Open Course ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES Aim of the Course To sensitize the students to the business register

of English language and its associated usage and functions and to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to use English language effectively for business. Objectives To enable the students to gain an insight into the dynamics of communication with focus on features of virtual communication. To introduce the students to the role, features and use of English for business purposes. To develop among the learners skills in English language with special emphasis on listening, speaking and reading in order to enhance the effectiveness of their business interactions in English. To develop among the learners business writing skills in English and enable them to integrate technology for business purposes. Course Outline Module 1: Introduction to Communication Introduction to the concept and process of communication. Types of communication Spoken/written, verbal/non-verbal, formal/informal, virtual/non-virtual. Concept of communicative competence (LSRW Skills and presentation/ persuasion/mediation/negotiation skills. Functions of communication - inform, persuade, mediate, negotiate etc. Module 2: Introduction to Business English Emerging role of English for business purposes. Different varieties of English Need for international intelligibility and neutral accent. Essential features of Business English Business English for the internet era. Module 3: Task-oriented Skills for General Business Interactions How to use English for negotiating, warning, persuading, apologizing, thanking, complementing, congratulating, complaining/responding to complaint etc. How to convene and manage the proceedings of a meeting Videoconferencing as a meeting strategy How to make effective presentations

 Telephone etiquette for business

Module 4: Task-oriented Skills for Business Writing Writing official letters Preparing SMS messages Preparing e-mail and fax messages Preparing notices/circulars Preparing invitations Preparing company profile Preparing product description Preparing executive summary of reports Preparing brochures and advertisements Replying to customer complaints/feedbacks Preparing minutes of meetings Preparing agenda for meeting Note-taking Material Sources -- Print Dwyer, Judith. The Business Communication Handbook (5th edn.). Prentice Hall, 2000. Samson, T. Business English. Tata McGraw Hill, 2009. Scot, Ober. Contemporary Business English. Biztantra, 2005. Baber, Eric. Fifty Ways to Imrove your Business English Using the Internet. Orient BlackSwan, 2011. Zelazny, Gene. Say it with Presentation: How to Design and Deliver Successful Business Presentations. Tata McGraw Hill, 2004. Dubinko, Svetlana and Ludmila Koledenkova. Mastering Business English: Office Routine. Orient Longman, Material Sources -- Web To be added ******** Evaluation Internal 25% (Weightage 5) External 75% (Weightage 20) Internal Evaluation Class Test (1 objective, 1 descriptive) Weightage 2 Attendance -- Weightage 1 Assignment & Presentation -- Weightage 2 (Preparation and presentation of any of the following: An analytical study on selected business communications, company/product brochures, advertisements, recent trends in

business etc.; designing the marketing strategy of a novel product; designing an advertisement; preparation and screening of short films on business or an ad film; preparation and presentation of the profile of a business firm of the locality; preparation and presentation of biographies of successful businessmen of the locality; interview with successful businessmen of the locality and presentation of the same in audio/video format using mobile phones/handicams/voice recorders. External Evaluation (End-semester Examination) ********* Pattern of question Paper Max. Time: 3 hrs. Weightage: 20
I. II. III.

Total

IV.

One essay of about 200 words out of a choice of two (1 each from Modules 1&2 (Weightage 1 x 4 = 4) Four paragraph answers of about 80 words out of a choice of six (covering Modules 1,2 & 3) -- (Weightage 4 x 2 = 8) Three paragraph type answers of about 80 words out of a choice of five based on the special task-oriented skills of Module 4. Imaginary situations may be given. -- (Weightage 3 x 2 = 6) Two bunches of multiple-choice questions (4 questions in each bunch) covering all modules -- (Weightage 2 x 1 = 2) ************** Model Question Paper Will be provided later