Business english
Coordinator: Prof. Enrico Reggiani
Group A-De: Prof.Laura Belloni; Group Di-O: Prof. Roberta Baldi; Group P-Z: Prof. Roberta Grandi
COURSE AIMS
The course has the dual goal of revising and consolidating the student’s basic language skills, setting these in the context of the specialised languages used in the various fields of what is called Business English.
COURSE CONTENT
The course revolves around a full review of the grammatical foundations of General English and English for Specific Purposes (in our case Business English); the acquisition of the main discursive elements of the specialised language (grammar, lexicon, functional, pragmatic and cultural implications, etc.); the development of basic knowledge of the linguistic and textual dynamics required by the different business communicative situations (register, viewpoint, rhetorical and communication choices, etc.); and the strengthening of a cognitive structural ability for written/oral reception and written/oral production on specialised themes of interest.
READING LIST
Compulsory texts:
M. McCarthy-J. McCarten-D. Clark-R. Clark, Grammar for Business (with Audio CD),Cambridge University Press,Cambridge (latest edition).
E. Reggiani, In the (salmon) pink 3. L’Inglese per la comunicazione economica sulle pagine del The Financial Times,settembre-dicembre 2008, EDUCatt, Milan, 2008.
E. Reggiani, Econolingua. Glossario di parole-chiave dal Financial Times,1998-2008, EDUCatt, Milan, 2009.
Suggested reading:
P. Strutt, Market Leader: Business Grammar and Usage. Business English, Longman, Harlow, 2000.
A. Tuck, Oxford Dictionary of Business English for Learners of English, Oxford University Press, Oxford(latest edition).
Longman, Business English Dictionary, Longman, Harlow(latest edition).
F. Picchi, L’Inglese dell’Economia. Dizionario Economico e Commerciale Inglese-Italiano,Italiano-Inglese, Zanichelli, Bologna (latest edition).
F. Picchi, Economics and Business. Dizionario Enciclopedico e Commerciale Inglese-Italiano,Italiano-Inglese, Zanichelli, Bologna (latest edition).
TEACHING METHOD
Lectures with the use of multimedia aids.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Final test (30 minutes in duration) to be held on Blackboard. In addition, the student will have the option of integrating the written exam with an oral exam.
NOTES
The programme published here is subject to change should any particular didactic needs arise, in which case any such changes will be published online through the coordinator’s Blackboard course page, which all students must visit regularly in its entirety and learn its contents.
To enable students the highest possible attendence, three annual courses have been scheduled to be held by different lecturers, although the timetable, programme and reading list remain exactly the same. The Business English courses are open to any students who have not yet passed the English Language II and English for Business Communication (4 credits) exams, as well as to pre-reform (long-cycle) degree students who have not yet taken the official English Language exam.
Further information can be found on the lecturer's webpage at or on the Faculty notice board.