Teach Business English (TBE)
Basic Knowledge of TBE Profession
1. What is Business English?
Business English is different from General English or ESP/EAP because it involves a variety of important factors to be taken into consideration and often more than two parties are involved. English language teaching ELT the subcategory is ESP. Since work is so central to most people’s lives and since business English provides skills which are important for their career needs, it becomes special.
2. The flow chart of the business English teaching process
Networking
Initial contact
Needs analysis
Planning and design of syllabus
Client approach
Evaluation and feedback
Methodology
3. Expectations and general remarks
It is English for adults working in business. It will always relate to students´ or sponsor’s work. Occupational/professional language needs (work related needs). This means:
Investigating, analysing and fulfilling needs since our priority is to run successful courses. This involves fulfilling students´ work-related needs which are specific and the course must consequently cover a wide range of language.
3. Teaching atmosphere Inside or outside work time
Boss and subordinates together may affect the learning atmosphere
Finance who pays for the course, timing
Status of English in the work environment. Have the students had no English for a long time
Self-confident and assertive students. Unmotivated or tired after work
Promotion prospects
Awareness of style in classroom: formality vs. informality, directness vs. Indirectness. Cultural context of language use: national or local cultures, industrial cultures and corporate cultures
4. Course and content Long or short
in-company/language schools
Speciality: is concerned with What to teach? Setting objectives and making decisions can be shared with students to increase their enthusiasm and motivation (needs analysis) for example presentations or
Advertising
Students’ needs and objectives in the shortest possible time
Cost-effectiveness since language training is expensive
6. Students Nationality
Age group
Experience
Jobs (a wide range of jobs clerical to top-level directors
Student-teacher relationship: the students are not only learners but also providers for information and material or even experience. This is a client-provider relationship. The clients´ level of satisfaction is important
If they are dissatisfied you will soon be without a job. You need to build a special relationship with your students´ working lives. Help them to become self-reliant as learners and users of English. To build a good relationship you need, firstly to address them appropriately and secondly, you need to give them more power than is sometimes the case in a student-teacher Relationship. This leads to more job satisfaction and opens a window into other people´s worlds
7. Companies A wide range of companies or large groups of companies prominent in different market areas of automotive products, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Domestic consumption and financial services
Large multinationals
Small private companies
Where is English taught? What are the main industrial products of a company or even a country? Are people environmentally conscious?
Corporations needs:
How to use the phone (communication on the phone)
Reply to or write faxes, e-mails and periodicals
Doing business with companies abroad
Survival business trips
Negotiate contracts
Computing
Digest reading matter in English
Professional Skills
To develop an understanding of the key professional skills required of a business English teacher.
I. Initial contact with clients
The initial conversation is probably best to leave most of the speaking to the client but the trainer must focus to find out prior to deciding on the format of any needs analysis:
1. The client’s general situation
2. The specific situation which has led to request for language training.
This will give him/her a suitable framework in which to decide the format. This situation will differ from circumstance to circumstance. The size of the firm and the number of participants is crucial factor here. If it is small it is appropriate and feasible to obtain certain information as personalities and personal relationships are mire likely to be a factor in determining effectiveness of the teaching strategies adopted. The following information should therefore be obtained: an understanding of the organisational structures and corporate culture which will effect what teaching strategies the trainer might usually adopt, specifically the kind of management structure (flat or hierarchical), the role of each participant in this structure and personal information on age, background, education and work experience. This information can be obtained by a visit to the company including a meeting with its head.
If the company is big there are two parties concerned: the company management who have requested the training on behalf of their employees and also presumably financing it and the employees who will be the participants and are therefore also in the client role. Given the size of the company and the probable number of the candidates involved, it is not feasible to deal with company management at this initial stage. The following information should therefore be obtained: The status of the classes ie are they compulsory and are all relevant employees required to attend classes in all subjects
Customer care (listening, most of the speaking is best left to the client)
Record keeping
Clear, efficient, friendly treatment
The clients´ main concerns might be price, the credentials of teachers and approach to evaluating or
ensuring results
Take a placement test
Complete a needs analysis form
2. Needs analysis The orientation towards learning and learner. The rationale for a course from the perceived needs of the learners involved. This makes needs analysis NA an important desideratum of the management of the language programmes. . A form of methodical triangulation in which a number of data collection instruments are used in the hope of collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. The implementations of the needs analysis triangle can be schematised as follows:
Teacher learner
Sponsor
The purpose of a needs analysis
1. For the trainer to make his/her own assessment of the language skills of all participants
2. To establish the client’s desired language learning outcomes (where the client can be distinguished from the direct participants in the training)
3. To establish the participants own perception of their current language skills and their desired learning outcomes.
4. To gain detailed knowledge of learners needs
5. To motivate learners
6. If necessary to adjust their expectations of the language learning process
Content of needs analysis
1. To assess what a client will have to do in the target language as well as their potential as language learners
Methods or types of needs analysis
A needs analysis can be conducted using any one or a combination of the following ways:
1. Pro-forma (standardised or designed by the trainer specifically for the circumstances)
2. One-to-one interview
3. group discussion
4. Standardised test
5. Telephone interview
6. Work shadowing
7. The “menu” approach
Questionnaires interviews diary studies work shadowing
Questionnaires are sent to participants, sponsors or personnel departments. We have to prepare a list of most important questions.
