Professional English for BBA Studies (5 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

On this course students will learn about the professional business communication in working life environment. European Framework of Reference for Languages B2 level.

After completing the course students will be able to
- tell about their personality, education, work experience, tasks and duties at work by using professional English
- meet customers’ needs when servicing the customer base and communicating with interest groups
- follow and participate in the development of their field by using different ways of communication.

Content (course unit)

What can the student communicate on his/her competence and working life environment in the target language?
What kind of qualifications does the student need to succeed in multicultural customer-based interaction in the target language?
How can the student develop his/her competence and acquire business-related information in the target language?

Prerequisites (course unit)

Eurooppalaisen taitotasoasteikon B2-taitotaso.

Exam schedules

Written exams take place at the last session of each study period. Resit dates can be booked through TenttiWilho/Pakki on the dates provided by TAMK’s Language Services.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Professional English for BBA students covers written and oral communication skills for BBA students. Evaluation is based on the 0-5 grading scale where 0 is fail and 5 is excellent.

The evaluation for Part A is based on:
1. Written Exam – 60% of total marks
2. Active class participation (lesson attendance, completed assignments) – 15 % of total marks
3. Oral presentation, social interaction (company presentation and trade fair activity) – 20% of total marks
4. Interview / Multicultural research project – 5% of total marks

The evaluation for Part B is based on:
1. Written Exam – 70% of total marks
2. Active class participation (lesson attendance, completed assignments) – 15 % of total marks
3. Oral presentation (business new presentation) – 15% of total marks

Teaching methods

Presentations, classroom activities, mini-seminars, pair and group work, collaborative online activities. Personal efforts and self-study.

Learning materials

Study book: Niskanen T., Vetter J., Urbom R. 2013. Business Express. Helsinki: Sanoma Pro Oy
Supplementary materials in Tabula or given during the lessons.

Student workload

Independent study (approx. 3 h week), extra time for projects and research assignments.

Content scheduling

Writing skills include job application documents, business correspondence documents (emails, proposals, quotations, etc.)
Oral skills include presentation, discussion, negotiation and social interaction skills
Part A of the course includes:
- My studies. Finnish education
- Employment
- Applying for a job
- Cross-cultural communication
- Travel and business visits
- Business meetings and socialising
- Company presentation. Trade fairs
Part B of the course includes:
- The operational environment of a company
- Business news
- Exchanging messages on the phone (video calls + social media included)
- Persuasive business writing (emails, etc.)
- The purchasing process including the following:
**Terms of Business
**Enquiries
**Quotations
**Orders/Packing/Transport
**Complaints
**Collection Letters

Completion alternatives

If the student has a university degree that fully or partially covers the content of the course, the student may apply for credit transfer through Hyvähot system.
A business college degree, or equivalent skills and expertise (e.g. long international work experience) may also count towards completion of the course. Such cases have to be discussed with the course teacher, and the student may be required to complete additional projects or assignments to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

International connections

Inter-cultural communication project may be started with partner countries.

Further information

The course pre-requisites: high school or a vocational qualification, B2 level according to Common European Frame of References for Languages.
Knowledge of the Tabula environment, common online communication and collaboration tools, basic IT skills.
The students are required to bring their own devices to each session.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student:
- speaks inaccurately but understandably
- understands the main points of professional materials in his/her business field, is able to obtain basic information and convey it in a generally understandable manner
- expresses himself/herself using limited vocabulary and basic grammatical structures
- can communicate essential messages using basic but understandable professional terminology appropriate to the situation
- all the aspects of the course have been completed

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student:
- speaks clearly and understandably
- understands most points of professional materials in his/her business field, is able to obtain the required information and apply the acquired knowledge
- expresses himself/herself clearly, using sufficient vocabulary and a range of grammatical structures
- can communicate messages clearly, using a variety of business terms appropriate to the situation
- all the aspects of the course have been completed

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student:
- speaks fluently, with only occasional mistakes
- understands most points of rather demanding professional materials in his/her business field, is able to interpret, analyze and apply the acquired knowledge
- expresses himself/herself clearly and naturally, using extensive vocabulary and a wide range of grammatical structures
- can communicate messages professionally and effectively, using a variety of business terms appropriate to the situation
- all the aspects of the course have been completed