Learning outcomes

The overall aim of EELVB395 English III is to achieve the general level of competence B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). On the French version of this page (which is available on request to the course coordinator), excerpts can be found from the different indicators and main criteria; please refer to the relevant pages in the Companion Volume with new descriptors for more details.

Goals

See above: general B2 proficiency level according to the CEFRL, with an emphasis on oral production skills and economics-related vocabulary.

Content

Following on from EELVB295 English II, this EELVB395 English III course will cover a series of themes related to the wider business world, which will form the starting point for the activities in each lesson, with a general introduction followed by more in-depth exercises. The next lesson will often begin with a brief review of the previous week's theme. The activities, mainly oral in nature, will be accompanied by receptive activities (e.g. texts and videos) available on WebCampus, and will aim to ensure that students are able to express themselves accurately on a wide range of subjects relating to themselves and their specialities, while developing certain soft skills.

Past topics have included: entrepreneurship, CVs, trends, corporate social responsibility, customer service, hospitality, e-commerce, social media marketing, success, job interviews, presentation skills, building relationships, meeting skills, technical presentations. Care will be taken to ensure that topics previously covered in EELVB295 English II are not repeated in EELVB395 English III. Among the new main objectives to be achieved by the end of the assessment period, there will be repeated emphasis on preparing for job interviews in English (e.g. typical questions, effective answers), and the last lesson, which is compulsory for all students, will consist of a series of technical presentations in English about an economics-related research question.

Students are cordially invited to share their suggestions for themes and/or activities with the teacher, as well as any specific requests relating to their (future) place on the job market.

Table of contents

See the 'Content' section above.

Assessment method

The final grade (out of 20 points) will be calculated on the basis of an average that will take into account several components, according to a choice of pathway made by the student:

Route A (valuing attendance and participation in the course) :

  • Continuous assessment (20%)
    • Attendance and participation (15%)
    • Portfolio (5%): this involves consulting a series of textual and audiovisual resources over the course of the semester and producing a brief summary. Further details will be published on WebCampus; this platform will be used for submission of the document, which will take place no later than the day on which the student presents his/her exam.
  • Technical presentation (20%):
    • A 10-minute presentation on a technical subject related to the business world (a list of proposals will be provided on WebCampus). If the number of students is too large to do this, it may be possible to organise technical presentations in pairs, which will then last 15 minutes. Assessment of this component will be based on linguistic (e.g. grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation) and pragmatic (e.g. rhythm, communicative attitudes) criteria.
    • This presentation will be accompanied by a visual aid (e.g. PowerPoint, Keynote) which will also be assessed (structure, layout, amount of information, language).
    • Each presenter will prepare a series of questions related to the theme of their presentation, to be used for a 5-minute conversation exercise with the rest of the group.
    • All presentations will take place during the last lesson.
  • Written exam (25%) (duration: 1 hour) :
    • verification of vocabulary acquisition (e.g. fill-in-the-blank sentences, sentence construction)
    • one or more writing tasks (e.g. giving an opinion, describing a situation, defending a position, explaining an argument, etc.).
  • Oral exam (35%):
    • 15-minute discussion with the course tutor and possibly his/her deputy.
    • Students must be able to talk about elements and themes in their portfolio. This will involve being able to briefly summarise, give an opinion, justify an opinion, make a comparison, etc. The aim is not to verify the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, but rather the mastery of language skills. In addition, students will be asked a number of questions typical of job interviews, and should bring their CV with them.
    • This oral exam will take place face-to-face, with no preparation time.
    • Students will need to book an appointment via WebCampus to ensure that the examinations runs smoothly.

Route B :

  • Continuous assessment (5%): portfolio (see above)
  • Technical presentation (25%): see above
  • Written examination (30%): see above
  • Oral examination (40%): see above


Students will be invited to make their choice of pathway by a date to be specified in due course; if there is no response, it will be assumed that the student has opted for pathway B.

These procedures and weightings will apply in both the first and second semesters.

Any student who does not deliver a technical presentation will receive an overall zero for the assessment in June or in August.

If the portfolio is incomplete and/or submitted late, a zero will be awarded for this component of the assessment. Failure to submit a portfolio at all will also mean that the student will not be able to present the oral examination, due to a lack of material to discuss.

All students are required to sit both the written and oral examinations; failure to do so will result in an overall zero for the final mark.

Warning : please note that the success of this teaching unit does not lead to certification.

Sources, references and any support material

No syllabus; resources will be posted on the WebCampus platform:

  • vocabulary will be available before each lesson, so that it can be studied/reviewed beforehand; it will be supplemented with additional words during each lesson
  • the activity slides will be made available after the lessons (as the teacher will be adding feedback elements during the lessons); they do not constitute material to be studied but are resources on which the oral exam could be based.

Other resources (particularly textual and audiovisual) will also be available on WebCampus.

The platform will also be used by students, in particular as part of the portfolio.

Language of instruction

Français