Business English - Syllabus

Course Overview and Structure

Embark on a profound academic exploration as you delve into the Business English course (Business English) within the distinguished Tribhuvan university's BBS department. Aligned with the 2013 Syllabus, this course (MGT 201) seamlessly merges theoretical frameworks with practical sessions, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Rigorous assessment based on a 100 marks system, coupled with a challenging passing threshold of , propels students to strive for excellence, fostering a deeper grasp of the course content.

This 3 credit-hour journey unfolds as a holistic learning experience, bridging theory and application. Beyond theoretical comprehension, students actively engage in practical sessions, acquiring valuable skills for real-world scenarios. Immerse yourself in this well-structured course, where each element, from the course description to interactive sessions, is meticulously crafted to shape a well-rounded and insightful academic experience.


The BBS English course is a two-pronged English course emphasizing the core areas of reading and writing alongwith a strong communication component. It is designed to help students get ahead fast with their general Englishskills in interdisciplinary contexts with the lessons covering important vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing, listening and speaking skills for general and technical English. It is a theme-based course with comprehensivecoverage of English language and critical thinking skills. Authentic listening and reading materials providemodels for up to date language, grammar, and vocabulary.

The course has the following four main components:

i) Interdisciplinary Approach to Learning English

ii) Functional English Language Texts

iii) Reading for Writing

iv) Style


General Objectives

The general objectives of the course are to

  1.  develop specific skills in core English
  2.  tech the writing modes  discuss rhetorical devices
  3.  present language points required for academic success
  4.  support serious reading and writing activities
  5.  understand and produce paragraphs, essays, letters, and report
  6.  build students' confidence in using English in professional and social scenarios
  7.  develop critical skills and cultural awareness


Specific Objectives

The specific course objectives are to teach students to:

  1.  work on writing, reading and listening skills
  2.  use correct punctuation, spelling and vocabulary
  3.  increase confidence and fluency in speaking
  4.  improve accuracy to enable clear communication of ideas
  5.  develop understanding of grammar  interact in a multi-cultural and interdisciplinary environment
  6.  focus on student's personal needs and objectives
  7.  acquire a wide interdisciplinary knowledge of different disciplines
  8.  use thought-provoking readings to develop writing skills
  9.  give students tools to write both personal and academic essays
  10.  help students write in multiple modes
  11.  encourage thinking and reflection as a prelude to writing
  12.  expand students' knowledge of grammar
  13.  introduce students to the key areas in the study of style
  14.  give suggestions for project work

Units

Interdisciplinary Approach to Learning English

This component of the course carries carry 40 marks.

1) Invitation

    •  Interactions (relating to the text) and Spotlights


2) Ancient Tales

    • Yudhisthira’s Wisdom (Rao); The Brave Little Parrot (Martin); If Not

      Higher (Peretz);

    • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


3) Education

    • Why go to a University? (Nissani); Don’t Cut Down the Trees,

      Brother Woodcutter (Sama); Surely You Are Joking, Mr. Feynman

      (Feynman); A 1996 Commencement Speech (Rushdie);

    • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


4) Actions and Consequences

    • The Parrot in the Cage (Paudyal); A Sound of Thunder (Bradbury);

    • No Smoke from the Chimneys (Shrestha);

    • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


5) Television

    • The Wretched Stone (Van Allsburg); TV Can be a Good Parent

      (Gore);

    • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


6) Crosscultural Bridges

   • Marriage is a Private Affair (Achebe); Then and Now: Finding My

      Voice (Kim);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


7) Cultural Anthropology

   • Arranging a Marriage in India (Nanda); Life is Sweet at Kumansenu

      (Nicol);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


8) The Human Condition

   • The Lunatic (Devkota); How Sane Are We? (Chaudhary); Gaia

      (Lohani)

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


9) Natural Science

   • The Making of a Scientist (Ramchandran); Scientific Inquiry:

      Invention and Test (Hempel);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


10) Humor and Satire

   • King John and the Abbot of Canterbury (Anon); Third Thoughts

     (Lucas) ; The Clock Tower (Sherchan);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


11) Critical and Creative Thinking

   • The Stub Book (de Alarcon); Mr. Know-All (Maugham); Keeping

   • Errors at Bay (Russell); What Is Intelligence, Anyway (Asimov);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


12) Love

   • To His Coy Mistress (Marvell); The Telegram on the Table (Pradhan);

      Piano (Lawrence);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


13) Life and Death

   • The Great Answer (Oursler); Stopping by Woods on a Snowy

   • Evening (Frost); A Tale (Koirala); Ethics (Pastan); “Where the Mind

     is without Fear’ (Tagore); New Year (Parijat);

   • Interactions (relating to the selected texts) and Spotlights


Prescribed Book

Nissani, M., & S. Lohani. Flax-Golden Tales: An Interdisciplinary Approach

to Learning English. Shorter Edition. Kathmandu: Ekta,. (Sounds of

English and Stories and Poems on CD).


Functional English Language Texts

Unit 2: Functional English Language Texts (Weightage 15%)

This component of the course carries carry 15 marks.

  1) Paragraph to Short Essay

  2) Descriptive Essays

  3) Narrative Essays

  4) Opinion Essays

  5) Comparison and Contrast Essays

  6) Cause and Effect Essays

Prescribed Book

Savage, Alice, and Patricia Mayer. Effective Academic Writing 2: The Short

Essay. Essay. Oxford: OUP 2005.


Reading for Writing

This component of the course carries carry 40 marks.

1) Introduction to the Topic, Reading, and Discussion

    • Reflection

    • Discussion

    • Preparing to read

    • Reading for overall meaning

    • Reading for more detail

2) Personal Written Response

    • Journals: a private audience

    • Shared writing

    • Feedback on student writing

3) Further Reading, Writing, and Discussion

    • Preparing to read

    • Reading for overall meaning

    • Reading for more detail

    • Helping each other understand

    • Discussion: Critical thinking

4) Focus on Writing Skills

    • Using other’s writing

    • Meeting reader expectations

    • Sentence grammar

5) Formal on Writing Skills

    • Writing topics

    • Generating ideas

    • Expanding student point of view

    • Initial drafts

    • Review, revision, and assessment

6) Grammar and Punctuation

    • Sentence Structure

    • Relative Clauses

    • Word Order

    • Adjectives and Adverbs

    • Punctuation

Complete Essay Assessment Checklist

Prescribed Book

Smalzer, W. R. Write to be Read: Reading, Reflection, and Writing. Second

Edition. Cambridge: CUP


Style

This component of the course carries carry 15 marks.

   1) Choosing le most juste

   2) Following and flouting conventions

   3) Live and dead metaphors

   4) Patterns of words in a text

   5) Patterns of grammar in a text

   6) The textual orchestration of patterns

   7) The effects of the medium

   8) Sequences of words and events

   9) The selection of significant detail

  10) Personal attitude, involvement and emotion

  11) Style and ideology

  12) A note on the poetic

  13) Suggestions for projects

Prescribed Book

Haynes, John. Style. London and New York: Routledge, 1995