. All materials for attending and non-attending students will be delivered through the Aulaweb platform. Non-attending students can access materials at the same time as attending students. The lessons will use the following methods:

Language Sessions: Sessions in which students practice relevant grammatical and vocabulary elements.

Interactive Reading Sessions: Guided reading/listening sessions to deepen understanding, identify key arguments, and extract main information from a variety of economic texts and talks.

Discussion Sessions: Sessions in which students practice discussing socio-political-economic issues drawing on different input sources based on their readings and talks.

Research Sessions: Sessions in which students independently research information about relevant socio-economic topics from reliable sources.

Project Sessions: Sessions in which students independently work on practical projects to develop their own ideas within relevant economic topics.

Presentation Sessions: Sessions in which students present their ideas and projects to their peers.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

General language skills - level B1/B2 (CEFR)

Grammatical forms from B1 - B2 level to facilitate comprehension of texts and talks and support communicative abilities. Grammatical forms include the use of adjectives, conditionals, modal verbs, future and past forms, phrasal verbs, and relative clauses.

Vocabulary suited to understand and discuss various economic topics and handle relevant communication situations. Specific focus vocabulary to facilitate in-depth of complex terminological situations concerning macroeconomics. 

Communication skills

Skills to navigate communicative situations with a variety of interlocutors form varying lingua-cultural backgrounds. Situations and interactions focus on ability to manage ‘the world of work’ at an international level through practicing ‘presentations and Q&A’, ‘decision-making and project planning’, ‘cross-cultural communication’, ‘negotiations and meetings’, ‘job interviews’, ‘sales and marketing’, and ‘team collaboration’. 

Topics

The contents of the course are based on relevant macroeconomic topics. They are divided into three main topics: (1) GDP and other measures of progress (Economic Growth, Sustainability, ‘well-being’ of a country), (2) the new economy (globalization of business, e-commerce, sub-sectors of the new economy), and (3) tools of economic empowerment (microfinance, workforce development, economic empowerment of marginalized communities).

Text types

Students will work with two main text types: oral texts and written texts. Written texts are taken from business-related news outlets, specialized websites, non-governmental organizations, official reports from trustworthy sources, and textbooks. Oral texts represent different realizations of the English language as speakers from different contexts are featured. They feature experts of a variety of relevant economic topics.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All relevant texts and input are made available on the Aulaweb platform.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MONA NISHIZAKI (President)

SUSAN MARIE CAMPBELL (President Substitute)

ELGA NICOLINI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

See calendar and timetable on easyacademy and Diec website (since first semester 24)

EXAMS

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students will be tested on a variety of contents and topics. The assessments will test their communicative abilities, appropriate language use, and ability to discuss relevant economic topics drawing on a variety of resources.

Students are required to have certification of B1 (or higher) to take the final exam. Certification can be obtained through the assessment test, a recognized B1/PET certification, or completion of 60 hours of distance learning on the Aulaweb platform and a final B1 test. Information about recognized certifications can be found here, information about assessment tests and B1 tests can be found here.

Exam schedule