BA_CS Communications Skills

University of Finance and Administration
Summer 2022
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Guaranteed by
Mirela Moldoveanu, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Subdepartment of Management and Marketing – Department of Economics and Management – Departments – University of Finance and Administration
Contact Person: Lenka Pokorná
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The course focuses on students´ academic and career skill development. Case studies are used to learn basic principles of communication, team work and negotiation in a business context. Students will develop strategies to analyze their audience and messages in the creation and delivery of argumentation in both oral and writen form. The course provides students with a deeper understanding of communication processes to be applied straight away in both local and intercultural academic and business situations. Course objectives: 1. Systematic improvement of business English. 2. Development of the core business skills: presentations, active listening, critical thinking, discussing, negotiating, resolving conflicts, assertiveness, time and stress management. 3. Semantic and functional focus: monitoring authentic language of business life, refining proper language forms and mastering the relevant key vocabulary and phrases fluently and spontaneously. 4. Development of intercultural competences: recognizing and understanding the role of cultural values in business communication and management by adapting value-directed active listening, negotiation and problem resolution skills. 5. Writing: acquiring the proficiency in writing basic business formulations – formal and informal correspondence, proper argumentation, reporting procedures and minutes. 6. Company culture: monitoring the company culture with a special focus on intercultural variation. The course objectives applies for blended study program students as well.
Learning outcomes
The students will learn: -how to communicate and negotiate in a business context -how to develop communication strategies based on the analysis of the audience -deliver argumentation in oral and written form. The course provides students with a deeper understanding of communication processes to be applied straight away in both local and intercultural academic and business situations. Course output: 1. Systematic improvement of business English. 2. Development of the core business skills: presentations, active listening, critical thinking, discussing, negotiating, resolving conflicts, assertiveness, time and stress management. spontaneously. 3.Development of intercultural competences: recognizing and understanding the role of cultural values in business communication and management by adapting value-directed active listening, negotiation, and problem resolution skills. 4. Writing: acquiring the proficiency in writing basic business formulations – formal and informal correspondence, proper argumentation, reporting procedures and minutes.
Syllabus
  • 1-2 Course content: Course introduction. Time and stress management:Active listening. Delegating task: Speaking practice. Critical path analyses: Case study. Language for requests and offers. 3-4 Course content: Target markets: Assertiveness/discussion skills. Advertising controls: Speaking practice. Giving opinions: Discussion technique exercises. 5-6 Course content: Triumph and disaster: Critical thinking skills. Debt Advice: Listening/speaking practice. Assessing blame: Discussion technique exercises, argumentation exercises. Apologies, criticsm and deduction class activities. 7-8 Course content: Staying competitive: Listening practice, Student individual reflections. Rescuing sales: Active speaking. Rules of competition: Case Study. Making presentations. Speaking with conviction. Writing assignment: Reports. 9-10 Course content: Negotiating strategies: Speaking practice. Student presentations. One minute arguments. Red and blue stylists class activities. Writing: Dealing with complaints. 11-12 Course content: Course summary. Student Negotiation Strategy: Active speaking skills. Group presentations.
Literature
    required literature
  • Náhradní obsah: Downes, C. (2009). Cambridge English for Job-hunting. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0521722152
  • Náhradní obsah: NWT Literacy Council (2012). Getting the Job: Workbook. ISBN: 978-1-896472-42-3. E-book.
  • Náhradní obsah: Wilson, K., & Wauson, J. (2011). AMA Handbook of Business Documents : Guidelines and sample documents that make business writing easy. New York: Amer. E-book.
  • Náhradní obsah: NWT Literacy Council (2012). Soft-skills for Work. ISBN: 978-1-896472-39-3. E-book.
    recommended literature
  • Naunton. J., Profile 3, Business English, OUP (2005)
  • Náhradní obsah: Fisher R., Ury W. & Patton B., Getting to Yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in, Penguin Books (2011)
Teaching methods
Interactive seminars in both types of study (full-time students and blended study program students). The explanation of theoretical concepts and monitoring the authentic business English skills will be immediately followed by practical exercises - individual work, cooperative learning (pairs, groups), student presentations, role plays and analyses of recorded situations. Multimedia resources (audio and video sequences), transcripts and other authentic material will be used for practice. Short writing exercises and home assignments will complement the speaking Mandatory attendance: 75%
Assessment methods
Requirements and assessment criteria: 1. Negotiation Strategy Plan and presentation: 30% 2. Individual reflection: 30% 3. Argumentation Essay: 20% 4. Incident report: 10% 5. Class attendance, in-class presentations and activity: 10% Mandatory attendance: 75%
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 12 hodin KS/semestr.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2014, Summer 2015, Summer 2016, Summer 2017, Summer 2018, Summer 2019, Summer 2020, Summer 2021.
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