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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