Teaching plan for the course unit

 

 
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General information

 

Course unit name: English for Business

Course unit code: 364259

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Elisabet Comelles Pujadas

Department: Department of Modern Languages, Modern Literature and English Studies

Credits: 6

Single program: S

 

 

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

60
 

-  Lecture with practical component

Face-to-face

  

45
 

-  Practical exercises

Face-to-face

  

15

Supervised project

50

Independent learning

40

 

 

Recommendations

 

This subject is taught in English. This means all tasks and examinations have to be completed in English.


Further recommendations

— Students must be able to express themselves accurately in English.

— Plagiarism in any assessed activity constitutes academic misconduct and will be penalized accordingly

 

 

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

 

   -

Communication skills (capacity to understand and produce spoken and written Catalan, Spanish and a third language, including the comprehension and use of specialized terminology/capacity to research and integrate information in these languages).
   -

To be able to use ICT in professional practice.
   -

 

  • Capacity for learning and responsibility (capacity for analysis and synthesis, to adopt global perspectives and to apply the knowledge acquired / capacity to take decisions and adapt to new situations).
  • Communication skills (capacity to understand and produce spoken and written English, including the comprehension and use of specialized terminology / capacity to research and integrate information).
  • Ability to use bibliographical resources and ICTs as learning and communication tools.
  • Descriptive and critical skills.
  • The grammatical knowledge required to read and understand texts written in a modern language.
  • Ability to work individually or as part of a team.

 

 

Learning objectives

 

Referring to knowledge

  • Acquire a good working knowledge of the basic English vocabulary of business management.
  • Acquire good reading comprehension skills of texts in the field of business.
  • Be able to interpret financial charts and understand key financial terminology and expressions in English.
  • Develop competence in a range of written genres relevant to professional business contexts.
  • Develop the ability to communicate with clarity and precision using the register appropriate to a range of professional interactions, including negotiations, phone calls, and meetings.
  • Develop the ability to produce a range of written texts relevant to the business world, including memos, letters, emails, and reports.
  • Enhance oral communication skills in English through active participation in speaking tasks.

 

Referring to abilities, skills

  • Be able to organise and structure various types of business-related texts in a coherent and cohesive manner.
  • Use specialized vocabulary relevant to the core topics of the course.
  • Use appropriate academic connectors effectively in written texts on core topics of the course.
  • Use key grammar structures accurately in writing and comprehension of texts in the field of business.

 

Referring to attitudes, values and norms

  • Understand writing as a process requiring the creation of several drafts and the integration of peer feedback.
  • Develop an awareness of the importance of speaking English and actively creating opportunities to practice the language both inside and outside the classroom.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

TEACHING BLOCKS

1. Working with written documents in the field of business

  • Reports
  • E-mails
  • Briefings

2. Communicating effectively in international meetings

  • Presenting and interpreting graphs and statistics
  • Dealing with figures

3. Operating in international business environments: pragmatic functions

  • Negotiating
  • Managing and taking part in meetings
  • Discussing and arguing
  • Leadership

4. Interpersonal communication strategies

  • Networking
  • Small talk
  • Social media

5. One-to-one vs. one-to-many communication

  • Interviews
  • Video calls
  • Discussion forums

 

 

Teaching methods and general organization

 

The teaching methodology is structured around two main components: in-class activities, which combine theoretical presentations by the lecturer with practical exercises completed individually or in groups; and independent student work outside the classroom, supported by self-learning materials provided by the lecturers. The course methodology incorporates a variety of tasks, including problem-solving activities, case studies and assignments.

 

 

Official assessment of learning outcomes

 

Continuous assessment

Students opting for this form of assessment complete the following activities:

  • Oral presentation (15%).
  • Continuous assessment tasks (40%).
  • Final examination (45%), to be sat on the date established for this purpose in the Faculty’s exam calendar.

 

Examination-based assessment

Students wishing to opt for single assessment must make their request in writing to the course lecturer within thirty days of the start of the course by completing the following form.

This form is available at the following address:

https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/filologia-comunicacio/avaluacio-unica-graus


Single assessment comprises a written examination (80%) and an oral presentation (20%). The exam is to be sat on the date established for this purpose in the Faculty’s exam calendar.

Repeat assessment

The procedure for repeat assessment is the same as that established for single assessment.

 

 

Reading and study resources

Check availability in Cercabib

Book

Billingham, Jo. 2002. Editing and Revising Text. Oxford: OUP.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Dubicka, Iwonna. & O’Keeffe, Margaret. 2006. Market Leader Advanced. Harlow: Pearson
Longman.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Evans, Virginia. 2002. Successful Writing Proficiency. Berkshire: Express Publishing

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Hewings, Martin. 2005. Advanced Grammar in Use 2nd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

MASCULL, Bill. 2004. Business Vocabulary in Use Advanced. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

McCarthy, Michael & O’Dell, Felicity. 2016. Academic Vocabulary in Use 2nd Edition.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

McCarthy, Michael 2009.  Grammar for Business with Audio CD (Advanced). Cambridge: CUP.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Sherman, Jane 2002. Feedback. Oxford: OUP.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 4th edition. 2013. Cambridge: CUP.

Catāleg UB   Enllaç