“Филологические науки”/1.Методика преподавания языка и литературы
Markarian
Lusine
Poltava
University of Economics and Trade, Ukraine
Peculiarities of Studying Business English
Business English means different things to different people. For some, it focuses on vocabulary and topics
used in the worlds of business, trade, finance, and international relations. For others
it refers to the communication skills used
in the workplace, and focuses on the language and skills needed for typical business communication such as presentations, negotiations, meetings, small talk,
socializing, correspondence, report writing,
and so on. In both of these cases it can be taught to native speakers of English,
for example, high school students
preparing to enter the job market.
Business English is now an integral part of many professionals, especially
employees of international corporations and organizations. It is also true for
entrepreneurs. Such a growing need for knowledge of the business language is
caused by the expansion of partner communication in international relations,
both economic and commercial. Herewith Business English is used not only for
communication but also for correspondence. Based
on the foregoing, Business English is becoming the determining factor for
employment as an indicator of the professionalism of the staff member.
Business English has its own characteristics. It is due to the specificity
of the vocabulary for each particular industry. For example, the vocabulary for
the financial manager is far more different from the vocabulary of the health
care professional or marketer. It should also be borne in mind that many of the
specific terms and expressions in different industries have very different meanings.
On this basis, we can conclude that the training of specialists for each sector
should be different. That’s why it is necessary to undertake such approach to
learning, which would satisfy all needs and take into account all the specific
features of teaching the staff.
Business English has also such a feature as the need for professional
knowledge for correct interpretation of specific terms and expressions in the
English language in business communication. For the best quality and efficient
development of such terms and expressions, you should study them on practice -
while studying or working by the specialty. For example, such a thing as
"intangible assets", will say nothing to the person who is not
related to financial activities. And before translating into a foreign
language, he will need to understand the meaning of the term. On the other
hand, each accountant or economist can easily cope with the concept of
"intangible assets" and immediately find the most correct
translation.
The next feature is that, regardless of the scope and type of occupation,
before you begin the study of Business English, you must have a certain
vocabulary and communication skills of general education (secondary) character.
This is due to the fact that Business English is the superstructure of general educational
(secondary) language and a set of specific terms and expressions. Without the
ability to perceive the foreign language and make the most grammatically
correct sentences, there’s no sense to study business language.
Also, in an interview with foreign partners or colleagues besides business
and working moments there is a need to communicate on normal everyday questions.
Having mastered these components of language, in any situation, you can feel
confident and comfortable.
Typically, business English requires knowledge of the basic phrases and
understanding of the following specific elements:
-
Business correspondence and
business documents in English (letters, contracts, reports)
-
Preparation of a resume in
English (CV)
-
Telephone communication in
English
-
Negotiating and presentations in
English
Business
English involves dominance in the construction business oriented phrases in the
use of certain terms, and professionalism, both orally and in writing. The
important point – it is the conduct of negotiations. This is a science, which,
unfortunately, does not become easier by the fact that they need to conduct in
a foreign language for you. On the contrary, without the ability to choose the
right design for the construction of sentences, avoiding the ambiguity in the
phrases, you’ll have to work rather hard.
Another thing is Business letters and correspondence. At first glance, it
does not seem such a big problem too, but it is not. In the business world,
business correspondence is given a big role. It’s necessary to master the
techniques of questionnaires, applications, forms, letterheads and more piles
of papers that need a correct and timely clearance. Business English can help
you with all listed above so you will feel comfortable in the variety of
business environments.
Thus, from the foregoing, we can come to a conclusion that the solution to
all problems is the study of business English as a distinct variety of English.
References:
1. http://evotrade.ru/money/osobjennosti/
2. http://www.learn-english.ru/theory/business_english.php
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_English