Business English

Students should have a A2/B1 level of English (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

The adopted methodology is student-centred, with a strong practical and communicative component, following the principles of a task-based approach. It includes the following strategies:

• Task-based learning: each unit is developed around communicative tasks with real-world application (e.g., writing an email, preparing a presentation, participating in a meeting).
• Contextualised grammar teaching: grammatical content is introduced progressively and applied in authentic communicative situations.
• Use of authentic materials: incorporation of excerpts from emails, agendas, brochures, and other real business documents.
• Integration of Artificial Intelligence tools: students are guided to use generative AI ethically and responsibly to support written production and vocabulary development.
• Collaborative work and oral presentations: development of interpersonal and communication skills through group activities.

Objectives:

• Develop the ability to understand and communicate effectively in business contexts across Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Management.
• Expand professional vocabulary and expressions relevant to today’s business environment.
• Apply essential grammatical structures functionally in professional situations (meetings, reports, emails, presentations).
• Foster autonomy in using English in academic and professional contexts.

Skills to be Developed:

• Comprehension of oral and written texts on current business topics.
• Production of clear and context-appropriate written texts (emails, reports, presentations).
• Effective interaction in business meetings and discussions, including negotiation and persuasion.
• Correct and functional use of key verb tenses, modal verbs, passive voice, and conditionals.
• Ability to analyse and present financial, marketing, and management information accurately.

Week 1 – Introduction to Business English & Professional Communication

• Business English vs General English
• Key business sectors: Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Management
• Professional registers and tone

Grammar:

• Present Simple & Present Continuous (review + contrast)

Week 2 – Companies, Structures and Corporate Culture

• Types of companies
• Organisational structures
• Corporate culture and ethics

Grammar:

• Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Week 3 – Management & Leadership in Modern Organisations

• Leadership styles
• Team management
• Remote and hybrid work

Grammar:

• Past Continuous
• Narrative tenses

Week 4 – Accounting Fundamentals for Business Communication

• Financial statements: balance sheet, income statement, cash flow
• Talking about figures and performance

Grammar:

• Numbers, percentages, trends
• Comparatives and superlatives

Week 5 – Finance & Financial Decision-Making

• Investments, risk, profitability
• Interest rates and inflation

Grammar:

• Future forms: will, going to, Present Continuous (business planning)

Week 6 – Marketing Basics & Digital Marketing, Assessment

• Branding, positioning
• Social media and digital campaigns
• Grammar, Vocabulary and Listening Comprehension Test I

Grammar:

• Adjectives and adverbs
• Intensifiers (very, extremely, highly)

Week 7 – Marketing Strategy & Consumer Behaviour

• Target markets
• Customer journey
• Data-driven marketing

Grammar:

• Modals of obligation and advice (must, have to, should)

Week 8 – Business Meetings & Decision-Making

• Structuring meetings
• Agreeing, disagreeing, interrupting politely

Grammar:

• Modals of possibility and probability (may, might, could)

Week 9 – Business Correspondence: Emails & Messaging

• Formal vs semi-formal emails
• Requests, complaints, follow-ups

Grammar:

• Polite language
• Indirect questions

Week 10 – Negotiation & Persuasion

• Negotiation strategies
• Win-win outcomes

Grammar:

• First and Second Conditionals

Week 11 – Financial Performance & Reporting, Assessment

• Describing financial results
• Comparing periods and outcomes
• Written Production Test

Grammar:

• Passive voice

Week 12 – Ethics, Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility

• ESG
• Ethical dilemmas in business

Grammar:

• Modal verbs for obligation, prohibition and recommendation (review & extension)

Week 13 – Presentations in Business Contexts, Assessment

• Structure of a business presentation
• Visuals and clarity
• Grammar, Vocabulary and Listening Comprehension Test II

Grammar:

• Linking words and discourse markers
• Revision of key tenses

Week 14 – Integrated Case Study

• Short business case involving:
• financial data
• marketing decision
• management strategy

Grammar:

• If-clauses (0, 1st and 2nd)

Week 15 – Assessment

• Oral presentations

Assessment is divided into two possible regimes:

I. Continuous Assessment and based on evidence of communicative performance in professional contexts. It is distributed as follows:

Components:

1. Formative Tasks (10%) – Weekly completion of short tasks in class or via online platforms, such as quizzes or targeted exercises, designed to reinforce learning and develop student autonomy.

2. Grammar, Vocabulary and Listening Test I (25%) – Held in Week 6, this test includes multiple choice questions, gap-fill exercises, and sentence transformation tasks, assessing listening comprehension, and grammatical accuracy and lexical range.

3. Written Production Test (20%) – Due in Week 11, this individual assignment requires students to produce a short written business report (250–300 words), based on given data or scenarios, following business writing conventions.

4. Grammar, Vocabulary and Listening Test II (25%) – Conducted in Week 13, this test includes multiple choice questions, gap-fill exercises, and sentence transformation tasks, assessing listening comprehension, and grammatical accuracy and lexical range.

5. Final Oral Presentations (20%) – In Week 15, students deliver a formal group presentation (5 minutes per student), showcasing oral communication skills and appropriate use of business vocabulary.

Attendance and Continuous Assessment
Attendance is compulsory, with up to 6 unjustified absences allowed during the semester. Exceeding this limit compromises continuous assessment. Students with special status should inform the lecturer within the first three weeks of the semester to define attendance monitoring and assessment arrangements.

All assessment components are mandatory. Unjustified absence from any assessment moment will result in that component not being considered in the final grade and may prevent passing under the continuous assessment regime. In the event of a justified absence, students may request to take the assessment on an alternative date, provided they present valid documentation and do so within the stipulated deadlines.

Note: The use of AI tools is permitted as a learning aid; however, any misuse (e.g., full-text generation without critical review) will be penalised following the regulations.

II. Final Exam Assessment:

1. Written Exam (60%)

2. Oral Exam (40%)

NAO