Teach Business English

This is a course for anyone seeking an excellent introduction to the world of TESOL.

This standalone course is available only to holders of a recognised certificate or diploma in TESOL/TEFL/ELT e.g. ACTDEC Certificates levels 2 or 3 or level 4 Diploma, Cambridge CELTA/DELTA, Trinity College, a UK university TEFL/TESOL course or College of Teachers Associateship, Advanced Certificate or Diploma.

Course designed and written by
Dr Brenda Townsend Hall of
Teach Business English.

Format

The Business English programme is completed entirely online.

The course covers the main issues in teaching English for business so that you can transfer your newly acquired TESOL expertise to this new field. It includes:

• the approaches and techniques needed to deal with specific business activities —
  telephoning, meetings, negotiations and presentations, written communications;
• the relationship of the trainer to the client, group dynamics and ways of interacting to provide constructive feedback and supportive instruction;
• the linguistic component of courses with emphasis on cross-cultural awareness and the social elements of business English training;
• preparing and evaluating materials;
• the needs of one-to-one students;
• how to increase your knowledge of business terminology.

Modules and competencies

The five modules are:

1. Why Teaching Business English is Different
2. Spotlight on telephoning
3. Making Presentations
4. Business Meetings
5. Materials, Negotiating and Evaluation

The competencies dealt with on the course, either directly or indirectly are:

1. Identify differences in motivation and attitudes between general English students and business English students.
2. Be aware of main learning styles
3. Identify key qualities needed by business English trainers
4. Improve knowledge of the business world
5. Identify desirable features of a business English training room
6. Know how to gather the information needed to plan a course
7. Know how to relate language items to practice activities
8. Understand the significance of intercultural awareness
9. Know how to raise clients' awareness of their own culture
10. Can help clients understand the implications of working with people from different cultures
11. Understand the elements that combine to make communication effective
12. Can evaluate published material in the light of the needs of your clients
13. Can select appropriate authentic material
14. Can devise suitable materials
15. Can use the Internet for both materials and as means of giving clients support before, during and after their course
16. Can adopt appropriate styles of teaching
17. Can integrate reading, writing and oral practice
18. Can set up preparation, practice and feedback stages of a session
19. Can adapt activities for one-to-one students
20. Understand how the issues concerning vocabulary are different for business English students from learners of general English
21. Have a good grasp of the techniques needed to help clients acquire new vocabulary
22. Can advise clients on how to organise their learning and continue to acquire new vocabulary after their course
23. Can help clients devise various learning and compensation strategies that will help them gain confidence
24. Be aware of the key issues related to pronunciation and its practice
25. Can offer supportive feedback in a professional and non-threatening manner
26. Know how to encourage fluency
27. Understand how people use language to manipulate people and situations and recognise some of the ways in which this can be done
28. Can set up a full-group role-play
29. Understand the importance of evaluation and can write an informative report on your clients' performance
30. Be informed about the main external examinations in this field and can advise your clients which ones suit their needs
31. Understand why telephone calls can be more difficult than face-to-face conversations
32. Identify kinds of telephone calls made in business
33. Identify key stages of a telephone call
34. Identify key language items associated with telephone calls
35. Identify main language functions associated with telephone calls
36. Can prepare participants to handle difficult calls
37. Can work with clients to identify key stages of a presentation
38. Can plan lessons to help clients prepare and practise key stages of a presentation
39. Can set up role-play activities to help students prepare for the various types and stages of meetings
40. Can devise reading and writing activities that feed into preparation for handling meetings
41. Have a good grasp of the appropriate language to use at the different stages of a meeting
42. Can help your clients improve their ability to build rapport for negotiating partners
43. Understand the key stages in a negotiation and can devise appropriate sessions to give students the practice they need to handle each stage effectively
44. Understand the main forms of written communications in business and the styles appropriate to each

Validation

The Business English Course is formally validated by ACTDEC.

End of Business English Course Certificate and Report

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate noting the level of pass achieved. You will also receive a detailed report on your work based on the competencies covered in the course.

The following is a sample certificate from this course:

Assessment and Award of the Certificate

Examination is by means of continuous assessment of the worksheet assignments for each unit module. There are no formal written examinations.

Award of the certificate is restricted to those who successfully complete the distance course and all assessment assignments. Certificates are awarded at pass, pass with merit or pass with distinction.

Sample course material

View sample Business English course material »

Course Fees

Teach Business English course fees.