Frequently-Asked Questions
How do I participate in a business English class at the department?
My Giessen B.A. programme requires a business English certificate (Studienvorleistung Englisch). How do get it?
What business English classes are there? What is the difference between them, and how many credits will I get?
Can I get a reference or a letter of recommendation (e.g., for graduate studies, a semester abroad or an internship)?
Where do I look up the meanings of English words to understand a text?
How else can I improve my business English skills?
Where do I get a rough-and-ready (i.e., unofficial) translation of my Abitur or Vordiplom certificates?
Do you translate, proof-read or edit my English-language seminar paper or thesis?
Can you help me translate official company documents (e.g., internship certificates, annual reports, advertisements, etc.) into English?
Do you proof-read my English-language job application (i.e., CV/résumé and cover letter)?
How do I prepare for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)?
Attending Business English ClassesTo attend one or more business English classes, you will need to sign up via the web-based SPIC system. Class dates and times are determined two weeks before the start of the term, and SPIC signup for all classes starts one week before lectures begin. Before signing up, however, please consult the relevant
module descriptions to make sure you meet the requirements for participating in these classes.
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Compulsory Business English for B.A. StudentsAll B.A. students are required to demonstrate basic proficiency in business English before they are awarded their degree. There are three alternative ways of meeting this English-language requirement (
Studienvorleistung Englisch).
The first is to obtain an appropriate business English certificate from either
Volkshochschule or a private language school. The standard certificate to fulfil the English-language requirement is the Cambridge Business English Certificate (BEC) Preliminary.
Kreisvolkshochschule Giessen offers excellent, flexible preparatory courses as well as regular BEC Preliminary examinations. For more information, contact
Werner Leipold via e-mail or at 0 64 04 - 91 63 23. Extensive self-study materials for BEC Preliminary test preparation are also available from the departmental library. If Cambridge BEC Preliminary is not an option for whatever reason, there are several alternative certificates (also offered by
Volkshochschulen and other language schools) that fulfil the English-language requirement. These include:
- the TELC Certificate in English for Business Purposes (Intermediate level)
- the LCCI English for Business Certificate (Level 1) written and oral examination
- BULATS (Business Language Testing Service), if passed with a minimum of 40 points each in reading/listening, speaking, and writing
- the TOEIC (if passed with a minimum of 275 points each in listening and reading, and a minimum of 120 points each in speaking and writing).
The second way of meeting the English-language requirement is to pass one of my three-hour Business Communication Basics (BCB) classes at any time between the first and the last semester of your B.A. studies. However, please note that the following restrictions apply to BCB classes. First, BCB is not (!) a compulsory class; it is merely offered as an additional service. Therefore, there is no guarantee that you will be able to attend BCB in the course of your studies. Although every effort is made to schedule the three BCB classes that are offered every semester in such a way that a maximum number of students is able to attend them, chances are that some B.A. students will not be able to participate. Second, the maximum capacity of my BCB classes is 198 students a year. Given that this number is below the usual annual intake of B.A. students, it is impossible for every student to attend BCB. Some students will have to take an external business English.
The third alternative is to try to meet the English-language requirement while studying abroad. This involves participating in specialized business English classes in addition to the regular business or economics courses students plan to attend. Thus, before going abroad, students should select one or more business communication/business English classes from their host university's programme and send me detailed course descriptions. I will then let students know whether the course(s) they have selected are roughly equivalent to BCB and will fulfill the English-language requirement if passed.
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Selecting Business English ClassesBusiness English classes at the department are taught at the B.A. and M.A. levels.
At the B.A. level, the introductory module is Business Communication Basics (BCB). The three BCB classes (A, B and C) offered per semester are identical, and B.A. students may attend one of them to fulfil their English-language requirement. If, as a Giessen B.A. student, you use it as
Studienvorleistung Englisch only, BCB carries no credit points (0 CP). If you combine it with a minimum of three credit points you earned either from a different department or from a so-called "PQ" class, BCB counts three credit points (3 CP) towards your compulsory external module. For exchange students, BCB always carries three credit points (3 CP). BCB is the only business English class that is not appropriate for English native speakers.
The advanced business English module in the B.A. programme is called Management Communication I (MC I). This is a two-semester module in which you combine one summer-semester class (choosing one of two alternative classes) with another class taught in the winter semester (again choosing one of two alternative classes). In combination, these two classes count six credit points (6 CP). Please note that it is not possible for Giessen B.A. students to earn three credit points from completing just one part of MC I. Taken on its own, each part of MC I counts 0 CP. Thus, it is not possible for Giessen B.A. students to earn six credit points by combining BCB with just one part of MC I. This, however, is different for exchange students. For them, each part of MC I carries three credit points (3 CP).
