Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi there,
I am currently working on a research project about Business English; however, I am new to the topic. What I am hoping to learn from my research is what types of principles are necessary to keep in mind when designing the curriculum of a Business English class. For example: How do Business English students differ from general ESL students? Are there certain elements about the student’s learning style, attitude, and expectations that must be taken into account when designing the course? I appreciate any advice or insight you can provide me with. Thanks for reading my post.
-Kstringer

Basically I have noticed that there are two kinds of syllabi for Business English: the functional syllabus, where the units are laid out by functions such as negotiating, sales and marketing, and then there are some books which are basically a general English course with some emphasis on Business topics and situations. (Sometimes students think they need a BE course when actually a GE course is more suitable)


You may also want to follow the BEC (business English certificate) syllabus which can be found on Cambridge's ESOL site.

You should also be careful top distinguish between BE and ESP, which is where some of the more specific needs come in.


Emile

Hey Kstringer.

Take a tour through the posts here under the title "Business English" and you will find what many of us think about the subject. You might not get a direct answer to your post because we would only be repeating what we have already said, not because we don't think your request merits answer. Most of us have just begun in the past few weeks the new school year and might not have time to retype what our thoughts are on the subject.

Just a suggestion!

peace,
revel.