Syllabus Information

1.1. Introduction

The English for Economists course is an optional module of 5 ECTS included in the programme of the BSc degree course in Economics. It provides students with content and activities leading to achieve an intermediate-advanced level of the lexical, grammatical and communication skills (oral and written) of the English language register of the business environment in the area of economics and the economy, in order to help them communicate effectively in such international context in the future.

Students who successfully complete this module are entitled to apply for the 2 ECTS corresponding to the required B1 level of English (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) by presenting the corresponding application form at the faculty office. Please, look up the application procedure at:

https://academico.unizar.es/estudios-de-grado/certificacion-niveles-de-competencia-en-lenguas-modernas

1.2. Recommendations to take this course

To be successful, the student is recommended to start with at least the level of general English (written and oral) acquired in Bachillerato, and which is equivalent to B1 of the Common European Framework. The programme is fully taught in English and communication in the classroom takes place only in this language too. The student is also advised to work on it steadily, which implies attending lessons and practice sessions on regular basis.

1.3. Context and importance of this course in the degree

This is an optional module of 5 ECTS included in the 1st and 2^nd semester of the 3rd and 4th year programme of the degree course, provided by the Department of English and German Philology. The course seeks to provide practical learning resources focusing on a range of documents and texts (written and oral) related to the students’ future professional careers and, thus, enhance their employability in the international world of business and economics.

This course should also help students to understand, analyse and produce academic texts related to other subjects in their degree course.

1.4. Activities and key dates

The activities and key dates will be communicated at the presentation of the module at the beginning of the semester and during the semester in due time. Students will also be able to check this information via the e-learning platform Moodle.

The official hours and dates of the final exams can be found on the web page of the faculty.

2.1. Learning goals

The student, in order to pass the course, will have to show his/her competence in the following skills:

1. Communicate fluently and clearly at an intermediate-advanced level of English (oral and written) in areas related to their professional practice.

2. Understand and make critical comments on the English texts in the area of economics.

3. Present and interpret data relating to field of economics and the economy using the specific language strategies and techniques (oral and written) for this type of discourse in English.

4. Use the corresponding language strategies for organising and summarising information in oral and written texts.

5. Have reasonable command of a range of vocabulary on familiar and some business specialised topics in the area of economics and the economy to be able to communicate effectively with other professionals in English.

2.2. Importance of learning goals

The skills acquired through the English for Economists course are key for students of Economics. Nowadays, they are crucial to access knowledge and enhance their employability within the growing international professional practice in the area of business and economics, where a proficient command of English is specially required. 

3.1. Aims of the course

The general aim of this English for Economists course is to enable students to communicate at a reasonable level of accuracy in the present international professional environment. More specifically, students should develop their proficiency in listening, reading, speaking and writing texts related to economic topics and practice, including knowledge of how the language is used, how it works and how to analyse it and the contexts in which it is spoken.

3.2. Competences

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-          Be able to write professional reports on economic matters with a view to analysing, assessing and recommending a course of action in a particular situation.

-          Be able to research and select specific information from different types of source in an autonomous way.

-          Be able to read and communicate in oral and written English in a professional context.

-          Analyse and summarise information.

-          Be able to deliver an oral presentation of ideas or projects in English.

-          Understand economic texts in English.

-          Be able to communicate in oral and written English in a professional context in international environments.

-          Be cooperative with team work.

-          Be able to negotiate.

4.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

4.1. Assessment tasks

The student will prove that he/she has achieved the expected learning results by means of the following assessment tasks:

Global Examination: All students of this module are only evaluated at the end of the semester in the official date during the exam period, by means of a global evaluation of the command of their speaking, listening, reading and writing competences in English. Assessment will cover all the material that has been studied in the course and the skills that students are expected to have acquired as independent learners. The examination will be based on the completion of similar tasks to those carried out throughout the course. These will include:

-          Delivery of a group presentation

-          Listening comprehension exercises

-          Reading comprehension exercises

-          A written vocabulary and language use test

-          Production of written communication texts

The official hours and dates of the final exams can be found on the web page of the faculty.

4.2. Assessment criteria

Accuracy in the use of the English language and appropriateness of style (formal register and specific business vocabulary); coherent organization of the information adjusting to the respective discourse structure of the different business genres; understanding of the main information -as well as in detail- in oral and written texts; correct pronunciation and intonation.

Oral language skills assessment (presentation and listening) will represent 50% of the final mark.

Written language skills assessment (reading comprehension, test and written text production) will represent the other 50% of the total mark.

At the beginning of the module, students will receive detailed information about their assessment. This will include:

                what tasks students will be expected to carry out

                clear criteria against which students’ work will be assessed

                what the dates of the assessment tasks (oral and written) are

Second sitting

Same assessment tasks and criteria explained above apply for the second sitting. 

5.1. Methodological overview

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The learning process designed for this subject is based on the following activities:

Although part of any class session is likely to involve direct teaching, the emphasis is on student participation in English and the students will be expected to take part actively in discussion and in tasks such as small group and pair work, role play and oral presentations. These activities will include:

-          Written and oral communication activities.

-          Analysis of professional texts in the area of economics.

-          Oral presentation of projects.

-          Problem-solving activities based on professional case studies.

The student will also be expected to spend time studying outside the class using extra facilities and materials to help them develop their expertise as independent language learners.

There is no set textbook. The supporting printed learning materials for the course will be available from the reprography service of the faculty. To help students develop an autonomous learning programme, extra supporting materials to consolidate English economic English related topics will be provided in the e-learning platform Moodle https://moodle2.unizar.es/. Authentic print and multimedia material covering a variety of styles, registers and genres will be used too.

5.2. Learning tasks

The programme offered to the students to help them achieve the learning results includes the following activities:

1: Lectures: with the main objective of conveying the fundamental concepts of the module, so that goals set by the teacher are achieved. The lecture is expected to be participatory and to encourage debate and clarify issues and questions based on the learning materials. (20h)

2: Practice sessions: individual and group tasks on business related discussions, team work and group interaction, preparation and presentation of companies, projects or ideas, simulation of professional situations in the area of economics. (30h)

3: Self-study, assignments, exam preparation and assessment activities (75h)

5.3. Syllabus

UNIT 1: ECONOMICS AND ECONOMY

-          Definitions of economics, economy and production

-          Asking for and giving opinions on economic matters

UNIT 2: HANDLING MONEY

-          Reading comprehension and word study: Saving, spending, borrowing and lending

-          Description of trends

UNIT 3: EDITION OF REPORTS

-          Structure and sections of a report

-          Language used in a report

-          Writing a report

UNIT 4: INTERNATIONAL TRADE

-          Handling documents involved in an international commerce transaction

-          Commercial correspondence

UNIT 5: NEGOTIATIONS

-          The art of negotiation: some techniques and key points of a successful negotiation.

-          Language for the different stages of negotiations

-          Simulation of a negotiation

5.4. Course planning and calendar

The planning and timetable of the lectures and practical classes will be announced at the beginning of the academic year. The timetable and the delivery of the tasks and projects will be communicated via the e-learning platform Moodle.

Note that it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they have read and understood this document and all the information about the course, and have checked lessons timetable and exam dates in advance, so as to be able to plan their work schedule. If you are in any doubt, talk to the teacher in good time.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

Please visit the University Library’s data base.