Course Title:Business English (Spring 2014)
Course Code:ENG 281B (Tuesdays)
Duration:Two semesters
Credits: 3 + 3
Medium of Instruction:English
Course Instructor:John Mok
Contact Information:2408-8949, 9474-7842;
,

Aims / To introduce students to the basics of business English;
Toexpose students to the essential forms of writing in the workplace;
To improve students’ ability for teamwork, to do research, to make presentation and short speeches in public;
To acquaint students to business-related terms and glossaries;
To improve students’ writing and reading skills.
Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILO) / Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
  1. realize the importance of effective writing and communication in today's changing workplace;
  2. take on a mini project, do presentation and prepare a report;
  3. ready themselves for employment seeking and job interviews;
  4. writeeffectively in the workplace.

Keyword Syllabus / Enquiries, invitations, business letters, memoranda, e-mail, business report and layout, minutes, job applications, resumes, cv, job interviews, public speaking skills, report writing, bibliography, annotation, references, teamwork, English grammar
Syllabus Content / Layout of forms of business writing
Invitation letters
Job application letters and resumes
Report writing
Doing research as a team
Group presentation
Challenging and responding to challenges
Inviting a guest and arranging for the guest talk
Business terminologies / CILO No.
1,2,4
1,4
1,3,4
1,2,4
1,2,3
1,2
1
1,4
1,3,4
Teaching & Learning Activities
(TLA) / TLA 1. Preparing and Completing Tasks, with Guidance
This is a task based course. The instructor will introduce thetasks and provide all the guidelines the students need to successfully complete them. Questions from students are actively encouraged. Through completing tasks, students will learn effective business writing skills, employment seeking, team work, and the importance of good planning and communication. Together, these activities directly contribute to the intended outcomes 1 to 4.
TLA 2. Group Project Report and Presentation
Students will form groups to complete one group project assignment. Each group will decide on a topic of their own choice, proceed to participate in a research project involving survey and other original data collection and analysis, prepare for the group presentation using PowerPoint, and finish writing the group report. Emphasis is placed on preparing the Abstract, Table of Contents and Bibliography in the final report. This group assignment gives students the opportunity to apply and integrate knowledge learned and to demonstrate problem solving skills. Students will also learn teamwork and develop their communication skills that are useful in their future careers.
TLA 3. Individual Assignments
Assignments on the essential forms of business writing are givenso students can apply what they have read and learned in the notes. Students will access the notes online, read them ahead of class, and are encouraged to ask and exhaust all questions before they will proceed to complete their assignments.
TLA 4. Real-life Application of Acquired Knowledge
There is an invitation exercise to reinforce the validation of good business writing. A guest speaker will be invited by students, who will also be responsible for the arrangements of the talk. This exercise is expected to bring excitement and boost confidence of students.
TLA 5. Consultation
The instructor offers private consultation after class to address students’ questions and study problems. Students are encouraged to discuss issues with the instructor in person or by email. / CILO No.
1,2.,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
Teaching Methods / The students complete the tasks individually or in groups.The tasksincludereading notes, dropping down questions and asking those questions in class, completing assignments, working together for a project, doing research, presentation andparticipating in discussions. A real-life application of learned concepts and knowledgewill be used to reinforce the validation ofgood business communication.
Assessment Tasks
(AT) / Task-based
AT1. Continuous assessment60%
AT2. Examination
Final examination40%
AT1: Continuous assessment
Involves in-class participation, assignments and a group project. To encourage students to bemore engaged in class, marks are given for questions asked and answers provided by students. This exercise tends to develop students’ initiatives to think critically and actively. The process also helps students to effectively apply knowledge learned byaskingwell thought-out questions. Assignments are designed to strengthen students’ understanding of the principles of common forms of business writing. The group project is to develop students’ analytical, writing, communication and presentation skills through the cooperation of teamwork. These assessment methods are designed to achieve the intended learning outcomes 1-4.
AT2: Examination
A final examination is categorized into three difficulty levels covering both fundamental and advanced levels of questions about the subject matters. Advanced level questions particularly test students’ application ability on knowledge learnt and their generalwriting proficiency. / CILO No.
1,2,3,4
Assessment
Method / Invitation Letter / 10%
Job Application Letter / 10%
Resume / 10%
Group Report Writing / 10%
GroupReport Presentation / 10%
Questioning and answering / 10%
Final Examination / 40%
Prerequisite / NIL

