Business English Syllabus - BBS (TU)

Course Description

This course, through spotlight on building business language competence and improving reading and writing skills, helps students become successful communicators in business situations. It makes use of three-pronged approach to enable them to hone their grammar and mechanics, and critical reading and writing skills.

Objective

The objective of this course is to help students use their general English skills in interdisciplinary contexts with lessons covering vocabulary and grammar exercises. It also aims to broaden students' literary readings in order to enrich their linguistic competence, comprehension ability, writing and presentational skills in business domain.

Course Outcome

The following objectives specify that the business students, at the conclusion of the course, should be able to:

• improve linguistic competence at lexical, structural/ grammatical levels
• comprehend literary texts and writing modes
• produce correct sentences, cohesive paragraphs and organized texts
• respond the literary and business readings critically and analytically
• boost competence towards global understanding thereby strengthening their confidence in using English in professional and social scenarios

Unit 1: Grammar and Writing Mechanics                                                                                 15marks(22 Hrs.)

Sentences: Elements, Varieties, Patterns, Types, Faults; Nouns, Pronouns and Antecedents; Verbs,

Tenses, Subject-Verb Agreement; Modifier and Connector: Modifiers, Prepositions, Conjunctions;

Mechanics: Punctuation, Capitalization, Numbers

Unit 2: Using the Business language                                                                                             5marks (7 Hrs.)

Fundamentals of language; Language and Meaning; Language, Society and Culture; Stylistic Features; Functions of Language Using Language Effectively; Strong Words; Coherent Paragraphs; Commonly Confused Words

Unit 3: Business Vocabulary                                                                                 5 marks (7 Hrs.)

Importance of Business vocabulary; Vocabulary in Use; Business Specific Terminologies, Idioms and Expressions; Vocabulary in Communication Situations; Vocabularies in Writing Situation; Vocabularies in Speaking Situation; Ways to Improve Business Vocabulary

Unit 4: Business Communication Messages                                                          5marks Hrs.)

Written; Oral; Visual Messages; Electronic Messages; Nonverbal messages

Unit 5: Business Writing                                                                               15 marks (22 Hrs.)

Brochures: Guidelines and Instructions; Media Stories, Releases and Advertisements: Media Stories, News Reports; Articles and Stories; Broadcasting Stories; Press Releases; Effective Media Relations; Advertisements

Unit 6: Reading Strategies and Writing Process                                         25 marks (40 hrs.)

Reading to Write: Becoming a Critical Reader; Brent Staples. “Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis”; Note-Making; Summarizing; Invention; Arrangement; Drafting and Revising; Editing and Proof Reading; Paragraph Writing.

Unit 7: Patterns of Writing                                                                                                    30 marks (45 Hrs.)

Narration: Sandra Cisneros: “Only Daughter”; Bonnie Smith-Yackel: “My Mother never Worked”; Description: Jhumpa Lahiri: “Rice”; Heather Rogers: “The Hidden Life of Garbage”; Cause and

Effect: Stan Cox: “The Case against Air Conditioning”; Lawrence Otis Graham: “The ‘Black Table’ is still There” Comparison and Contrast: Bharati Mukherjee: “Two Ways to Belong in America”; Amy Chau: “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” Definition: Judy Brandy: “I want a Wife”; Gayle Rosenwald Smith: “The Wife-Beater”; Argumentation: Alex Tabarrok: “The Meat Market”; Daniel Engber. “Let them Drink Water!”

Prescribed Books:

Kirszner, Laurie G. & Stephen R. Mandell (2012). Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Holmes, H.I. (2019). English for Business Studies. Kathmandu: Buddha Publications

Suggested:

Tickoo, Champa & Jaya Sasikumar (1979). Writing with a Purpose. New Delhi: Oxford. Guffey, Mary Ellen & Carolyn M. Seefer (2011). Business English. Ohio: Cengage Learning. Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English. Oxford: OUP.