Designing Business English programmes 1 Submitted by TE Editor on 13 May, 2009 - 1 !

02 This is the "irst o" three arti#les on designing Business English programmes to suit students$ needs% &s you all 'no(, "or the past se)eral de#ades, English has gro(n into the primary language "or international #ommuni#ation% *ust li'e people, #ompanies in today$s e#onomy "ind that their primary sour#e o" #ompetiti)e ad)antage lies in the 'no(ledge they posses, so they are in)esting more and more on training their sta""% +o(adays, people not only need to 'no( English, but they need to de)elop a range o" #ommuni#ati)e language #ompeten#es in order to be able to per"orm their ,ob-related tas's properly% They usually lin' their English studies to their area o" e-pertise and the attention be#omes more "o#used on language as a tool "or #ommuni#ation rather than on language 'no(ledge as an end in itsel"% So, i" you (ant to pro)ide them (ith the ser)i#e they need, you need to get to 'no( the organi.ation that re/uests your ser)i#es, its #ulture, its global situation% 0ou (ill also ha)e to get to 'no( the parti#ipants o" the #ourses, their strengths, their situations, their needs, their learning styles% 1et$s see some steps you #an "ollo( (hen designing business English #ourses to help your students bridge the English s'ills gap%

2denti"y students$ needs! needs analysis De"ine programme goals and ob,e#ti)es o" the instru#tion Syllabus design!

identi"y topi#s, themes, situations design learning a#ti)ities and tas's de"ine types o" assessments

Sele#t suitable material 3ourse deli)ery 4rogramme e)aluation

2n this arti#le (e (ill loo' at the "irst and se#ond points% 2n the se#ond arti#le syllabus design (ill be de)eloped and in the third (e (ill loo' at the last three points% 2denti"y students$ needs 5hy do you need to do so6 0ou must remember that the #ourse has to "ul"il your students$ e-pe#tations, and they (ant a #ourse that relates to their pro"essional language needs% Be"ore you #an start deli)ering the #ourse, you ha)e to gather in"ormation on!

5here they are #on#erning English, their language #ompeten#e 5here they need to be, (hat language s'ills your students need in order to per"orm their ,ob-related tas's properly%

2n order to #olle#t this in"ormation you (ill need to hold inter)ie(s (ith your students and in many #ases (ith the people in #harge o" 7uman 8esour#es "rom the organi.ation re/uesting your ser)i#es% 8egarding their #urrent language #ompeten#e you #an as' your students to "ill in the 1anguage 4assport de)eloped by the 3oun#il o" Europe as part o" the 1anguage 4ort"olio% 0ou #an do(nload it "rom the "ollo(ing sites!

(((%#oe%int9t9dg 9port"olio9de"ault%asp6l:e;m:9main<pages9(el#ome%htm http!99europass%#ede"op%europa%eu9europass9

2t in#ludes a sel"-assessment o" language s'ills related to the 3ommon European =rame(or', a resume o" language learning and inter#ultural e-perien#es and a re#ord o" #erti"i#ates and diplomas% 0ou may also need to administer pla#ement tests or diagnosti# tests> this #ould be tas'-based as a (ay o" a#tually testing their English (hile #arrying out tas's that re"le#t real-li"e situations% The results should be #he#'ed against a list o" #an do statements or pro"i#ien#y guidelines!

The 3ommon European =rame(or' ?3E=@ de)eloped by the 3oun#il o" Europe ?http!99(((%#oe%int9T9DA 91inguisti#93&D8E<E+%aspBTopC"4age@ or the Standards "or =oreign 1anguage 1earning in the 21st 3entury de)eloped by the &meri#an 3oun#il "or the Tea#hing o" =oreign 1anguages ?http!99(((%a#t"l%org9i a9pages9inde-%#"m6pageid:332 @

5ith regard to (here they need to be, i%e% the language #ompeten#e ,ust right "or their ,obs, you (ill need to #ondu#t needs analysis% 0ou (ill need to "o#us on the language re/uirements o" your students$ positions%

Do they need to gi)e presentations in English6 Do they need to parti#ipate in #on"eren#es and meetings6 Do they ha)e to negotiate6 Do they usually entertain #lients6

0ou (ill also ha)e to "ind out about their area o" e-pertise, their interests% The #ourse #ontent has to be rele)ant to them, #hallenging, stimulating% Most business students la#' time, and you ha)e to help them ma'e the most out o" the time they de)ote to English learning, to en,oy the e-perien#e% By using topi#s that they are "amiliar (ith and interested in, they (ill be able to learn more as they (ill already 'no( a lot o" the #ontent and #onte-t%

Do(nload an e-ample o" a "orm "or needs analysis% &s you 'no(, people ha)e di""erent learning styles and there are a number o" di""erent (ays to loo' at them% 0ou #an ta'e a loo' at some arti#les #on#erning that here! http!99(((%tea#hingenglish%org%u'9thin'9arti#les9learning-styles-tea#hing De"ine programme goals and ob,e#ti)es o" the instru#tion The goals should pro)ide a #lear de"inition o" the purpose o" the programme> they should be a guideline "or you, the students and the organi.ation re/uesting your ser)i#es% 0ou #an establish these goals in terms o" e-tension or di)ersi"i#ation o" #ommuni#ati)e language #ompeten#es, or in terms o" the enri#hment o" strategies, or in terms o" the "ul"ilment o" tas's% They are determined by the in"ormation you gathered during the needs analysis% Some e-amples o" goals are!

