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Teaching in Business English

Professor: Dr. Patricia Su Presenter: Joanna Yang St. Number: 9922606 Date: April 19th, 2012

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CitationsDiana, -Z., & Sergiu, -Z. (20120). Teaching business English- a challenge both for students and academics. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3, P.245-250.

Zuocheng, Zhang. (2007). Towards an integrated approach to teaching Business English: A Chinese experience. English for Specific Purposes, 26, P.399-410.

Pamela, -R. (2007). Using English for International Business: A European case study. English for Specific Purposes, 26, P.103-120.

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Contents1 Classifications of ESP

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Challenges of teaching a business English

ESP and Business English

Conclusions

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Classification of ESPESP classification by experience

(taken from Robinson, 1991:3-4)

ESP

EOP

EAP

Pre-experienceSimultaneous/In-service

Post-experience

For study in a specific discipline

As a school subject

Pre-studyIn-study

Post-study

Independent

Integrated

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Classification of ESPESP classification by professional area

(adapted from Dudley-Evens and St John,1998:6) ESP

(English for Specific Purposes)

EAP(English for

Academic Purposes)

EOP(English for

Occupational Purposes)

EST: English for (Academic) Science and Technology

EMP: English for (Academic) Medicine Purposes

ELP: English for (Academic) Legal Purposes

EMFE: English for Management Finance and Economics

English for Professional

Purposes

English for Vocational Purposes

English for Medical

Purposes

English for Business Purposes

Pre-Vocational

EnglishVocational English

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ESP and Business English• ESP was developed in the 1960s as a major reform in

English teaching.

• ESP must be seen as an approach not as a product. It is an approach to language learning, which is based on learners need.

• Studies of business discourse reveal the way participants design their turns and orient to the task, the other party, and the local context during their interaction.

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Intercultural communication: Dimension of different cultural backgrounds

Western-Staff Eastern-Staff Used more directives and use

them in explicitly direct form. More circumlocutionary

Discord deviance -Australian complained

Discord deviance - Japanese did not respond to proposals in the form and manner.

Bilbow-avoidance of directness is a strategy for saving face, which is attached great social value in Chinese society.

English cultural norms seem to be treated more like interpretative resources rather than static and obligatory rules.

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The challenges that teachers of Business English face in their activities

• What should the main focus be on?• Specialized vocabulary?• Improving communication skills in a business-related

context?• What do non-native students in economics and business

need to know about Business English in order to face the future challenges in their careers?

• How should a Business English course be designed in order to fulfill the expectations and necessities of the future businessmen?

• What teaching and learning techniques are most appropriate to the content of such a course?

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Design a course in Business English

Mark Ellis and Christine Johnson (1994)Needs analysis

Assessment of level

Syllabus

Time

Learner expectationEvaluation of progress

What do students need to know in order to face the requirements of their future job environment?

Using written test, we can see what level of language students have at the beginning of the course.

Set course, like the ones taught in colleges, should fixed objective and syllabus.

Course objectives

Should be defined in relation to the needs analysis finding; in case of pre-experience learners they can be worded in terms of their course of study or required language improvement.

In the case of college language training, time is limited so the course should be structured according to the duration.

In the case of Business English, learners are likely to be more goal-orientated and to expect success.

Written or oral examination, dependent on particular circumstances.

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Structure of a tripartite curriculum

Business Knowledge

Business discourse

Business practice

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ConclusionsThe practice of continuous assessment and the necessity of focusing more on the use of language than on specialist vocabulary.

It is believe that students of English in China would develop language awareness in the sense that they know not only the lexical, syntactic, and discoursal features of business language but also the way these features related to interpersonal relations and the way they are textualized for communicative goals.

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Thank you