2020-2021 / LANG1997-1

English 3

Duration

80h Th

Number of credits

 Bachelor in economics and business management7 crédits  

Lecturer

Anne Desirotte, Madeleine-Marie Hubin

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

All year long, with partial in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

  • Implementation: The course will allow students to be in charge of the daily management of a company, an organization or a project by - implementing a given strategy - working from a holistic perspective, taking into account the interactions between various positions - giving some emphasis to the characteristics of an increasingly digitized world - working efficiently in an international and multidisciplinary team, among others in a leading position - analysing managerial practice with a critical and ethical mind
Concretely:


  • Everyday and business vocabulary (intermediate and advanced levels).
  • Le Bled vocabulary (see 'Assessment method and criteria').
  • Revision of intermediate grammar and introduction to some advanced grammar items.
  • Listening comprehensions of BBC news, ads and business podcasts.
  • Expressing oneself, giving one's opinion, communicating, debating.
  • Project linked to innovation and product development including trip to a non French-speaking place, the legal situation allowing.
  • Projects linked to business.
  • Writing of various reports linked to the projects.
  • Oral presentations.
  • Commercial letters, covering letters,...
  • Finance, accountancy and supply chain management.
  • Imposed reading of book extracts.
  • Vocabulary, texts and videos, linked to the following topics: innovation et product development, ethics and corporate responsibility, social economy, marketing and advertising, supply chain management, corporate legal framework, human resources and corporate social issues, money and some philosophical considerations, world news.
  • Conferences/events (attendance compulsory) if allowed by the sanitary measures.
  • Elao, English external assessment if allowed by the sanitary measures.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

  • Aim: this course will give the possibility to reach a C1 European level of language proficiency and to develop the skills and capacities aimed at in the Intended Key Learning Outcomes of the school.
  • In practice: this includes being able to understand and to express oneself fluently using formal language and a high register on business and/or economic topics, being able to write a report, a summary or an essay using academic language, and being able to display autonomy in most situations.
  • Strategy: The course will allow students to set out a strategy in order to optimize the value chain of a company, an organization or a project. - based on the analysis of its financial and economic context - taking into account its political, social and societal context - taking into account its legal constraints - adopting the position of a specialist in the field of management of his/her specialty field - demonstrating scientific precision and a critical mind
  • Communication: The course will allow students to communicate efficiently, internally and externally, about a company, an organization or a project - in English - taking into account the multicultural and international features of their environment
  • Adaptability: The course will allow students to adapt their managerial practices to the needs of a fast-evolving world by
  • being conscious of the societal, economic, political and environmental issues
  • displaying curiosity and a scientific precision of academic level
  • displaying creativity, autonomy and entrepreneurship
  • developing one's expertise within a continuous prospect

 

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

  • The B2 European level is desirable.
  • Intermediate everyday English is a prerequisite at this level. The vocabulary and structures linked to intermediate business English should also be fairly well acquired. It is an advantage to know French as a great deal of the vocabulary to be studied is given on 'English-French' lists. Lists giving explanations on top of French translations are sometimes also provided but it is not the case for the Bled vocabulary, for instance. The students who do not understand French will therefore have to make their own lists with their own translations into their own language or explanations if they prefer this. French will not be used in their assessments.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

  • Breaking the ice and getting back to practising English with a programme based on group work as a preparation to the future project.
  • Reading of texts from various sources. 
  • Learning vocabulary from those sources as well as from the audio aid and derived vocabulary.
  • Listening comprehensions from the BBC World Service + Dragons' Den + Apprentice + other materials.
  • Rephrasing and academic writing (summary and possibly essay).
  • Practising metalinguistic functions (politeness, listening...)
  • Two marked reports of the projects + individual report.
  • Speaking (discussions on different topics, case studies etc.)
  • Presentations skills: alone and within a group.
  • Autonomous group activities: working on a product or service, use of tools such as SWOT analysis, introduction to advertising and marketing, presentation of the projects and (filmed) collection of feedback and data in a non-French-speaking place (Britain, Holland, Germany, Malta...) Note that the trip will not be financed by the school but there is no obligation to go far. This will take place provided the sanitary measures allow.
  • Online listening comprehension and grammar exercises.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

  • Attendance is compulsory, as participation is going to be assessed in a continuous way. Attendance is particularly important due to the continuous group work. The course is 3 hours a week and is given in two ways: 2 hours a week in class (if the sanitary situation allows it) and one hour a week consists of online preparations. Homework is also required on top of this, given the high number of credits (7). Online classes will be compulsory.
 

