Teaching Business English:

aspects to consider

Prof. Diana Cristina Porto

 Business English vs. General English

Programmes
Focus on developing: Focus on developing:
accuracy accuracy

fluency fluency

effectiveness

Focus on developing: Focus on developing:

general and specialist general language knowledge

language knowledge general communication skills.

general and professional

communication skills
 Business English vs. General English

SYLLABUS
Set courses with fixed
objectives and syllabus.
Special courses with special
syllabus.
One-to-one courses may
develop syllabus and content
on an ongoing basis.
Often determined by choice of
textbook and end-of-term
examination.
Wide ranging syllabus:
vocabulary from different
areas and different styles
 Business English vs. General English

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Individual objectives:
Defined precisely according culture, traveling abroad,
to the needs analysis obtaining a better job.

Examination courses: fixed

pre-determined objectives
 Business English vs. General English

METHODOLOGY

Communicative ELT Communicative ELT

methodology methodology

 Communication skills
training
 Business English vs. General English

TRAINERS
Need the following mix Need the following mix
of knowledge and skills: of knowledge and skills:

 ELT methodology  ELT methodology

Communicative skills

training
Knowledge of business

content
 Business English vs. General English
EVALUATION OF PROGRESS
An off-the-shelf Business
English test may be used by
some organizations.
Informal assessment:
emphasis on success of
communication
Formal oral and written
examination evaluating
accuracy, fluency and
general communicative
ability.
Informal assessment:
accuracy, appropriacy of
vocabulary and
pronunciation.
 Business English vs. General English

MATERIALS

Off-the-shelf materials for Wide choice of off-the-

business English but may shelf material for general
not meet needs of group or English for all the levels.
course, then it may be Materials development not
necessary to develop required by the teacher.
materials for a specific
course or to add authentic
material.
 Business English

COMMUNICATION
LANGUAGE
SKILLS
KNOWLEDGE

 GRAMMAR  PRESENTATIONS
 VOCABULARY  MEETINGS
 PRONUNCIATION  TELEPHONING
 WRITTEN REPORTS
 Business English

LANGUAGE

KNOWLEDGE

GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PRONUNCIATION

 Clear rules  Specialist/Specialist  Some SS have a
 Some cases of  Specialist/non-Spec. real need
ambiguity  Generalist/Generalist  No off-the-shelf
 BrE or AmE
materials for BS
 Business English

COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

 PRESENTATIONS
 MEETINGS
 TELEPHONING
 WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION
The Learners’ Objectives

ACCURACY

FLUENCY EFFECTIVENESS
 The Learners’ Objectives

ACCURACY
 Language Knowledge
 Black or white
 Easier for trainer to assess and for student to see the
improvement

FLUENCY and EFFECTIVENESS

Native speaker
competence

Zero
competence
 The Learners’ Objectives

FLUENCY OF COMMUNICATION

 Speed of Speaking
Outside of range: uncomfortable gaps or
incomprehensibility due to speed
“The perception of the listener”

 Effort of Speaking
Impossible to determine and compare
Ask the speaker
 The Learners’ Objectives
EFFECTIVENESS
Impact – Variety – Conciseness
 Stylistic feature
 Part of the media, part of the message

 Behavioural features contributing

the use of hand and arm gestures
the use of eye contact
the use of vocal variety
the use of visual aids
moving within the audience area
handling questions
handling difficult audiences
 The Business English Trainer
 No single profile: environment + learners’ demands
 A Language Teacher + PERSONAL SKILLS
 an outgoing personality

 a good negotiator
 curious and interested in business
 Final Words
“You get the best out of others when you
give the best of yourself.”
Harry Firestone

“A man without a smiling face must not

open a shop.”
Chinese Proverb

“People who enjoy what they are doing

invariably do it well.”
Joe Gibbs.
 dianacporto@yahoo.co.uk

www.dianabusiness.blogspot.com

www.slideshare.net/dianacporto