Business English

1. Why study English for Business?

2. Aims

3. Identifying needs

4. Courses

5. Syllabus

6. English for Business Examinations

Why study English for Business?

To succeed on the international stage, it is essential that business people have a good command of English – the worldwide language of commerce and trade.

Aims

A course in English for Business will help to improve your ability to communicate effectively in English in a business context such as:

• communicating by telephone, email, faxes, letters

• making presentations

• taking part in meetings and negotiations

• reading professional or technical journals, magazines, newspapers

• operating in social business situations and understanding British and other cultures

Identifying needs

With one-to-one and small group courses, a school will conduct a needs analysis at the start of the course.

Jane Brossard from Somerset English writes that the most important element of an executive course is the 'Needs Analysis' - to ensure that the course is relevant and appropriate.

"However, it is not as simple as it sounds because the needs analysis has to be extremely well thought out to check for a number of things, usually referred to as the 'hidden agenda'. Just asking the obvious questions is not enough. In addition, the needs analysis should be very comprehensive and, as well as a questionnaire, should include a small written assignment (one or two paragraphs) and a grammar test. The timing is important, too. You do not greet someone, welcome them, and then give them a grammar test. It's too depressing and unnerving. Save the test until after coffee. Obviously, all clients should be asked to provide as much published material about the company/organisation as possible in advance, so the trainer can use the materials when designing the tailor made course."

Courses

BUSINESS EXECUTIVE COURSE/ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COURSE

You can study business English on an "Executive Course" (for executives/professionals) or on an "English for Business Course". This may take the form of:

1. One-to-one lessons

2. Group lessons

3. Combination of one-to-one and group lessons

The following table shows you what schools may offer:

Syllabus

An English for Business course (such as shown in the 'Swan School of English' syllabus) is likely to cover the following topics:

• Meetings - giving and asking for opinions, agreeing/disagreeing, interrupting, correcting, guiding discussion, etc

• Telephoning - making/changing arrangements, starting/finishing calls, asking for clarification, etc

• Negotiating - making suggestions, considering alternatives, hypothesising, etc

• Presentations - structuring, dealing with questions, signalling, etc

• Writing faxes, letters and reports

• Giving technical specifications

• Explaining systems and processes

• Socialising - entertaining visitors, accepting/refusing invitations, thanking, apologising, etc

• Business culture - examining similarities and differences in international business culture

• Describing trends - examining graphs and statistics

English for Business Examinations

It is possible to sit English for Business Examinations such as the following

Cambridge Certificate in English for International Business and Commerce (CEIBT)

• Suitable for candidates with an upper intermediate to advanced level of English
• Examinations are held twice a year, in May/June and December

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) examinations

• English for Business
• English for Commerce

Spoken English for Industry and Commerce

• Examinations are held four times a year in March, May, June/July, and November/December
• Suitable for candidates with an intermediate or advanced level of English
• Examinations are held three times a year in March, June, and November