Sugoi Online English (ESP) Department

Course: English for Business

Duration 4 weeks (repeating monthly)
Instructors Contact Information: Dion Sanchez dionhuntersanchez@gmail.com
Please take note that I am in the Tokyo time zone. I will respond to email requests within twentyfour hours. If you have an emergency request, please note on the original email.
Course Description
English for Business is an English for specific purposes course for English language learners that
want to improve their skills in order to be successful in a business context. This course provides
students with the opportunity to improve/practice the four skills of English acquisition (speaking,
listening, reading and writing). Students will complete tasks that simulate real world business
transactions.
This course will introduce students to specific vocabulary and grammar structures that will
enable them to write professional emails, and reports, as well as give effective presentations. In
addition, they will be able to initiate and participate in small talk conversations. As well, they
will consider cultural differences in a business context.
Duration of the Course
The course runs four consecutive weeks. The first day of a week is Monday, the final day of the
week is Sunday.
Module 1 (June 1st through June 7th)
Module 2 (June 8th through June 13th)
Module 3 (June 14th through June 20th)
Module 4 (June 21st through June 27th)
Course Objectives and Outcomes
Learning Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Speaking:
Students will give presentations,
learn how to give and conduct
interviews as well as learn to
initiate small talk
Listening:
Students will listen to
presentations and formal talks.
They will give their own
summation and opinion of the
presentation
Reading:
Students will read business reports
and articles in order to
demonstrate reading
comprehension, grammar, and
vocabulary awareness
Writing:

Students will be able to ask questions, talk about

jobs, family and ask others about their jobs and
family. They will be able to give effective
presentations and conduct/give success interviews
Students will be able to accurately summarize talks
and presentations. Explaining the main idea as well
as the supporting concepts and ideas. In addition,
they will be able to suggest alternatives to the ideas
presented
Students will be able to interpret reports, and
demonstrate comprehension of business articles and
reports

Students will practice writing in a business context

Assignments including writing
emails, resumes and business
reports will be given during the
course
Course Learning and Teaching Methods
This course will use a variety of learning and teaching methods. Students will be involved in
both synchronous and asynchronous learning as well as periodic face-to-face meetings with their
peers and the instructor. This class will integrate all four skills of English acquisition including
speaking, listening, reading and writing. The course does not weigh one particular skill above
another.
In this course students will be expected to use prior vocabulary and new vocabulary in order to
communicate during the mock interview session. Students will employ listening comprehension
skills (ascertain the main point and supporting points) as well as use critical thinking skills in
suggesting an alternative view to concepts presented. As well, students will be expected to
comprehend both short and long reading texts and employ grammar skills in writing summations
of business reports, creating inter-office and client focused emails.
Course Schedule and Weekly Assignments
Week 1: Interviews

Assignment

Podcast lecture

A. Listen to
the podcast

Interview article

B. Summarize
the interview
article

Videos

Discussion post

C. Watch the
videos and
prepare
interview
questions for
Skype/Zoom
mock
interviews
D. Post
introductions
E. Contribute
to the
discussion
post
F. Conduct
and record a
Skype/Zoom
interview with
a peer

Week 2: Resume, Cover letters and Email Writing

Assignment
A. Find a website that offers various style of
resumes creation
B. Create a resumes and post to discussion
board
C. Create a cover letter, attach resume and
email it to the instructor

Week 3: Presentations
Assignments
A. Watch TedTalk videos take notes on
gestures, body language and movement of
speakers
B. Complete handout on business idioms
C. Create a mini-presentation (5 minutes) and
upload to YouTube and post its URL on the
discussion board

Week 4: Cultural and Gender Issues

Assignments
A. Read lecture on gender bias and salary
B. Post your opinion on how gender bias can
be minimized in the work place to the
discussion board
C. Submit cultural investigation essay

Textbook
There is no required textbook for this course. An optional text would be Business English for
Success. You can find this textbook online as a free PDF at
http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Business%20English%20for%20Success.pdf. It is a text
that is focused on improving Business writing skills.
Tips for Success
In order to be successful in this course, students need to complete assignments on time. Although
the course is focused on practicing English more than accumulating grades, nonetheless,

assignment completion will affect how much you get out of the course. Since much of the course
will involve team-oriented assignments, it is important to be flexible enough in your evening
schedule to spend at least 45 minutes in synchronous meetings with your team twice a week.
In addition, students will need to have some of the following computer skills. Be able to open
and send email, attach and upload documents, download & save files, and have Microsoft Word
program or an equivalent.
Attendance, Assessment & Grading Policies
Attendance is based on weekly discussion posts, submission of assignments and synchronous
meetings with the instructor and peers. Since the course is relatively short in duration (4 weeks),
students are advised to be present for all synchronous meetings. If a student fails to contribute a
post during a particular week, accommodations can be made for a late post if the reason for
posting late was due to technical issues.
Students work will assessed in each module. For example, in module 1, assessment will be based
on the discussion posts as well ass the face-to-face mock interviews. Hence, in each module their
will be two types of assessment.
Grades are based on a percentage. Each module is worth 25 points. A percent of 100 points will
be your final grade. Below are the letter grades and corresponding percentage breakdown.
A: 90-100% B: 80-90% C: 70-80% D: 60-70%
Late Work
Late work will not be accepted unless it is related to technical issues on the course site.
Course Policies
The course requires students to interact with their peers on discussion boards and in synchronous
online meetings. To ensure that an academic experience is maintained students are required to
adhere to the following principles or netiquette. Failure to uphold these principles could result in
dismissal from the course and loss of tuition.
Communicate Clearly:
Since the discussion posts do not afford the option of face-to-face interaction, keep in mind that
body language, gestures, and facial expressions are unavailable to you. It is important for you to
express your thoughts clearly, thereby minimizing the chances of being misunderstood.
Remember the Human Element:
When responding to a peers post, remember that you are responding to a fellow human being.
Humans make mistakes and sometimes fail to think things through. Please consider how you

would like to be treated before posting a response. Disagreeing with anothers thoughts or
arguments is a part of the academic life. What must be excluded are personal attacks.
Do not use inappropriate Language:
In keeping with academic norms, any use of foul or inappropriate language (cuss words/slang
words that are used in verbal abuse/sexual innuendos) will not be tolerated. This includes typing
a response in all capital letters which use assumes anger and hostility.
Remember you are not alone:
Keep in mind that every member in the class as well as the instructor and school administration
sees your posts. Your posts reflect who you are as a person as well as how you think.
Obey copyright laws and Internet rules governing the use of intellectual property:
Please cite your sources and check for permission before using material from the Internet. This
includes the use of property such as Google Images. Please read the conditions of use found on
tabs located at the top of sites like Google Images. Many images are available for reuse.
However, some are not.
Writing Guidelines
Make sure to proofread your post prior to posting. Check for grammar and spelling errors. All
discussion posts, papers, are to be considered formal writing. So, please avoid slang, contractions
and writing as if you are texting or emailing a friend. As ESL students, errors are expected. It is
good to remember that errors are learning opportunities. In addition, avoid plagiarizing the
material of others. All written work in this class must be original work. If you use someone elses
ideas and concepts, you must cite the source. For information about plagiarizing I recommend
reading Purdue Owl resources on what constitutes as plagiarism at
owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01. Additionally, you can check Purdue Owls website
for citing guidelines. All course work must reflect APA style.
Technical Support
Please contact me if you encounter any technical issues with the course site. If you are unable to
solve the issue and I am unavailable for 24-hours, the deadline for any submission can be
extended.