Course description

1. Code 
SFBE50606

2. Name & ECTS credits 
Business Communication I, 10 ECTS

3. Category
The course is an obligatory module in the bachelor’s degree programme International Communication, optional in other degree programmes.

4. Prerequisites
General requirements for entry to higher education or equivalent qualifications in English.

5. Semester
Autumn, 1st semester.

6. Objectives
The primary aim of the course is to develop students’ written and spoken English. The oral part aims to develop skills in situations that are relevant for business, such as polite conversation, telephoning or business presentations. The written part aims to develop skills to express oneself effectively in business communication. Emphasis is placed on communication strategies and on stylistic and grammatical conventions. Students are introduced to the structure of English and the relationship between grammatical structure and communicative function.

7. Contents
The oral part of the course introduces different forms of oral business communication, such as informative and persuasive presentations. Business communication is placed in a cultural context, thus the course also includes examples of modern English-language fiction. Student presentations take place in seminars. There are also discussions of the fiction reading and of case studies, focusing on argumentation and problem solving. An 8-hour part of the course takes place in the language laboratory with intensive training of telephone communication. This part has compulsory attendance.

The written part of the course teaches various forms of English business correspondence and basic terminology. As sound written skills are a prerequisite for effective written business communication, students are introduced to text production and linguistic structures, including basic syntactic analysis. Keywords are: text structure, coherence, style and level, and loyalty to the reader.

8. Organisation and teaching
The course is given as lectures, seminars and language lab work, and is taught in English.

9. Work placement/internship
None.

10. Mandatory assignments
The telephone communication training in the language lab and two oral presentations must have been successfully completed by the given deadlines.

11. Final assessment
Portfolio assessment:  exam portfolio with three texts. Additionally, an oral examination of approx. 20 minutes, which can adjust the final result one step up or down on the grading scale. Assessment on the A-F scale.

12. Required reading
- Kaczmarek, S & K Locker (2004). Business Communication: Building Critical Skills. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Elton, Ben. Dead Famous

Lecturers: Henrik Bøhn (henrik.bohn@hiof.no) and Berit Løken (berit.loken@hiof.no)