COURSE DESCRIPTION

LX 330 Anglais.Com is designed to provide third year students with an in-depth understanding of the English-speaking business world over two semesters. It is a cross cultural communication course and its new focus falls into the overall LEA Department orientation.

The course introduces the third year advanced English students to a variety of subjects which all pertain to corporate life. Contents will be regularly updated and will be further streamlined in the following directions:

Classes have been purposefully oriented towards business schools, journalism schools and IEP prerequisites and levels of attainments. Students will be intensively trained to work on listening comprehension based on recent audio /video tapes together with regular written classwork to enhance their ability to write summaries and express personal opinions on a number of issues. The acquisition and improvement of oral and written skills will be one of the main concerns of highly interactive classes. The course is thus meant to improve students' written and oral skills, in other words to address their future needs to express themselves in a professional business context, be it in oral conversations or written assignments. By the end of the academic year, students should feel comfortable applying for a job or internship in the English-speaking world.

The course builds on AN 111,a civilization course, and AN 221, an economics course. It introduces students to global corporate culture through such varied topics as living and working in the US, managing an overseas assignment, dealing with cross cultural differences and uprooting and going through the ordeal of an applicant interview. Students will also be asked to reflect on such topics as marketing ethics and integrity thanks to brand new Formavision videos. Students should therefore be in a better position to see how the newly updated course branches out to their other LX 330 courses, ie Affaires Internationales, marketing courses. Semester two topics will naturally make full use of all the methodological tools acquired in Semester One.

Below, you will find further information about this course, as well as exercises designed to improve academic achievement.

SEMESTER 1

A semester oriented towards improving written and oral expression (summary, opinion question.)

A collective brochure together with audio, video tools and internet documents on the following topics are used in classes.

All classes last one hour and a half. They are held on Fridays from 8.30 to 10 - 10 to 11.30 - 11.30 to 1 - 1 to 2.30 - 2.30 to 4 at the Clignancourt Campus. There is no language lab practice.

1. Job interviews (Formavision video: the Panel Interview Job Applicant), CNN International video.
2. CV et cover letter (Formavision video: Speaking Effectively)
3. FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions at job interviews and the issue of lying on CVs (from BBC Online)
4. Business expatriation: Texts (ex :"West Meets East: Thinking Differently", International Herald Tribune, Oct 2000), and one, or two of the following Formavision video tapes: Communicating across Cultures, Managing the overseas assignment, Bridging the Culture Gap
5. Dress codes : in corporation and in schools, peer group concept: Tween Culture and Marketing.

SEMESTER 2

A second semester which continues to work towards improving written and oral expression. The following themes are introduced during this semester:

1. Working Conditions and Privacy in Firms: texts, tape recordings and videos from ABC News.
2. The Role of New Technologies in Corporation : texts on the internet, bio technologies and patents, tape recordings and videos from ABC News.
3. Business Ethics : texts and videos from Formavision.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

One-on-one sessions to help students enrolled in continuous assessment with their CVs and cover letters. Each session lasts 30mn and should be planned well ahead of any actual job application or interview. Students are strongly requested to register their names and email addresses early in the year to allow for time to read, improve and discuss their personal presentations. Students should feel free to email their questions to any member of the LX 330 Anglais. Com team.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL WORK

Klein, Naomi. No Logo, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, Toronto, 2000. (trad. française, No Logo, La tyrannie des marques, Léméac/Actes Sud, 2001)

It is highly recommended that students listen to all available English news programs. Such programs can be found on the radio, cable/satellite television and online.

PRESENTATION OF THE NEW EXAM GRID

contents: oral comprehension of a tape recording heard three times, one summary (150 words) and one opinion question (300 words) on topics covered over the academic year.

All past collective June and September exams, all inclass papers given in local TD groups with their audio recordings and suggested answers are to be found on this website. Students are highly recommended to make use of this new opportunity to work independently on previously given papers. The website is also designed as a treasure trove of documents and advice.

No exam session in January but an inclass paper that will last 1h30 (date announced on the first class of the first term). It is worth 50% of the overall TD grade. It is added to a number of take-home summaries and opinion questions given by each teacher in her/his group. These cannot be worth more than 50% of the overall TD grade.

All inclass papers given in local TD groups with their audio recordings and suggested answers are to be found on this website. Students are highly recommended to make use of this new opportunity to work independently on previously given papers. The website is also designed as a treasure trove of documents and advice.

An inclass paper that will last 1h30 (date announced on the first class of the second term) is added to a number of take-home summaries and opinion questions given by each teacher in her/his group. These cannot be worth more than 50% of the overall TD grade.

contents: oral comprehension of a tape recording heard three times, one summary (150 words) and one opinion question (300 words) on topics covered over the academic year. The exam is worth 50% of the total grade.

All past collective June and September exams, all inclass papers given in local TD groups with their audio recordings and suggested answers are to be found on this website. Students are highly recommended to make use of this new opportunity to work independently on previously given papers. The website is also designed as a treasure trove of documents and advice.

Pass rate is 10/20, all marks added up.

The Free Assessment Summary Tool (FAST)

The Free Assessment Summary Tool (FAST) is a simple online tool that offers teachers an opportunity to assess their students' impressions of their courses and pedagogical methods. rather than waiting for the end-of-the-course evaluations, FAST allows students the chance to offer constructive feedback about the course throughout the term. This tool is a valuable resource that opens proactive dialogue between teachers and students. Interested users may visit the site's frequently asked questions and user tips for more information on the functionality of the software.