COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: BUSINESS ENGLISH

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
BUS 108	D	2	2	2	0	3	5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mirela Alhasani malhasani@epoka.edu.al
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	M.Sc. Sümeyra Uyurca suyurca@epoka.edu.al , Monday 10.30-12.00/ Thursday 14.00-15.00
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Compulsory
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Bachelor in Business Informatics (3 years)
Classroom and Meeting Time:	Tuesday /E 213 / 08.40-10.30 Thursday / E 214 11.40-13.30
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:	N/A
Course Description:	The central basis of the course is to consolidate students' academic approach to thinking, reading, speaking and writing and language usage. In addition, the course also aims to develop the students' abilities to synthesize and evaluate information and conduct basic, independent research.
Course Objectives:	Students in Business English (BUS 108) will be able to understand and take effective notes on extended lectures, including how to follow the argument and identify the speaker’s point of view. They will also participate effectively in a variety of realistic situations, from seminars to presentations, including how to develop an argument and use stance markers. They will understand a wide range of texts, from academic textbooks to Internet articles along with producing coherent and well-structured assignments using key vocabulary, both in the field of business studies and of academic study in general.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	Analyzing complex sentences and identifying such things as the writer’s stance.
2	Participating in realistic business-related situations through case studies.
3	Drafting summaries and reports using the key business vocabulary.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction to the course: English for Business Studies is a skills-based course designed specifically for students of business who are at least an upper-intermediate level. The students will be practicing language through business related areas such as management, products, economics etc.
2	Management: This unit includes a listening activity about the qualities required by managers, based on the opinions of two MBA students at the Judge Business School of Cambridge Universiy Lext summarizing the different functions of management as defined by the management theorist Peter Drucker, and a short communicative activity about recruiting the right manager.
3	Company structure: One of the most important tasks for the management of any organization employing more than a few people is to determine its organizational structure, and to change this when and where necessary. This unit contains a text about 'wikinomics' and another outlining the most common traditional organizational systems, an exercise focusing on the potential conflicts between the different departments of a manufacturing organization, and listening and discussion activities concerning the advantages and disadvantages of working in big and small companies.
4	Recruitment: This unit considers the process by which companies and other organizations recruit new members of staff, and discusses what kind of information given on a curriculum vitae or resume might help a job applicant to be selected for an interview. There is a model of a curriculum vitae and a skeleton of a covering letter (or cover letter), and advice about writing job applications (letters and CVs) and doing Job interviews. There is a listening activity about job interviews and the psychology of interviewers, and a role play involving a job interview.
5	Products: This is the first of three units on marketing. It contains a text about products and branding strategies, an interview with the director of a chain of juice bars in Switzerland, and a case study about launching a business.
6	Venture capital: This unit contains extracts from an interview with a venture capitalist in Cambridge, a reading exercise about the different elements of a business plan, and a role play about choosing among different investments.
7	” What is and what could be” presentation topics- Students divided into groups are expected to share their presentation topic and receive feedback on their work.
8	Review for the exam
9	Midterm exam
10	Corporate social responsibility: Some people argue that the objective of business, and consequently the role of managers, is to make as much money as possible for companies' owners, the stockholders, or shareholders. Other people argue that companies have to be careful never to cheat customers, but for purely business reasons, rather than ethical ones: disappointed customers will not buy any more of your products in future. Still other people insist that companies have social and ethical responsibilities to their customers, their staff, their business partners, their local community, society in general, and the natural environment, that are as important as, or more important than, their responsibility to provide a financial return to their shareholders. This unit includes a text containing opposing views of the social responsibilities of business, listening exercises based on further extracts from the interview with Anna-Kim Hyun-Seung, discussion activities concerning the ethics of various business practices, and a role play about problems facing a clothing manufacturer.
11	Efficiency and employment: This unit considers the trade-off between business efficiency and employment: increased efficiency generally leads to job losses. There are the usual opening discussion questions, followed by vocabulary exercises covering the key terms. These are followed by listening exercises based on an example from South Korea, and a role play involving a postal service that wants to restructure its sorting offices.
12	Economics and ecology: This unit is about global warming and the economic consequences of energy policy. It contains an extract from an article by an economist arguing that we should prioritize reducing poverty rather than fighting global warming, and extracts from an interview with a climate scientist about environmental policy and climate change. There is a role play about making energy policy recommendations for a developing country.
13	“What is and what could be” presentations- Students will deliver assessed group presentations (15 minutes each) and receive individual grades for content, delivery, and participation.
14	“What is and what could be” presentations- Students will deliver assessed group presentations (15 minutes each) and receive individual grades for content, delivery, and participation.

Prerequisite(s):
Textbook(s):	Stimpson, P. ; Farquharson, A. (2021). Cambridge International Business Course book Fourth Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Additional Literature:	BBC business English video series.
Laboratory Work:	No
Computer Usage:	For research and presentations
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Students will be able to communicate effectively using spoken business English.
2	Students will be able to apply business vocabulary in professional documents and presentations.
3	Students will be able to read and critically analyze business and economics texts.
4	Students will be able to perform effectively in simulated professional scenarios.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Bachelor in Business Informatics (3 years) Program
1	Identify activities, tasks, and skills in management, marketing, accounting, finance, and economics.	4
2	Apply key theories to practical problems within the global business context.	4
3	Demonstrate ethical, social, and legal responsibilities in organizations.	5
4	Develop an open minded-attitude through continuous learning and team-work.	5
5	Integrate different skills and approaches to be used in decision making and data management.	3
6	Combine computer skills with managerial skills, in the analysis of large amounts of data.	2
7	Provide solutions to complex information technology problems.	3
8	Recognize, analyze, and suggest various types of information-communication systems/services that are encountered in everyday life and in the business world.	2

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)	1	30
Presentation	1	20
Final Exam	1	40
Other	1	10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	4	64
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	2.5	40
Mid-terms	1	7	7
Assignments	1	3	3
Final examination	1	6	6
Other	1	5	5
Total Work Load:			125
Total Work Load/25(h):			5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			5

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER