Business Language Syllabus
SAMPLE SYLLABUS – BUSINESS
WHO IS THIS SYLLABUS FOR?
This Business syllabus is suitable for second language learners working in any business context, who want to improve their general competence in the target language, using meaningful real-world contexts relevant to their professional working lives.
Actual course content and training format will be tailor-made after a process of consultation. The sample outline below gives an idea of what may be covered. The language levels are based on the Common European Framework.
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE
Level A1-B1 (Beginner – Lower-Intermediate Level)
1. Communicative/Thematic content may include:
• Talking about self & others, inc. colleagues
• Describing people – physical appearance, character
• Describing your company
• Describing your role in the company
• Company structure- view from the inside and outside
• Looking at the different departments of the company
• Welcoming visitors
• Numbers- ordinal and cardinal; reading them aloud;
• Time – dates, timetables, making appointments and changing appointments
• Travel – modes, key functional language, business trips
• Hotels – making a reservation
• Directions – asking/giving
• Can/ can’t- office policy; workers’ roles
• Daily Routines – common activities at work
• Describing frequency
• Telephoning- key phrases; making and receiving a call; taking a message
• Small talk- brief conversations and keeping the conversation going
• Meetings: 1 to1/ chairing a meeting/ taking part
• Talking to clients, suppliers
• The weather – climate, temperature, forecasts, change
• Money – types, bills, accounts, banks
• Writing memos and e-mails
2. Key functional content
• Language of Opinion
• Persuasion & Dissuasion
• Setting priorities
• Dealing with enquiries
• Issuing and responding to invitations
• Conversational strategies
• Register – formal vs. informal
• Presenting information – style & structure
• Using clear & direct language
• Delivering good & bad news
• Making small talk
• Presentations
• Describing change
• Chairing/ taking part in a meeting
• Making future arrangements
• Following up a previous meeting/ call
3. Pronunciation
• Key sounds/phonemes
• Word and sentence stress & intonation
• Common Problems
4. Structural Content / Grammar
• Tenses: present & past (walk verb in its base form/ irregular verb walked)
• Perfect aspect: progressive & perfective (be + ing/ have + been past participle)
• Modal Verb structures: use of modals in discourse (I think I may…)
• Imperatives: the base form of the verb typically used to issue orders (stop!)
• Word order
• Building longer sentences
5. Non-thematic Vocabulary
• Complex prepositions: phrasal & mixed types (over & above)
• Linking words: (because, so, however, therefore, etc.)
• Word-building (prefix and suffix patterns)
• Common business related idioms (to pull one’s socks up)
6. Cultural content
• Everyday conventions: greetings, time-keeping, making phone calls, meals, etc
• Body language and gestures
• National traditions/customs & culture
• ‘Do’s & Taboos’
• Intercultural Communication
• Business Culture
• Social Life