PRE-REQUIREMENTS: No knowledge of Business English is required to attend this subject although in order to make the most out of it, students must have at least a minimum level of English equivalent to B1. In addition, as an important part of the skills to be acquired are focused on being able to translate business letters, an intermediate knowledge of Spanish, that is, equivalent to B2, is a must.



Link to other subjects in the curriculum of the Degree in Business Management: this subject is actually complementary to other subject matters having to do with Marketing, Banking, Finance, Human Resources, International Trade and Business Communication, among others, as its contents deal with said areas.

+ Using the Business English terminology required to be able to communicate in an efficient way within a business environment.

+ Being able to use the grammar and syntax structures being practised during the academic year in order to be able to communicate in written English in a clear and understandable way.

+ Being able to properly interpret texts written in English that fall within the area of Business Communication in order to enable attendants to carry out their future professional activities with all guarantees.

+ Being able to write with an acceptable degree of correction and accuracy business letters and e-mails.

+ Showing a favorable attitude towards the learning and use of Business English, making one’s best efforts to be able to communicate adequately and to overcome learning difficulties.

UNIT 1. Invoicing letters

UNIT 2. Payment letters

UNIT 3. Reminder letters concerning overdue payment

UNIT 4. Complaint letters and replies to them.

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Multiple-Choice Test (%): 10
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 20
  • PRUEBA GLOBAL FINAL ESCRITA (%): 70

FINAL OVERALL WRITTEN EXAM



The final overall written exam will be divided into two parts. Taking into account that the first part of the exam is intended to assess the minimum knowledge required to acquire the necessary basic skills, students must obtain a minimum of 60% of its total mark to pass it, and then be assessed regarding their second part. In that second part, the minimum percentage to be obtained in order to be entitled to have the mark for class attendance rate and active classroom participation recorded will be 50%.



The mark achieved in the Ordinary Examination Session is made up by the following:

1. Continuous assessment activities and active classroom participation: 20%

2. Continuous assessment midterm test: 10%.

3. Final overall written exam: 70%

4. Selective oral exam: POSSIBILITY TO HAVE YOUR MARK ADJUSTED UPWARDS. The addition of the marks achieved in the 3 previous sections will make it possible for the students to be awarded a maximum mark of 6.9/10 (C++ / Pass). In order to meet the requirements to take the oral exam, which will enable students to benefit from an upward adjustment of their mark and thus achieve the final mark of B, A or Distinction, the minimum mark to be obtained in the mixed assessment must be 6.5.



Please, note that the dates for the Final Exam (both ordinary and extraordinary calls) cannot be modified for any particular student or any personal reason.



Those students who wish to be assessed by means of the final assessment system, regardless of whether they have taken part in continuous assessment, are required to file with the lecturer in charge of the subject (i.e. Business English II) their waiver to the on-going assessment system, within a 9-week period from the beginning of the academic term, pursuant to the Faculty academic calendar dates.



Those students who have applied for and do meet the requirements to sit for the final exam will be assessed by means of a final overall written exam that will take place on the official dates passed at the Faculty Board Meeting and published in the official web page of the Faculty, and the mark that can be achieved shall be 100%. In order to pass this exam, students shall achieve in the first part a minimum of 60% of its maximum total, and in the second part a minimum of 50% of its maximum total.



Since the final exam will, in all cases, have a value higher than 50%, the regulations in force provide that failing to sit for this exam will, for all purposes, be understood to be a waiver to be assessed and the final mark in the student academic record shall be “NOT ATTENDED”.

Assessment of the subject in the extraordinary examination session will be made exclusively by means of the final exam system. Please, take notice that the marks achieved by means of the continuous assessment system shall not be added up and taken into account at this extraordinary examination session.



In order to pass the written exam at this extraordinary examination session, students must achieve at least 60% of the total of its first part and 50% of the second one.



The mark achieved at the written exam will entitle students to achieve a maximum mark of 6.9 out of 10 (C++- Pass). In order to be able to take the selective oral exam, students must achieve a minimum mark of 6.5 in the written exam, which will allow them to have their final mark adjusted upwards and then have the option to be awarded a mark of B, A or Distinction.



Please, take notice that the oral exam will, in no case, lower the mark students have achieved in the written exam.

Students must attend classes with the relevant teaching dossier which includes the teaching material designed by the lecturers specified below, which may be purchased at the Faculty Photocopying Centre placed at the basement - Elcano.

Castro, J.; Bilbao-Goyoaga, A. (2023). “Business English II Class Dossier - Second Semester. UPV-EHU.

Basic bibliography

+ Castro, J.; Bilbao-Goyoaga, A. (2023). “Business English II Class Dossier - Second Semester. UPV-EHU.

In-depth bibliography

+ Baude, D.-M. (2007). The Executive Guide to E-mail Correspondence. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press.
+ Bond, A. (2005). 300+ Successful Business Letters for All Occasions. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons.
+ Emmerson, P. (2002). Business Grammar Builder. Oxford: MacMillan.
+ Geffner, A. B. (2007). How to Write Better Business Letters. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons.
+ Lindsell-Roberts, S. (2004). Strategic Business Letters and E-mail. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
+ Mascull, B. (2007). Business Vocabulary in Use - Advanced. Cambridge University Press
+ Murphy, R. (2016). Essential Grammar in Use. 4th edition. Cambridge University Press
+ Powell, M. (2004). In Company. Upper Intermediate. Oxford: MacMillan

DICTIONARIES

+ Alcaraz, E., Castro, J. (2007). Diccionario de Comercio Internacional. Barcelona: Ariel S.A.
+ Alcaraz, E., Hugues, B. (1997). Diccionario de términos económicos, financieros y comerciales Inglés-Español Spanish-English. Barcelona: Ariel S.A.

Journals

Web addresses

ONLINE DICTIONARIES

+ http://www.businessdictionary.com
+ www.linguee.es
+ www.yourdictionary.com
+ www.babylon.com
+ www.wordreference.com

ONLINE GRAMMAR

+ https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar
+ https://www.ego4u.com/en/business-english/grammar
+ https://www.businessenglishsite.com/business-english-grammar-tests.html

GENERAL RESOURCES

+ http://www.businessenglishresources.com/
+ www.businessenglishonline.net/resources/in-company-second-edition-resources/worksheets/

VIDEOS

+ How to write a letter of complaint. Universitat Politècnica de València - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuANolZ2TLc
+ Real English - How to complain about a problem - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibbTbisWfJk
+ Debt Collection Letters Explained - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx-ZAv6Z86I
+ IncoTerms 2010 International Trade Import Export Business Supply Chain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEY60B8Ocg4 (with subtitles)