Duration
80h Th
Number of credits
| Bachelor in business engineering | 7 crédits |
Lecturer
Emma Desforges, Ellen Harry, ISLV
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
All year long, with partial in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course is based on an integrated course book at intermediate level aimed at students of business English: 2nd level English for Business: Course Book for Business Engineers.
This course book is organized around thematic units relating to management and economic life. It offers a range of activities (articles from newspapers, expert interviews, speaking and writing tasks, case studies, grammar and vocabulary exercises) dealt with and exploited in class.
It also includes sections on presentation skills and sample exam questions.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
As this is a B2 level course, at the end of the year, the intended key learning outcomes are that the students will be able to...
- understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in business;
- interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party;
- produce clear, detailed text, comprising a range of business-related documents;
- explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options;
- understand extended speech and lectures on familiar subjects, taken from English-speaking media;
- show a relatively high degree of grammatical control, and correct most of their mistakes.
This course will allow students to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes distinctive to a specialist's action in their field. It will help students to demonstrate scientific precision and a critical mind and will train students to work efficiently in an international and multidisciplinary team, among others in a leading position. Also, this course will encourage students to analyze their managerial practice with a critical and ethical mind. This course will help students to communicate efficiently, internally and externally, about a company, organization or project; to improve their proficiency in one foreign language (among the 3 languages required by the program); to raise their awareness of the multicultural and international features of their environment. Finally, this course will encourage students to be curious and to show a scientific precision of academic level and will improve students' creativity, autonomy and entrepreneurial spirit.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The course is open to HEC students having successfully completed the 1st level course programme requirements, and to external students with an equivalent (intermediate) level of everyday and business English.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
This class uses a dynamic, interactive, and effective approach to learning business English and includes:
* the transmission of grammar and vocabulary through self-assessment tests, using parts of a sample previous exam (1st week of class, 3rd week of February, last week of April);
* periodic written assignments, testing writing and organizational skills;
* interactive role plays in case studies, putting into practice oral skills and business knowledge;
* business letter writing, using acceptable vocabulary, formality, and layout;
* improving listening skills with a focus on job interviews, human resources, international markets, ethics, leadership and competition;
* presentations in pairs improving public speaking skills, based on business;
* the transmission of relevant grammar and vocabulary through the course book, which uses material from authentic business sources.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
An 80-hour, face-to-face course taught 3 hours per week throughout the year.
Recommended or required readings
Course Book: 2nd level English for Business: Course Book for Business Engineers is available from HEC's Centrale des Cours, on myULiege (see link at the bottom of this page) and online via Lol@.
La grammaire anglaise de base:Published by Presse Universitaire. Point de vu: Sart Tilman, Presse Universitaire: L'opera.
Assessment methods and criteria
3 self-assessment tests (including vocabulary, grammar, and writing) and 2 writing tests will be organised during the year during the weeks of 16th September, 4th November, 17th February, 9th March, and 20th April.
The presentations will take place in the weeks: 4th November, 9th December, 17th February, 9th March, 20th April. Half the marks given for the oral presentation are based on individual performance and the other half are for group work.
Students who do not make a presentation cannot sit the exams in the first session. This rule also applies for those who do not take the January oral exam. In the case of a missed presentation or a missed written assignment the student will get a 0 in both sessions unless they are covered by a medical certificate.
All tests and essays will be taken into account as classwork, including in the second session.
The exam in January will comprise an oral exam. The final exam in May, testing the language and skills taught throughout the year, will include a written exam and a listening comprehension. The written exam in May/June will comprise exercises on the grammar and vocabulary seen throughout the year, as well as a reading comprehension and a writing assignment.
The students who did not pass the oral exam in January (i.e have less than 50% ) AND who have a second session in English will have have to retake it in the August session along with any other part of the final exam which received less than 10/20 in June.
The final marks (20 marks) will be awarded as follows:
Written exam - 8 marks (in May)
Oral exam - 5 marks (in January)
Listening comprehension exam - 2 marks (in January)
Presentation - 3 marks
Classwork - 2 marks
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Ellen Harry
Chargée d'enseignement principal
Bâtiment B33, Bureau des enseignants de l'ISLV, niveau -1
Sart-Tilman
tél: 04/ 366 46 52
eharry@uliege.be
Emma Desforges
Chargée d'enseignement principal
Bâtiment B33, Bureau des enseignants de l'ISLV, niveau -1
Sart-Tilman
tél: 04/ 366 46 52
E.Desforges@uliege.be
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the May-June 2020 session
Teaching methods implemented : distance-learning
The following teaching methods have been put in place for students in the COVID-19 period of confinement:
-We have put answer keys to all the exercises in Units 4 and 5 of our syllabus on Lol@ and highlighted and added notes on all the vocabulary and grammar points we wanted to point out.
-We have created and posted Wooclap tests on the content of Units 4 and 5 on Lol@.
-We have organised virtual classes on Lifesize, via a Doodle sign-up system, to enable students to interact actively with us and ask any questions they have on Units 4 and 5.
-We have also set up an online chat via Lol@ via which students can also get their questions answered.
-We have used the assignments function on Lol@ to enable students to post their written work and we have been sending individual feedback.
-Students who have not yet made their presentations make them on Lifesize or send a recorded version, and these are made available for the rest of the class to watch.
Assessment subjects
The written exam will test the vocabulary and grammar seen in Q1 and Q2 and also their writing skills.
This will include the vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1->5, including Chapters 4 and 5, which were seen during the period of confinement.
The vocabulary and grammar in the exam will come from the exercises, reading comprehensions and listening comprehensions in the units. In terms of what vocab to know from the RCs and LCs, it should be vocabulary that was used in the questions and answers of those comprehensions, or was pointed out in class.
The content of the RCs and LCs will not be tested as such, but is useful to help you to back up your arguments in the essay.
Specific vocabulary from the videos on fair trade posted on Lol@ for Unit 5 will not be included in the exam.
Assessment methods
In June, students will be evaluated via an online written exam. This exam will include multiple choice questions and open questions designed to test the vocabulary and grammar seen in both Q1 and Q2.
There will also be a timed essay.
The exam will be on Lol@.
The marks from this assessment will be added to the marks obtained during the year and these marks will be distributed as follows:
Oral exam (January): 7
Oral presentation: 5
In-class essays: 2
Written exam (June): 6
Total: 20 points
Contacts
Emma Desforges
E.Desforges@uliege.be
Ellen Harry
EHarry@uliege.be
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the Aug-Sept 2020 session
Assessment subjects
This will be the same as for June 2020. See the notes above.
Assessment methods
This will be the same as in June 2020. See the notes above.
Contacts
These are the same as above.