Revista simpozionului Eficiență și calitate în educație - 19 mai 2017 Eficiență și calitate în educație | Page 48

THE RELEVANCE OF TEACHING BUSINESS ENGLISH ALONG WITH GENERAL ENGLISH AT HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
Laura Brie , Colegiul Național „ Gheorghe Lazăr ” Sibiu
Abstract : In a fast developing society , in the context of the accelerated globalization process , it is vitally important to incorporate Business English language in the general English courses , taking into consideration the fast pace at which companies open up subsidiaries around the world , the employees reaching thus the stage at which they insert certain business terms into the native language straight in English , without translating them .
Key words : business , General English , Business English , needs analysis , competition .
In a world in which you hear the word " business " daily , it is vital to master not only English , but Business English . Business English is part of English for Specific Purposes and it is generally defined as English related to international trade . Teaching business English represents a step further in the profession of teaching . It is like going to the next level in a game . To teach business English means to keep in touch with the world around you and learn new things all the time .
Teaching Business English refers to teaching English to adults working in a certain business or to students preparing to work in the field of business . Business English has a lot in common with General English , but it is in many ways radically different . Some of the major differences between a Business English course and a General English course refer to :
� the purpose of the course – which is to fulfill the students ’ work related needs .
� the needs of the learner – some learners will need to be able to use the telephone , report to foreign managers , negotiate with foreign partners , reply to e-mails , give presentations , etc .
� the content of the course – which is in perfect correlation with the needs of the learner .
� the methods used – the nature of the interaction between the Business English teacher and the learner can be very different from that in a General EFL class . A course in Business English may include case studies , because they are widely used in business training .
� the language - which is also governed by the students ’ needs . In the case of Business English it will mean a high technical content , with frequent use of
� business terms . social aspects - business people usually have to meet other people from different countries and cultures . Thus , there is a need for an internationally accepted way of behaving in public . In this case , language is ritualized ( frequently using formulaic vocabulary ).
Business English should be regarded in the wider context of English for Specific Purposes ( ESP ), as it shares the important elements of needs analysis , syllabus design , course design and materials choice and development , which are common to all fields of work in ESP . Like any variety of ESP , Business English involves a specific language corpus and emphasis on particular kinds of communication in a specific context .
On the other hand , Business English differs from other varieties of ESP in that it is often a mix of specific content ( relating to a particular job area or industry ) and general content ( relating to general ability to communicate more effectively ).
Mark Ellis and Christine Johnson provide a complex picture of the main differences between Business English and General English , taking into consideration the following 48