To be able to (rite e""e#ti)e business reports To build up students$ #on"iden#e and pro)ide them (ith language resour#es to parti#ipate in business meetings To use the language "le-ibly and e""e#ti)ely "or so#ial and pro"essional purposes%

Cb,e#ti)es result "rom an analysis o" the goals into their di""erent #omponents% They are statements o" more spe#i"i# purposes% 2deally, these ob,e#ti)es should meet SM&8T #riteria!

Spe#i"i# Measurable &ttainable 8ealisti# Time bound - limited to a #ertain period o" time

The ob,e#ti)es lay the "oundation "or the organi.ation o" the tea#hing a#ti)ities, so they simpli"y the #ourse planning, the sele#tion and preparation o" material% =ollo(ing the e-amples abo)e, goals and ob,e#ti)es #an be des#ribed! Aoal!

To be able to (rite e""e#ti)e business reports

Cb,e#ti)es!

To be able to (rite a report (hi#h de)elops an argument systemati#ally (ith appropriate highlighting o" signi"i#ant points and rele)ant supporting detail% To e)aluate di""erent ideas or solutions to a problem%

To ha)e a su""i#ient range o" language to be able to gi)e #lear des#riptions, e-press )ie(points and de)elop arguments% To ha)e a good range o" )o#abulary "or matters #onne#ted to their "ield and most general topi#s% To be able to )ary "ormulation to a)oid "re/uent repetition%

Aoal!

To build up students$ #on"iden#e and pro)ide them (ith language resour#es to parti#ipate in business meetings

Cb,e#ti)es!

To be able to intera#t (ith a degree o" "luen#y and spontaneity that ma'es regular intera#tion, and sustained relationships (ith English spea'ers /uite possible (ithout imposing strain on either party% To be able to highlight the personal signi"i#an#e o" e)ents and e-perien#es, a##ount "or and sustain )ie(s #learly by pro)iding rele)ant e-planations and arguments% To be able to use phrases and e-pressions to state and as' "or opinion, interrupt and handle interruptions, as' "or and gi)e #lari"i#ation, delay de#isions, emphasi.e a point, summari.e (hat has been said, end the meeting%

2n this #ase you (on$t be able to state a measurable ob,e#ti)e #on#erning Dbuilding up students$ #on"iden#eD% 0ou #an per#ei)e it, but not measure it% The 3ommon European =rame(or' pro)ides a #ommon basis "or the e-pli#it des#ription o" ob,e#ti)es% 3on#lusion Designing business English programmes is a #omple- tas', but by "ollo(ing #ertain steps (e (ill be able to do so% 2n this part o" the arti#le (e ha)e dis#ussed the signi"i#an#e o" understanding the language needs o" our students and ho( (e #an "ind that out% 5e ha)e also loo'ed at ho( (e #an de"ine the goals and ob,e#ti)es o" the programme% 2n the se#ond part o" the arti#le, (e (ill loo' at syllabus design in more depth% 8e"eren#es

A Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment - 3oun#il o" Europe ?2001@ 3ambridge Eni)ersity 4ress% English Next - Da)id Araddol ?200F@ British 3oun#il Curriculum De elopment in Language Teaching - *a#' 3% 8i#hards ?2001@ 3ambridge Eni)ersity 4ress% !econ" Language Teaching # Learning - Da)id +unan ?1999@ 7einle ; 7einle 4ublishers%

Teach $usiness English - Syl)ie Donna ?2000@ 3ambridge Eni)ersity 4ress% %ow to Teach $usiness English - E)an =rendo ?200G@ 4earson Edu#ation 1imited

Mer#edes Hiola Deambrosis, Dire#tor, D 3ontent English The plan and (or'sheets are do(nloadable and in pdf "ormat% 2" you ha)e di""i#ulty do(nloading the materials see the do(nload se#tion o" the 7elp page% 3opyright - please read &ll the materials on these pages are "ree "or you to do(nload and #opy "or edu#ational use only% 0ou may not redistribute, sell or pla#e these materials on any other (eb site (ithout (ritten permission "rom the BB3 and British 3oun#il% 2" you ha)e any /uestions about the use o" these materials please email us at! tea#hingenglishIbritish#oun#il%org
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