Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
EU20641 Spanish written and oral communication in the business context |
| Credits: 12 |
| Level: Intermediate |
| Academic Year |
| Assessment: CW 30%, EX 50%, OR 20% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: The unit pursues a dual aim.
1. To improve students' communicative and listening skills and to expand their vocabulary, especially in economic, business and professional contexts. To enable them to converse accurately, fluently and in an appropriate register. 2. To develop more advanced skills in contemporary written communication with specific reference to material used in the core and interface courses; to focus on the business dimension of written communication in order to prepare students for industrial placements in a Spanish/Latin American company/business school during their third year abroad. Learning Outcomes: On completion of the unit students will be familiar with written communication tasks appropriate to the world of business and management in Spain and able to apply them accordingly. Skills: Skills in precision and creativity in the use of written and spoken language, effective communication in the target language and translation are taught and assessed in this unit. Skills in effective learning, CIT and adaptation to life in the target countries are developed in this unit. Content: Oral communication classes may consist of aural comprehension exercises by using videos of current (business) affairs, usually taped from Spanish television. This may include summarisation, answering of questions and discussion of the topics presented to them. Also office skills simulations, such as answering the telephone, form a part of these classes. There are also free discussions which involve either a larger group or smaller sub-groups. Written communication materials consist primarily of socio-political and business texts. Exploitation of these texts is aimed at familiarising students with specific issues from the Spanish business context. Specific exercises include: comparative/text analysis, acquisition of business terminology, business communication: correspondence, reports, CVs, surveys, statistics, summarisations. |