OVERVIEW

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

The English course (72 hours over two terms) is made up of classes held by three lecturers. The students need to comply with the entry requirements, which can be found here. All students are required to sign up for the course on the Aulaweb both to gain access to all materials and get updates from the lecturers. This course is an upper-intermediate one and it is offered to undergraduates who already have a good knowledge of English.

Attendance: Strongly recommended.

Credits: 9 credits. Available as a 5/6-credit course for Erasmus students only and upon agreement.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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. To 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. To 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. To 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 final exam: all information can be found here.

TEACHING METHODS

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 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. 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).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The main topics are:
- Globalisation and international markets;
- Finance, marketing and business strategies in global contexts;
- Ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR);
- Leadership, work and intercultural management;
- English as the language of business and global communication.

5 main ways of communicating in global business:
- Email and written correspondence;
- Oral presentations;
- Visual and data representation;
- Negotiation and persuasive dialogue;
- Intercultural and interpersonal communication.
 

Students will engage with a variety of adjusted text types, including business- and content-related news articles as well as selected book chapters. These texts provide real-world context for economic and professional communication, exposing learners to current issues, terminology, and discourse structures used in business journalism and academic writing. Through guided reading and analysis, students will develop the skills to understand, interpret, and discuss complex information relevant to business and macroeconomic topics.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All the texts used in the classroom can be downloaded from Aulaweb.
 

Recommended Grammars
- Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use. Intermediate, CUP(latest edition);
- Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, OUP, (latest edition).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

18th of September, 2025.

CLASS SCHEDULE & ROOM
Thursdays, 1 - 3pm
Darsena, Via Vivaldi 5, 16126, Genova – Aula Embriaco (332)

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam based on one of the texts analysed in class during the course.

Students will be assessed on their ability to talk about the text and the questions related to it that the lecturer will ask them. Their command of English while talking about the text will also be evaluated as part of the final mark.

FURTHER INFORMATION

During the course, attention will also be given to grammar and vocabulary:

Grammar Focus (B1–B2 level):

• Adjectives to describe attitudes and tone, modal verbs for polite requests and suggestions, relative clauses for clarifying meaning, and conditional forms for expressing hypothetical situations.
• Use of modal verbs for obligation and permission, future forms for planning and scheduling, phrasal verbs common in professional exchanges, and tense shifts for reporting.
• Passive voice in economic reporting, comparative and superlative forms to describe trends, and time expressions for historical comparisons.
• Conditional forms to hypothesize market outcomes, modal verbs for speculation, and noun phrases to describe products and services.

Vocabulary Development:

• Functional language for global communication, key terms related to language use in business contexts, and vocabulary for describing roles, cultures, and professional identities.
• Terminology related to meetings, negotiations, presentations, teamwork, and project management; functional phrases for persuasion, agreement/disagreement, and clarification.
• Macroeconomic terminology, including trade-related terms, financial institutions, international agreements, and currency systems.
• Specialized terms related to marketing strategies, consumer psychology, branding, and promotional techniques.