ØASPR3000 International Business Communication Course description

IBC is an advanced English course which builds on the course Professional English (3rd and/or 4th semester). The main purpose of the course is to further develop the students' knowledge and skills in English so that they can use the language professionally at an advanced level, especially with a view to international operations. The course is cross-curricular since a large part of the syllabus is related to subjects within business and economics. It will prepare the students to deal with real and complex situations in the business world.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• analyze and critically assess the scientific work of others

Skills

The student can

• demonstrate working knowledge of the ethical and technical principles that govern scientific research and publication, including international citation and reference standards
• demonstrate that they can conduct a supervised research project in accordance with research ethics guidelines and regulations, and guidelines from relevant governmental bodies (i.e. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority, relevant Norwegian Research Ethics Committees and so on)
• choose and apply relevant methods of data collection for research or scientific inquiry
• write a thesis according to criteria determined by the university
• critically assess the results of his own work
• critically assess various sources of information

Competence

The student can

• participate in the development of the behavioral sciences
• justify their professional behavior with reference to ethical guidelines, general ethical considerations and their own assessment of the situation
• analyze and critically assess various sources of information with relevance for the thesis

No obligatory prerequisites.

Knowledge

The student

• has an extensive vocabulary in economic/financial English
• knows the main points of grammar necessary for correct and idiomatic usage of the English language at an advanced level
• has knowledge of various cross-curricular business topics
• has knowledge of international relations, e.g. the EU, WTO, NATO and US foreign policy
• has knowledge of several issues in the international world of business and the world economy, including the economies of China and Japan
• has knowledge about globalization and its effects
• has knowledge about various different business cultures
• is familiar with some works of fiction in English

Skills

The student

• can write professional and academic texts in English at an advanced level
• can speak fluently about a wide range of business topics and various aspects of international cooperation, economies and business cultures
• can interact well in a number of professional business situations involving people from different business cultures
• The student can understand spoken and written English used in a business context
• can use a wide range of professional vocabulary in oral and written contexts
• is able to discuss, analyse and reflect on various issues in English
• The student has developed his/her practical problem-solving skills

Competence

The student

• has further developed his/her communicative competence in English, which includes linguistic, intercultural and strategic competencies
• can function well in a wide range of professional situations internationally
• can adapt to new situations and requirements abroad
• can apply his/her skills and knowledge of business English
• can understand English language curricula and lectures in other subjects well

The pedagogical approach includes:

• Lectures, group work, discussions and case studies
• Written and oral assignments
• Assignment review in class
• Student talks/presentations
• Independent study

Regular attendance and active participation in classroom activities are expected.

The following assignments are obligatory:

- Two written assignments (text analysis and essay)

- An individual 7-minute oral presentation

- Participation in obligatory case

Feedback will be given on all assignments. In order to take the final exam, all obligatory assignments must be approved by the instructor. Students will be given the opportunity to re-submit obligatory assignments that have not been approved. If assignments are not approved after re-submission(s), students will not be allowed to take the exam.

An individual written and oral exam will be held at the end of the autumn semester. The student gets two separate grades, one for the written and one for the oral exam, and the exams can be taken again separately. The written exam counts 53% of the final grade and the oral exam counts 47%.

Written exam (5 hours) consisting of three parts:

• a Norwegian-English translation
• a text for comprehension and analysis, and questions from the syllabus in English for Business Studies
• an essay on a topic from international politics, economy or culture

Oral exam (25 minutes) consisting of:

• a 7-minute presentation of an individually chosen topic on a current political, social or economic issue (PowerPoint allowed, but no manuscript)
• questioning on a topic drawn from international politics, economy or culture
• discussion of works of fiction

Both exams must be passed in order to pass the course.

The master’s program final exam is an independently written thesis in the form of a scientific article. Ideally, this work should be in preparation from the time when the student starts in the program. The candidates choose their own topics for the thesis. Theses may be written about topics from research projects run by faculty or initiated by the student. The thesis should be on a topic relevant for the field of behavioral science as the term is used in the context of the current degree.

All courses included in the specialisation must be completed with pass grades and all coursework requirements must be approved before the candidate may submit the master’s thesis.

In addition to the course instructor, an external or internal examiner will be used to grade the exams.

In the written exam, a selection of at least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded to exam papers assessed by the external and internal examiner will be used to determine the level of all exam papers.