Advanced English Skills for Business: A New Module for the Business School

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Advanced English Skills for Business A New
Module for the Business School

• Sarah Horrod - Kingston University

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Course Basics

• MA Business Management Course OPTION
• 15 credit module
• 3 hour class
• English, communication writing skills
• International business cultures inter-cultural
  communication

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Rationale

• Business School course directors
• In-sessional classes
• Professional development
• Added value for international stream foreign
  language option for NS

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How to give an English course added value?

• Content based course
• Transferable skills

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Outline of Course Content

• Each week
• Writing / critical analysis / reading or
  listening
• Presentation Discussion Skills
• Topic for discussion (includes students
  mini-presentations) international business
  cultures or intercultural communication

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Sample Weeks - Week 2

• Listening and note-taking skills
• Formal vocabulary versus idiom and metaphor in
  business press
• Presentation skills delivery
• Discussion skills interrupting asking for
  clarification
• Topic for discussion culture shock (reading done
  homework week 1)
• Independent study for week 3 reading theories
  on cultural diversity / mini cases / text on
  Britain

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Sample Weeks - Week 3

• Reading skills the critical approach
• Presentation skills non-verbal communication
• Discussion skills expressing opinions
• Topic for discussion theories for understanding
  cultural diversity
• Independent study for week 4 reading theories
  on cultural diversity 2 / mini cases / text on
  India

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Course Elements

• 3 hour class / 2 hour class
• Semester 2 more work-focused skills
• 6-7 hours independent study
• Use of VLE e.g. Blackboard

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Assessment

• Semester 1 Presentation
• Semester 2 Multi-skilled task - Report class
  discussion

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Challenges

• MA course structure
• Dealing with content

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Potential Benefits

• Motivation
• Raise profile of English language support

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For Discussion

• What is the best way of covering all the material
  and meeting the objectives?
• How do we persuade departments to offer such
  modules?
• How do students perceive such courses?
• Do such courses offer a way forward for
  in-sessional EAP?