Aims

Speaking skills
The main objective of the course is the development of oral skills in daily situations of the world of business (socialising, meetings, negotiating, job interviews and telephoning). The teacher presents the techniques, the do's and don'ts, the grammatical structures and the technical vocabulary. Subsequently, the students practise in the form of role plays adapted to the various above-mentioned situations. The course also includes activities that are specific for GERM students, viz. domains where the students have to "score higher" than students from other faculties: practical mastery of the English language in the form of debates on topical issues and discussions on film and literature, pronunciation, grammatical structures, etc.

Writing skills
The main objective of the course is oral skills, but for some students the analysis and the drafting of various types of written messages used on a daily basis in business contexts will be useful (e-mail, application or cover letters, CVs or résumés, graph descriptions, etc.). Many GERM students will have no other communicative or interactive course anymore until they graduate.

Main themes

Methods
The student is encouraged to gradually improve his/her oral skills in the various above-mentioned domains, first through the analysis of the do's and the don't as well as the relevant techniques and subsequently through imitation and emulation in various concrete situations (role plays). Weekly exercises. Detailed correction by the teachers. Error analysis.

Code
Ability to master the language functions, the grammatical structures, the "etiquette", the "genre conventions", the general and business vocabulary, with the aim of facilitating the spontaneous production of the various above-mentioned oral messages.

Content and teaching methods

Course code and title : ANGL 2613 English - interactive communication

Year of studies : GERM Bac 3

Rhythm: 30 hours, 1 hour a week throughout the year

Objectives:
developing spoken English communicative skills in current socio-professional situations

Assessment: continuous assessment, oral exam

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Requirements
Upper-intermediate English level (especially oral skills); the B2 level of the "Common European Framework for languages".

Target group:
"Licence" in Germanic languages and literature (GERM 21)

Assessment
- Continuous assessment based on the student's participation during class and the weekly role plays done in little
groups.
- Oral exam at the end of the academic year, in the form of a role play.
- Scientific presentation during the second semester.
- Pronunciation test at the end of the academic year

Didactic materials
- Course notes
- Video and audio tapes
- Possibility of self-tuition for the grammar and the vocabulary at the self-tuition centre (CAA) of the ILV.

Teachers:
Timothy Byrne and Brigitte Couvreur-Loosen

Other credits in programs