Teaching

Objectives and Philosophy

All Business English/Management Communication courses are designed to enable you to communicate more confidently and successfully in professional English-language business situations. As such, they focus on improving your overall communication skills rather than trying to eliminate minor mistakes in pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary and grammar. Although correct language use is important in higher-level and advanced courses (see the overview of courses below), it is quite useless if you are not a good communicator.

For example, what use is perfect mastery of the future perfect in the passive voice (as in "By this time next year, many English courses will have been held.") if you're unable to 'do the right thing' in a job interview? In other words, being a good communicator is not so much about speaking and writing English that is entirely free of mistakes. Instead, in business, it is all about being (and coming across as) someone who is cooperative, realistic, persuasive, organized, clear, friendly, perceptive, trustworthy and compassionate -- professional, in short.

In order to improve your English-language proficiency in addition to your communication skills, active participation in class and extensive self-study are the keys to success. Even though all classes are interactive seminars and not lectures, you should not expect miracles from simply attending class once a week. After all, improving any foreign language requires continuous effort and practice outside of class.

What classes have to offer is a non-threatening learning environment, some guidance and 'food for thought', room for discussion and also disagreement, many practical examples and challenges, and - hopefully - some fun as well.

Overview of Courses

Business English/Management Communication classes fall into one of three categories:

1. three-hour introductory classes: Business Communication Basics (three each in the winter and summer semester)

2. two-hour higher-level classes: Business Writing and Applied Management (winter semesters only), Oral Communication and Intercultural Communication (summer semesters only)

3. three-hour advanced classes: Business Ethics (winter semesters only), Rhetoric for Managers (summer semesters only)

Levels one and two are open to B.A. students and all students on the diploma programme, while level three is restricted to M.A. students/diploma students in their Hauptstudium. B.A. students may be admitted to level-three classes subject to availability. See also current courses and the two-semester course plan.

For B.A. students, the Business Communication Basics (BCB) class is equivalent to the Cambridge BEC Preliminary certificate required during their studies. BCB can be attended between the first and the seventh semester, and all BCB classes offered are identical. For those B.A. students who decide to continue with Business English/Management Communication after BCB, two higher-level classes combined count six credits towards the B.A. degree. This combination must consist of one winter semester class and one summer semester class; i.e., it is not possible to earn six credits in a single semester. Moreover, it is not possible for B.A. students to attend the higher-level courses without first having passed BCB or an equivalent business English examination.

M.A. students can earn a maximum of six credits by completing one of the advanced courses.

Diploma students will continue to receive a certificate (but no credits) for participating. 

Course Contents, Assignments and Grading

Business Communication Basics (summer & winter semesters)

This introduction to Business English seeks to help beginners build business-specific vocabulary, unlearn typical German mistakes in English, and become more confident in handling routine types of business messages (i.e., professional telephone calls and e-mails). It also includes a thorough repetition of key issues in English grammar. Grading is based on a mid-term oral examination (20%) and a final written examination (80%).

Business Writing (winter semesters only)

This higher-level class uses a systematic, step-by-step approach to teaching students the key principles of informative, persuasive and argumentative business writing. Students will have an opportunity to apply these principles in the course of numerous writing assignments, which will include general business correspondence, CVs/resumes and cover letters. Grading is based on a short in-class presentation (20%), a written assignment (40%) and a final written examination (40%).

Business Reading Skills (winter semesters only)

This higher-level class is based on the insight that managers do much of their daily work in and through written texts. Students are taught essential rules, techniques and principles that enable them to become competent users of management texts. This includes proof-reading skills, techniqes for using texts (including corporate financial statements) as sources of information and building blocks of knowledge, and principles for reading between the lines. Grading is based on a short in-class presentation (20%), a written mid-term test (40%) and a final written examination.

Oral Communication (summer semesters only)

This higher-level class aims to introduce students to the basic structures and processes underlying successful business presentations in various management settings. Participants will give business presentations on several topics and take part in simulated business meetings and job interviews to build basic rhetorical skills and improve their techniques of delivery. Grading is based on a mock job interview (50%) and a final written examination (50%).

Intercultural Communication (summer semesters only)

This higher-level class is designed to enable students to become more effective intercultural communicators. Participants will study several models of cross-cultural differences and learn how to apply them in diverse business and management settings using case studies, simulations, surveys and team projects. This helps students increase their awareness of cultural diversity and become more adept at identifying and minimizing potential sources of intercultural miscommunication. Grading is based on a team project with in-class presentation (50%) and a final written examination (50%).

Business Ethics (winter semesters only)

This seminar is targeted at advanced students who have an interest in learning about the ethical dimensions of business decisions. Using classic case studies, various moral dilemmas and extensive reading assignments, the class will challenge students to develop a more critical and thoughtful perspective on corporate and managerial decision making. In addition, students will practice using important ethical principles and decision-making tools to build their moral leadership skills. Grading is based on a team project with in-class presentation (35%) and a final paper (65%).

Rhetoric for Managers (summer semesters only)

Based on the insight that a manager’s job is rhetorical by nature, this advanced seminar focuses on enhancing participants’ rhetorical competence. The class first reviews the central concepts and principles of rhetoric and persuasion, and then encourages students to apply them in business contexts. Various simulations, debates and public-speaking exercises will help students learn how to speak clearly and eloquently on a given topic, give persuasive speeches and argue more effectively. Grading is based on an in-class speech (35%) and a final paper (65%).