English

Recommended Prerequisites

Students should have reached the Council of Europe Language Level B1* of competence in English. This is equivalent to the University of Cambridge Preliminary English Test and may be described as follows:

A student at the B1 level can be expected to:understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etcetera.; deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken; produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest; and describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

Teaching Methods

Continuous or mixed assessment with up to three marks for participation in class/homework or ‘exam only’.

1. discussion of vocabulary/reading exercises
2. problem areas in English e.g. phrasal verbs
3. students conduct social research by mingling, interviewing others and writing down responses while standing
4. all listening exercises followed by discussion and analysis of transcripts
5. students to improve English Grammar and Academic Writing skills at home with recommended text books
6. learning  vocabulary and collocations for long-term improvement in understanding and production of the language

 

Learning Outcomes

1. to improve reading, listening, and speaking, and writing skills to one level above the current level for each individual student e.g. students with a ‘B1 reading ability’ are expected to reach the corresponding B2 level before assessment by examination
2. to ensure full understanding of all symbols and explanations given in an ‘Advanced Learner’s Dictionary’
3. to increase each student’s personal knowledge of vocabulary including that required to discuss statistical information depicted graphically as might be appropriate in a formal presentation
4. to introduce methods for the self-improvement of reading skills, grammar, and academic writing
5. to encourage objective oral analysis of matters arising in the international news media
6. to promote the habit of self-learning
7. to develop the language into a valuable tool for studying and working in Economics

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Activities can be categorised into speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary development and self-improvement

• Various reading, vocabulary and collocation exercises related to Economics and Business English will include: World Economy; International Trade; Business Letters; Fair & Free Trade; Numbers, prices, dates, fractions and percentages

 

1. Listening/conversation/reading/writing/vocabulary exercises including: The BBC International News and Business News; East Timor One Year After Independence; The International Trade in Coffee; The BBC News from different countries
2. Efficient use of Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: the different kinds of word; collocation; phonetic symbols; phrasal verbs; idioms; transitive and intransitive verbs; countable and uncountable nouns; American and British English
3. Techniques aiming at dictionary independence: False Cognates; Prefixes and Suffixes; Discourse Markers; Modal Verbs

Head Lecturer(s)

Rodney George Peach

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Assessment to be by written examination with credit of up to 3 marks for participation in class or continuous assessment : 100.0%

Bibliography

An advanced learner's dictionary such as: MACMILLAN English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. Oxford : Macmillan Education, latest edition.

MURPHY, Raymond - English Grammar in Use, a self-study reference and practice book for intermediate students with answers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, latest edition.

MURPHY, Raymond - Essential Grammar in Use, a self-study reference and practice book for elementary students of English with answers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, latest edition.

ROBBINS, Sue - Collins COBUILD Business Vocabulary in Practice. Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers, latest edition.

Academic Writing for International Students by Stephen Bailey - Routledge 3^rd Edition, which has answers and guidance given on the Internet.

Essential, general reading practice from printed versions of: Newsweek, Time, The Economist, The Times, The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian and/or their corresponding websites.