English
A.Y. 2021/2022
Learning objectives
The course aims at developing/enhancing the students' English language skills in multiple ways: listening, reading, speaking and language use, specifically in corporate and institutional settings. Greater emphasis will be placed on workplace communication, providing a theoretical foundation of business communication principles and strengthening the capacity of the students for successful communication in the context of business with its etiquette and specific rules.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, the students should be able to:
- correctly use relevant terminology in context;
- employ common collocations combined with correct grammar;
- implement specific communicative strategies in professional contexts, such as making business calls and presentations, public speaking, having a job interview and communicating in a business setting, among others;
- read and analyze newspaper articles and business texts;
- write emails, memos, reports, CVs and business letters in the correct format;
- listen to and understand discussions, presentations and interviews and be able to participate in them.
- correctly use relevant terminology in context;
- employ common collocations combined with correct grammar;
- implement specific communicative strategies in professional contexts, such as making business calls and presentations, public speaking, having a job interview and communicating in a business setting, among others;
- read and analyze newspaper articles and business texts;
- write emails, memos, reports, CVs and business letters in the correct format;
- listen to and understand discussions, presentations and interviews and be able to participate in them.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
The course aims to enhance the students' communication skills in workplace and academic contexts. This will be achieved through a series of lectures on communication theory (linguistics, sociology and anthropology applied to business settings), and through learning vocabulary, functional language and pragmatic elements useful in professional settings.
In particular, the course will touch upon the following topics:
- characeristics and conventions of communication
- rhetorical situation
- ethics in professional and academic communication
- persuasion techniques
- conciseness and precision
- written communication organising principles
- document design
- graphics and visuals
- revising and editing
- research terminology
- avoiding plagiarism and citing sources properly
- collaborative writing
- oral communication and presentations
- non-verbal communication
- correspondece (letters, e-mails, memorandum, etc,)
- applications and CVs
- Instructions, proposals, reports and recommendations
- LinkedIn and TED talks
In particular, the course will touch upon the following topics:
- characeristics and conventions of communication
- rhetorical situation
- ethics in professional and academic communication
- persuasion techniques
- conciseness and precision
- written communication organising principles
- document design
- graphics and visuals
- revising and editing
- research terminology
- avoiding plagiarism and citing sources properly
- collaborative writing
- oral communication and presentations
- non-verbal communication
- correspondece (letters, e-mails, memorandum, etc,)
- applications and CVs
- Instructions, proposals, reports and recommendations
- LinkedIn and TED talks
Prerequisites for admission
Students must have passed a Placement Test in English (for more information on how and when to take the Placement Test, please refer to SLAM: https://www.unimi.it/it/studiare/competenze-linguistiche/placement-test-test-di-ingresso-e-corsi-di-inglese). It is highly recommended to have at least a B2 level knowledge of English. The class is taught at C1 level.
Teaching methods
Pair and teamwork.
Focus on listening and reading comprehension skills.
Individual student work.
Students actively participating in class work will receive extra points.
Focus on listening and reading comprehension skills.
Individual student work.
Students actively participating in class work will receive extra points.
Teaching Resources
McKinney, Matt, Kalani Pattison, Sarah LeMire, Kathy Anders, and Nicole Hagstrom-Schmidt, eds. Howdy or Hello?: Technical and Professional Communication, Revised Pilot Edition. College Station: Texas A&M University, 2021, open source available online https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/howdy-or-hello-technical-and-business-communications
Course Power Point slides and all the additional material available on Ariel.
Optional (not required):
Garner, B.A. 2012, HBR guide to Better Business Writing. Harvard Business Press.
Graham D, Graham J. 20009, Can Do Writing, Wiley.
Business Writing Clear and Simple, 2007, Learning Express.
Richard Blundel, "Effective Organisational Communication: Perspectives, Principles, and Practices", Pearson Education.
C.Gallo, Talk like TED, St.Martin's Press, New York
B.Bernstein (2018) How to write a killer LinkedIn profile.
N.Duarte Slide:ology. O'Reilly
G.Graff, C.Birkenstein, R.Durst (2018) They Say/I Say. Norton and Company, New York/London
A.Pilbeam, Working Across Cultures. Market Leader, Pearson.
R.D.Lewis (2006), When Cultures Collide. Leading Across Cultures, Nicholas Brealey, London
Course Power Point slides and all the additional material available on Ariel.
Optional (not required):
Garner, B.A. 2012, HBR guide to Better Business Writing. Harvard Business Press.
Graham D, Graham J. 20009, Can Do Writing, Wiley.
Business Writing Clear and Simple, 2007, Learning Express.
Richard Blundel, "Effective Organisational Communication: Perspectives, Principles, and Practices", Pearson Education.
C.Gallo, Talk like TED, St.Martin's Press, New York
B.Bernstein (2018) How to write a killer LinkedIn profile.
N.Duarte Slide:ology. O'Reilly
G.Graff, C.Birkenstein, R.Durst (2018) They Say/I Say. Norton and Company, New York/London
A.Pilbeam, Working Across Cultures. Market Leader, Pearson.
R.D.Lewis (2006), When Cultures Collide. Leading Across Cultures, Nicholas Brealey, London
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam is computer-based and consists of 100 closed questions (multiple choice, insert the right word or true or false). The duration of the test is 2 hours.
The questions are based on the reading materials, lessons content and notes and any additional material to be found on Labonline.
In particular, there will be 3 parts:
1) listening (it will be based on any of the TED talks and other videos you have on the Labonline page)
2) questions on the topic of communication (they are all available in the Test your knowledge sections on Labonline)
3) questions on the vocabulary from the NGOs files - all of the vocabulary, which means any words this book contains + vocabulary from the ESL lessons from our classes
The questions are based on the reading materials, lessons content and notes and any additional material to be found on Labonline.
In particular, there will be 3 parts:
1) listening (it will be based on any of the TED talks and other videos you have on the Labonline page)
2) questions on the topic of communication (they are all available in the Test your knowledge sections on Labonline)
3) questions on the vocabulary from the NGOs files - all of the vocabulary, which means any words this book contains + vocabulary from the ESL lessons from our classes
L-LIN/12 - LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION - ENGLISH - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Kalinina Irina