BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

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PROJECT GUIDELINES
Subject: Commercial Correspondence (ENG46A)

Title: International Business Correspondence Simulation

Overview: In this immersive and interactive project, students will be grouped into teams of four, each representing the staff of either
Company A (exporter) or Company B (importer). This exercise aims to simulate a real-world international business environment where
effective communication is key to successful operations.

Objective: The primary objective is to enhance students' practical skills in professional business communication, focusing on crafting
various types of correspondence that are vital in global trade.

Project Structure:

1. Team Formation and Role Allocation:

 Each group will consist of four members, representing different roles within their respective companies. These roles
should be rotated periodically to ensure a comprehensive understanding of various business functions.
2. Correspondence Exchange:
 Groups will engage in a series of written communications addressing typical scenarios encountered in international
trade. This includes sending and responding to enquiries, creating and replying to quotations, and discussing payment
terms.
 The exchange of letters will simulate real-time business negotiations and transactions, fostering a sense of urgency
and realism.
3. Language and Format Standards:
  All correspondence must adhere to professional business language and format.
 To assist in this, templates and examples will be provided from the course textbooks. Students are encouraged to use
these resources as guidelines while infusing their personal creativity and strategic thinking into their communications.
4. Documentation and Compilation:
 Each team will meticulously document and compile all their letters into a comprehensive project file.
 This file will serve not only as a submission for evaluation but also as a portfolio showcasing their practical skills in
business communication.
5. Evaluation and Feedback:
 The submitted project files will be evaluated based on a detailed rubric covering aspects like grammar, vocabulary,
format, writing strategy, cultural sensitivity, and overall coherence.
 Constructive feedback will be provided to encourage continuous learning and improvement in business
communication.
6. Coaching schedule and deadlines:
 Coaching No.1 : Lesson 4
 Coaching No.2: Lesson 8
 Coaching No.3: Lesson 14
 Submission: Lesson 15
7. Project final products: templates will be provided
1. Group Report: report the weekly progress, problems with solutions
2. Reflection and Learning Outcomes: Each student will write a brief reflection on what they learned from the project,
focusing on their understanding of commercial correspondence and its role in business operations.
3. Correspondence Portfolio: a collection of business letters between 2 companies
8. Evaluation criteria: refer to Marking rubric on the next page

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this project, students will have developed:

 Enhanced understanding of the nuances in international business communication.

 The ability to craft professional, coherent, and effective business letters.
 Greater awareness of cultural sensitivities in global business interactions.
 Improved teamwork and collaborative skills in a simulated business environment.
 Marking rubric
Criteria Weight Excellent (9-10 points) Good (7-8 points) Satisfactory (5-6 Needs Unsatisfactory (0-2
points) Improvement (3-4 points)
points)
Grammar 15% Nearly flawless Minor grammatical Some Frequent Poor grammar,
grammar. errors. grammatical grammatical errors difficult to
errors affecting hindering understand.
readability. readability.
Vocabulary 15% Sophisticated, varied Good vocabulary Adequate but Limited range, Very poor
vocabulary appropriate range, minor limited frequent vocabulary, affects
for business. inappropriate vocabulary. inappropriate clarity.
usage. usage.
Format 15% Perfect adherence to Minor deviations Some issues with Frequent Incorrect format,
business letter formats. from standard format formatting errors. inappropriate for
formats. adherence. letter type.
Coherence 15% Exceptional coherence Generally coherent Adequate Limited coherence Poor coherence
and and cohesion, logical and cohesive, coherence, some and cohesion, hard and cohesion,
Cohesion flow. minor lapses. disjointed to follow. fragmented
sections. content.
Writing 15% Clear, effective strategy Mostly clear Adequate Limited coherent No clear strategy,
Strategy with well-structured strategy, minor strategy, some strategy, poor very poor
arguments. lapses. unclear parts. structure. structure.

Cultural 15% Exceptional awareness Good awareness of Basic awareness, Limited awareness, No awareness or
Sensitivity and respect for cultural cultural lacks depth. significant respect for cultural
differences. differences, minor oversights. differences.
oversights.
Creativity 10% Highly creative and Some evidence of Standard Very little creativity No evidence of
and original. creativity and approach, or originality. creativity or
Originality originality. minimal creative originality.
elements.