Lesson Plan

Week / Date / Topics/Tasks
1 / 01/21 / Course introduction.
Divide students into groups; each group discusses and decides on a topic for the project report.
Homework: 1) do initial research on the report topic; 2) write a letter in business format to the instructor,describing one of their wildest experience.
2 / 01/28 / Revisit business letter format—students compare the correct format with that of their own letters.
Homework: study invitation letter, at: each student decides on a personality he/she wants to invite to the class.
Submit the wild experience letter.
3 / 02/04 / Lunar New Year Holiday
4 / 02/11 / Students raise questions on Invitation Letter
Go through the gist of the Invitation Letter.
Homework: revisit report writing, at: particularly on the Abstract, Table of Contents, and Bibliography.
Assignment 1: Write and type an invitation letter.
5 / 02/18 / Students raise questions on Report format.
Go through the basics of Report format again.
Homework: 1) Each group prepares a tentative Table of Contents for its report;
2) continue to do research on the report topic.
Submit assignment 1: invitation letter.
6 / 02/25 / Report tutorial 1: The instructor needs to see a printed Table of Contents from each group. Go through the Table of Contents with each group.
Homework: 1) study job application letters, at:
2) revise the Table of Contents and show the revised version to the instructor next week.
7 / 03/04 / Report tutorial 2: Each group shows the instructor the revised Table of Contents.
Students raise questions on job application letters—solicited and unsolicited.
Go through job application letters writing.
Go through the gist of preparing a questionnaire.
Homework: 1) study resume writing, at:
resume/; 2) each group prepares a printed questionnaire.
Assignment 2: Write and type an unsolicited job application letter.
8 / 03/11 / Report tutorial 3:The instructor needs to see a printed questionnaire from each group. Go through the questionnaire with each group.
Students raise questions on resume writing.
Go through resume writing.
Homework: 1) study job interview techniques, at:
job_interview/;
2) continue to do research on the report topic, and revise the questionnaire.
Assignment 3: Write and type student’s own resume.
Submit assignment 2: unsolicited job application letter.
9 / 03/18 / Report tutorial 4:Each group shows the instructor the revised questionnaire.
Students raise questions on job interview.
Go through the gist of job interview techniques.
Homework: 1) review citation and bibliography at: 2) continue to do research on the report topic.
Submit assignment 3: resume.
10 / 03/25 / Students raise questions on citation and preparing a bibliography for their report.
Go through the gist of preparing a bibliography.
Homework: prepare a printed bibliography for each group’s report.
11 / 04/01 / Report tutorial 5: The instructor needs to see a printed Bibliography from each group. Go through the bibliography with each group.
Go through the areas students should pay attention to in doing presentations.
Homework: 1) revise the bibliography; 2) prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the project report.
12 / 04/08 / Report tutorial 6: Each group shows the instructor the revised Bibliography.
Report presentations –3 groups (randomly selected), followed by questions and answers.
13 / 04/15 / Report presentations –3 groups (randomly selected), followed by questions and answers.
Homework: study Business English vocabularies–media English, at:
14 / 04/22 / Easter Holiday
15 / 04/29 / Students raise questions on business English vocabularies–media English.
Homework: study Business English –media English andtranslationvocabularies, at:
Submit assignment 4: Group report.
16 / 05/06 / Buddha's Birthday
17 / 05/13 / Students raise questions on business English vocabularies -- media English and translation.
Homework: 1) study Business English vocabularies–media English,translation and general business, at:
18 / 05/20 / Students raise questions on business English vocabularies -- media English,translation, and general business.
Tie up loose ends and review for the final examination.
19 / 05/27 / Final Examination

Reading Materials
Notes prepared by the instructor, at.
Reference Book
Bilbow, Grahame T. (2004). Business Writing for Hong Kong. Hong Kong:Longman
Hong Kong Education, 1st ed. 1991.

Online Reference

Style guide
(MLA Formatting and Style
Guide)

exercise.doc.

(Style and Writing Guides--35 resources)

E-books
(links to free e-books by subjects)
(University of Adelaide Library)
(100 Best Free Online Book for an Education
—listed by Will Durant)
(annotated links to free e-books worldwide)
(Squashed Philosophers)

Open coursewares
(MIT)
(Yale University)
(University of California at Berkeley)
(open coursewares in China)

=26 (a link to open coursewares worldwide)

Encyclopaedias

Search engines

.

News sites



Dictionaries/references






English learning



NB:

Late assignments will have marks deducted at the rate of 5% a day. No assignment will be accepted if the submission is more than one week late.

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