1. Questions sent to sponsors:
What tasks and in which order of frequency participants should require English?
What subject areas and areas of professional activity do participants require?
2. Questions sent to participants:
In what area do you need English?
What situations?
How do you think you learn best?
What are your expectations?
How would prioritise your needs in terms of percentage?
Interviews conducted either in person or by phone. This means easy access and fruitful dialogue.
Interview: within-company course coordinators, with students´ managers with individual students
Diary studies participants are asked to keep diaries for a period of e.g. one month
Work shadowing
Interpreting and utilising the results of needs analysis
Translating a client’s wishes and needs into realistic, achievable course content
1. For the learner it is important due to financial and time constraints and the complexity of performance areas of business English. We have to make a decision on the choice of topics. The potential interest in English courses among participants. The data of the needs analysis constitute the learners perspectives on needs. The participants and their sponsors are a primary source of needs analysis. A secondary source is the personnel departments of internationally operating companies. self-confidence (Verhandlungssicher) when using English in typical business interactions. This is tested by conducting interviews in English or switching to English without warning in the middle of the interview
2. For the trainer it also means time, resources and the availability of text books which claim to package a syllabus which meets the learners´ needs. They need to work out an optimal programme (adapt the text books or bring in extra material which is an informal needs analysis and syllabus design). This usually different from the programme for managers in industry who usually need specialised courses for small groups or individuals. The numerous constraints imposed on language centres provide guidance for the design and implementation of business English courses.
3. The teacher is the needs analyst, the designer and the language expert at the same time (the unifying role of teacher and needs analyst). The course design is based around 6-7 thematic modules chosen according to their relevancy. The direct beneficiaries of the needs analysis are the course participants. Some themes are peripheral to the needs analysis.
3. Discernible patterns in participants´ requirements for knowledge and skills in English. Is their also a requirement policy in the company with regard to knowledge of English
2. Syllabus/course design
Types of syllabi and the relevant application of each
1. Functional
2. Top-based
3. Grammatical
4. Structural
3. Lesson Planning
Demonstrate a knowledge of lesson planning including:
1. Ingredients of a lesson plan e.g. headings/columns, prompts
2. Planning for different aims/needs e.g. input versus output (practice), new language versus skills work.
3. Timing and varieties, skills, materials
4. Client approach
Demonstrate a knowledge of the client approach including
1. The importance of establishing an adult, personal but professional rapport (not report) with students who should be viewed as clients or customers
2. The importance of establishing an appropriate relationship with learners which is different from teacher/student as a consultant business partner
3. Adopting an appropriate “results oriented” approach to teaching and appreciating the importance of setting and achieving realistic targets in order to secure repeat business
5. Feedback and evaluation
Demonstrate a knowledge of feedback and evaluation including:
1. Different forms of feedback and evaluation and their uses
2. Appreciation pf feedback and evaluation as both an educational tool (motivation) and providing a business like basis for the trainer’s relationship with the client’s
3. An understanding that learners can negotiate the content of their course with their trainer by using the set of learning goals identified in the needs analysis as a measure and that his negotiation is on-going throughout the course
Methodology
1. Different approaches
2. Classroom management
3. Use of materials
Demonstrate a knowledge of the key classroom methodologies that are regarded as best practice in business English teaching. Priorities and the learning process: some things can be learnt more easily Than others or are more easily learnt at first be careful not to violate this principle without justification. It is concerned with How to teach? It also involves variety and developing personal teaching techniques. Students appreciate hearing why certain methods are used for specific language areas. They are more cooperative then.
Basic business concepts and practices
- General business skills
1. Business terminology
2. Letter layout
Skills such as:
Presentations
The language of meetings these two skills are almost always important
Negotiations Openness to the other culture/cultural empathy
Ability to socialise
Constant e-mail contact around the world
Areas of performance
1. Target situations: What skills are needed?
2. Present situation typical German-English problems such as the use of the past tense and present perfect, false friends, collocations
3. Learning situation: variety
Preparation for working abroad
2. Specific business skills The four or even five skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading
Inter-company communication
Software handbooks
Environmental economics