In total, then, Giessen B.A. students are able to earn a maximum of nine credit points (three from BCB plus six from MC I) from business English classes.
The M.A. programme also features the most advanced business English module, namely Management Communication II (MC II). This is a one-semester module featuring alternative classes in the summer and winter semester.
All business English classes are open to students on the diploma, B.A. and M.A. programmes. A brief description of the contents, assignments and grading for each class is available from this website's
teaching section; for more detailed information, see the
module descriptions.
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ReferencesThe department's examination office provides a standard letter of recommendation in English for applying to graduate programmes. If you need a reference to apply for a semester abroad or an internship, however, I will be happy to give you one provided you have completed at least two of my classes. The reason for this 'two-class requirement' is that I need a good impression of your language skills, personality and work ethic in order to evaluate them in a fair way. So, if you have completed at least two business English/management communication classes with me and need a reference or a letter of recommendation, please come see me during office hours.
Please bring in
- all relevant forms to fill in,
- any certificates you obtained on my classes, and
- your curriculum vitae (in German or English).
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Vocabulary problemsFor translations into German, use a good online dictionary (e.g.,
LEO), or go to the library and consult
PONS Großwörterbuch (G 91/115). For technical terms from business or economics, use Schäfer's
Wirtschaftswörterbuch (G 91/84).
The best source of explanations and definitions in English is the
Oxford English Dictionary. For terms from business and economics, try
The Economist's
A to Z of Economics Terms and BizEd's searchable
Glossary of Business Terms.
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Improving Business EnglishThe only way to improve your language skills is to study and practice regularly and over a long period of time. There are no shortcuts in this area, so don't waste your money on so-called 'crash courses'. Instead, it is much more productive to
- make a habit of reading Business Spotlight on a regular basis (this magazine is specifically designed for German learners and offers articles on various business topics as well as a wide range of language exercises; it is available at the library), and
- complete additional business English grammar and vocabulary exercises online.
At a more advanced level, choose from Eva L. Easton's online resources for learning and teaching business English. You can navigate this massive collection by selecting either the particular skills you'd like to work on (e.g., speaking, listening, reading or writing) or the topics you're most interested in (i.e., everything from accounting to taxes).
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Translating school and university certificates
For the purpose of studying abroad you will need official translations of your certificates. These can be provided only by the Giessen office of DAAD and/or Prüfungsamt Wirtschaftswissenschaften.
If, however, you plan to apply for an internship abroad, unofficial translations may be sufficient. Check out the University of Erlangen's word list and model translation of a (Bavarian) Abitur certificate. Also, be sure to study the comments on this translation. In addition, the University of Stuttgart offers a useful model translation of their Vordiplom certificate in Business Studies.
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English-language coursework
I do not translate, proof-read or edit any of my students' English-language seminar papers or theses. After all, this coursework is supposed to reflect your own effort. If you still feel that you need help with your English, however, I may be able to put you in touch with advanced students of English who may be willing to proof-read your coursework for a fee.
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Translating company documents
I do not translate company documents for free, and there is a simple reason for this. If a company decides to publish a document in English, it ought to have someone on its staff who is qualified to do that. If the company does not have such a person on its staff, then it needs to hire (and pay) a freelancer to do the job.
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Job applications in English
If you have attended my business writing class, there is a fair chance that you are able to produce a professional job application in English. If not, go by the advice provided by englishweb.de, University of Westminster or Helsinki University of Technology. Also, you may want to consult one of the useful how-to guides available in the departmental library. If you would still like to have me take a final look at your CV/résumé and cover letter, bring in both documents for proof-reading during my office hours.
Please note that you will have to bring in a hardcopy/printout of your documents (no electronic files, please) and that I do not offer translation services; i.e., your documents must be written in English.
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Preparing for the TOEFL
If you want to study at a North American university, the near-universal requirement is that you score a certain number of points on the so-called Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). To take the TOEFL at the nearest test centre (located in Frankfurt/Main), you need to
1. register for it at toefl.org and pay your test fee of almost $200,
2. prepare for it.
I do not offer TOEFL preparation courses because the TOEFL has nothing to do with business English or management communication: It is simply a measure of your proficiency in standard American English for general and academic purposes. Extensive self-study materials to prepare for the TOEFL are available from the departmental library. More detailed information on the TOEFL (e.g., registration technicalities, contents, etc.) is provided by FH Hannover. A final word of caution: Do not take the TOEFL unless you have to -- its test scores are valid for no more than two years.
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