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

See the changes within the various sections themselves.

Recommended or required readings

  • The notes will be provided on the school's platform Lol@ (course code: LANG1997-1). However, it is desirable to take some more notes especially in order to improve personally. Indeed, the lecturer will give as much general and individual feedback as possible.
  • The book extracts and the book to read will be announced in class and/or posted on Lol@.

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

Any session :

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam

- Remote

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam AND written work

- If evaluation in "hybrid"

preferred in-person


Additional information:

June session :
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
- Remote
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire ) AND oral exam
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred in-person
August-september session :
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
- Remote
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam AND written work
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred in-person

Additional information:
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EXAMS WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON EVERY TIME THE SANITARY MEASURES ALLOW. REMOTE WILL ONLY BE USED IF NECESSARY. IN THIS CASE, THE EXAMS COULD BE ORAL OR WRITTEN ONLY, OR BOTH. In September some students also have to hand in reports.
Important notice: Any test/exam not taken will automatically lead to failure in June and an exam resit in August. The Erasmus students of Semester 1 will have to take the assessments noted E hereunder. Those of the second semester as well as the HEC students that are back from Erasmus will have to take the evaluations noted B hereunder. The mark distribution of those students will differ slightly but will be close to that of our regular HEC students. The Erasmus and double degree students that are here for the entire year will be assessed like our normal HEC students. The August resit exam may have a different mark distribution according to what has to be resat.For the first Bled test on the units seen during the first and second level English courses, Erasmus students and new students to HEC will have to study 11 units only that will be announced in the Semester 1 programme.


  • Written language: 40/160 (25%): First project: report (8/40) E, personal report (4/40) E + (Back from Erasmus students + Erasmus only: personal report on the stay/country of origin and on a product from the country and presentation of a product: B) + Second project: (8/40) B + Summary: (10/40) E + Essay: (10/40) B
  • Oral language: 40/160 (25%): Individual presentation (5/40) E + First project: presentation 1 (5/120) E, presentation 2 (5/40) + Second project: presentation (5/40) B + Continuous assessment (participation in class): (7/40) E B + Oral exam in June (January for Erasmus students staying for the first semester only): (13/40) E B
  • Listening comprehension (specifically): 25/160 (+ bonus if possibility of online assessment) (+/- 16%): Test in the January exam: 12.5/25 E + Test in the June exam: 12.5/25 B
  • Reading comprehension (specifically): 15/160 (+/- 9%): Test in the January exam: 7.5/25 E + Test in the June exam: 7.5/25 B
  • Vocabulary/Grammar: out of 32 instead of 40 but put back on 40/160 (25%): Mini-tests + Bled tests: 8/40 E B + January exam: 12/40 + bonus E + June exam: 12/40 + bonus B + External examination Elao: 8/40 (June only) B (ELAO cancelled)
Note that the Bled tests also bring bonuses if at least 11/20 on average per semester is obtained. The student will not have to resit the Bled in that semester's exam. A Bled average under 10/20 per semester will automatically lead to a resit of the Bled for that semester's units in the exam. 

Work placement(s)

No training course.

Organizational remarks

The schedule and programme per semester for this year (subject to change) will be available on Lol@.
Please note that the number of seats is limited in each group so that a system is in place in order to even out the six groups (using Doodle via Lol@ or the notice board 'les valves'). Students are allowed to exchange their seats provided all agree (including the teacher). Ms Desirotte (in charge of the administrative side of things) may be reached via email for special requests but it is up to the students to find solutions and the seats will not be guaranteed in the first month of the course. A student not able to join any group with seats available this year will have to take the course next year.

Contacts

Ms Désirotte: Desirotte@ulg.ac.be Ms Hubin: mmhubin@uliege.be
Office 207 in N1
Note: Mr Solheid is not an assistant to this course despite the note on Lol@ - this is only for internal organisation).
  Registration on Lol@
https://lola.hec.uliege.be/course/view.php?id=432