LEARNING BUSINESS ENGLISH BY MODELING DOING BUSINESS IN ENGLISH: AN IMPROVEMENT ON INTERDISCIPLINARY BUSINESS ENGLISH COURSE, TEXTBOOK, AND SYLLABUS DESIGN
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Дата
2015
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Анотація
The paper discusses a developed Business English syllabus, course, and an innovative Business English textbook for that course. Those were created for stu- dents of Ukrainian universities majoring in Business and Economics and for learn- ers in commercial Business English programs. The textbook, course, and syllabus are interdisciplinary since they are content-based – everything that students learn of Business English is being learned through content matter from the areas of business and the academic disciplines for teaching business. The interdisciplinary approach is reinforced by making the syllabus, course, and textbook totally communication- based (learning Business English through business communication in English), task- based and theme-based. But such interdisciplinarity, which can be found in some of the best Business English textbooks, courses, and syllabi, is considerably im- proved by adding ve innovative features to the developed syllabus, textbook, and the course based on them. The most important of those features is modeling doing business in English by using what was called continuous simulation that turns a language classroom into a faithful model of business activities and business com- munication performed in the target language. The other four distinguishing features of the developed syllabus, course, and textbook are students’ learning autonomy, the emphasis on learners’ project work, the integrated skills approach, and domination of co-operative learning over individual learning. The paper analyzes the design and assessment of the syllabus, course, and textbook demonstrating the highly success- ful learning outcomes achieved thanks to using them. Samples of syllabus products are given illustrating the learning materials and activities used in the course and the textbook. The conclusion is made that the interdisciplinary approach in Business English teaching can be substantially improved by organizing a quasi-natural busi- ness environment in the classroom so that students acquire the language of business communication by modeling business activities in English.