I. Brief Course Description

The objective of this course is to improve our clients’ ability to communicate effectively and with confidence in English in a wide range of business situations and in specialized fields according to clients’ needs. The course will develop the communication skills used to succeed in business and function professionally in the business world.

II. Textbook

Market Leader Third Edition Pearson Longman Plus supplemental material as needed from the Market Leader series: Business Grammar and Usage, Marketing, Accounting and Finance, Business Law, Human Resources, Logistics Management, Working Across Cultures

III. Authentic Materials

Newspapers: New York Times, The Wall Street Journal Business Magazines: The Economist, Harvard Business Review

IV. Course Objectives

After completing the course, depending on the level and length of stay, clients will be able to:

• Lead and participate in a meeting

• Assess and resolve conflicts

• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills

• Listen and summarize main points of negotiations, interviews

• Brainstorm solutions to common business problems

• Negotiate issues while maintaining/creating effective long-term relationships

• Give a well-organized and effectively delivered presentation

• Make well-justified recommendations and compare alternatives

• Write informal/formal emails, memos, short reports, agendas and meeting minutes

V. Methods of Instruction

The instructor may use case studies, lectures, questions and exercises from the textbook, videos, recordings, recent technological changes in the communication process, current events, Power Point presentations, authentic materials, current newspapers such as The New York Times, magazines, such as Harvard Business Review, and student experiences and responses.

VI. Attendance

Punctuality and regular attendance in classes is of prime importance for successful completion of this course, just as the same punctuality and attendance is important in the business world. Students will be expected to arrive for class on time and to remain in class until the end of the class session.

VII. Methods of Evaluation

Assignments and projects, to be completed as homework or in class, should not contain errors in spelling, punctuation, style, etc. Dictionaries, spellcheckers, and other methods of checking and proofreading are encouraged. Incorrect assignments may be returned to be rewritten. Due dates of assignments will be announced in advance and may be found on the schedule that follows. (Please keep this schedule handy and refer to it often!) The goal should be to complete assignments that you would be proud to give to a supervisor.

HOMEWORK – These include short assignments to provide assessment to the student and the instructor through research and creativity. GRADED homework includes: Final Draft of Report Mini oral report on research topic Formal Letter Final Draft of Summary

TESTS and QUIZZES – There will be a quiz after each unit and a test after every three units.

EVALUATIONS – These represent work prepared that will confirm that a student has met the objectives of a certain chapter: Resume and sample cover letter: Resumes and cover letters that contain errors will be returned. These resumes and cover letters must be corrected and resubmitted. Grades on resubmitted items will be averaged for a final grade. A revision is required in all cases. (These are usually redone several times for the benefit of the student.) Formal business letter: Student will show proper format and appropriate language usage. Report: Although not lengthy, a research paper is required to demonstrate knowledge of report preparation. Presentation: Each student will give a presentation. The instructor will provide suggested topics. This presentation is usually on a specialized business topic. Formal Negotiation session: Students will work in teams against another team to persuade their case. Networking session: Students will participate in a networking session, employing all the proper protocols.