Full Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 35
Lecture hour: 150
The Business Communication course contains two components:
I. Business English, and II. Problem- solving Approach to Writing Skills. The weightage for the first component is 50% and the second
component is 50%.
I. Business English (50%)
Course:
This is a course in English for the workplace. It provides
- clear learning aims, targeted to learners’ needs
- the grammar, vocabulary, and functions necessary for learners to become operational in a range of professional and social situations
- a new approach to grammar which guides learners to work out rules of meaning and usage
- strategies for effective vocabulary learning
- authentic materials to reflect learners’ needs and expectations.
The course is for mature learners who
- need English as a language of international communication in both professional and social contexts
- need to review and build on the grammar they have already covered
- need to develop fluency and accuracy
- need to extend and develop their active and passive vocabulary
- have limited time available for study
- can develop strategies to enable them to take control of their own learning.
The course is organized around ten broad communicative units: Achievement, Motivation,
Communication, The Future, Challenges, Psychology, Creativity, Image, Responsibility, and Security.
Each unit begins with an agenda which gives details of the language to be studied in the unit. This is
followed by four main parts: Language focus, Wordpower, Skills focus, and Focus on functions. There is a
review unit after every two units.
Language focus presents and practices the target grammar in a context related to the general topic of
the unit. It has four stages: an introductory activity, presentation of the target grammar in a realistic
context, grammar analysis, and practice.
Wordpower presents and activates a lexical set or semantic field related to the topic of the unit. At the
same time it introduces a variety of strategies for organizing and learning vocabulary effectively. It has
two stages: introduction of topic-related vocabulary and a follow-up practice activity.
Skill focus has longer listening and reading texts, which provide exposure to the target grammar of the
unit and develop listening, speaking, and reading skills. It has three stages: a preview to introduce and
stimulate interest in the topic, a task (s) to complete while reading or listening, and follow-up.
Focus on functions presents and practices basic key phrases which professionals need for socializing.
There are two main stages: a range of possible exponents for students to identify, and controlled and
then freer role-play.
There is a pocket book in the pouch at the back of the book and it is divided into two sections: Grammar
and Focus on functions. These summarize the key language points from the book.
The attached DVD-ROM includes video clips for every unit, with accompanying interactive exercises. The
clips contain reports, interviews, and profiles that relate to the topic of the unit. The disc also has a
selection of texts in the book accompanied by audio versions and dictations. These are linked to an
interactive vocabulary list containing key words and phrases from the book. There are also grammar,
vocabulary, and function practice activities.
Prescribed Book:
Harding, Keith, and Adrian Wallwork. International Express: Student’s Book Upper-Intermediate (with
Pocket Book and DVD-ROM). Oxford: OUP, 2007.
Reference Books:
Wallwork, Adrian. International Express: Workbook Upper-Intermediate (with student’s CD). Oxford:
OUP, 2007.
Adhikari, Dharma, and I. Hugh Holmes. Business Communication: Theory and Practice. Kathmandu:
Buddha, 2014.
Appleby, Rachel, Heidi Grant, and Tracy Byrne. International Express: Teacher’s Resource Book UpperIntermediate (with video). Oxford: OUP, 2006.
Harding Keith, and Adrian Wallwork. International Express: Class CDs Upper Intermediate. Oxford: OUP,
2007.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Eighth Edition. Oxford: OUP, 2010.
II. Problem-solving Approach to Writing Skills (50%)
The course concentrates on presenting the skills students need when they write in English in business
situations. To listen, speak, read, or write, knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar is needed; but
these aspects of language are not specific to business communication.
Objectives:
The main objectives of the course are to enable students to
- put ideas in order
- group ideas into paragraphs
- write apt introduction and conclusion
- show relationship between ideas
- present attitude clearly
- edit out irrelevant materials
- punctuate correctly
With an eye to the kinds of writing students in business are mostly in need of doing, the contents of the
course are listed below:
- Informal letters
- Formal Letters
- Reports
- Brochures and guides
- Articles
- Instructions
- Writing a story
- Business letters and memos
Coe, Norman, Robin Rycroft, and Pauline Ernest. Writing Skills: a problem-solving approach. Cambridge:
CUP, 1983.
Reference Books:
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Eighth Edition. Oxford: OUP, 2010.
Coe, Norman, and Robin Rycroft. Writing Skills: a problem-solving approach. Teacher’s Book. Cambridge:
CUP, 1983.
Leech, G.N., and Jan Svartvik. A Communicative Grammar of English. Third Edition. London: Longman,
2002.
Evaluation Model
The Business Communication course contains two components: I. Business English, and II. Problem- solving Approach to Writing Skills. The weightage for the first component is 50% and the second
component is 50%.
Prescribed Books:
Harding, Keith, and Adrian Wallwork. International Express: Student’s Book Upper-Intermediate (with
Pocket Book and DVD-ROM). Oxford: OUP, 2007.
Coe, Norman, Robin Rycroft, and Pauline Ernest. Writing Skills: a problem-solving approach. Cambridge:
CUP, 1983.
Evaluation:
*Questions will be set covering all the prescribed books.
*The questions will be of three broad types:
1. Comprehensive/Analytical type: 2 questions each of 15 marks (3 questions will be given): 2x15 = 30
marks
The questions may be on Comprehension (listening scripts can also be used from International Express)
or any long answer or essay type question based on the textbooks.
2. Descriptive/Short answer type: 5 questions each of 10 marks (6 questions will be given): 5x10 = 50
marks
The questions from International Express will be selected from language focus, wordpower, skills focus,
and focus on functions; and from Writing Skills on formal and informal letters, reports, brochures and
guides, articles, instructions, paragraphs, selection and ordering, text comparison, text based on
conversation or on visual information writing a story, and business letters and memos.
3. Brief/Objective type: 10 questions each of 2 marks (12 questions will be given): 2x10 = 20 marks
The questions from International Skills will be selected from the grammar and functional English
sections of the Pocket Book as well as from other sections of the book like language focus, wordpower,
skills focus and focus on functions. Questions from Writing Skills will be selected from punctuation,
scrambled sentences, linking words and attitude words, reporting words, and other types of exercise.
*The distribution of questions will be as follows:
1. Comprehensive/Analytical type:
- one question from International Express
- one question from Writing Skills
- one question from International Express and/or Writing Skills
2. Descriptive/Short answer type:
- three questions from International Express
- three questions from Writing Skills
3. Brief/Objective type:
- six questions from International Express
- six questions from Writing Skills
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