Course program
This course is designed to develop specific English language skills required to operate effectively in professional contexts within global financial institutions and organisations. Emphasis is placed on authentic business settings, where students can expand their specialised vocabulary and enhance the ability to read and interpret real case studies and data. This includes the accurate use of verb tenses and modal verbs for speculation in business contexts: possibility, prediction, and deduction. Students will also acquire practical skills to read, describe and explain data presented in graphs related to the relevant market scenarios. By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate economic and financial concepts clearly and accurately in English, demonstrating B2-level proficiency in reading for information and explaining data applied to the key macro-areas of finance, in accordance with the CEFR (Companion Volume, 2020).
Prerequisites
REQ 1 - A solid command of basic English grammar at intermediate level.
REQ 2 - An intermediate to upper-intermediate proficiency in both written and spoken English.
REQ 3 - An intermediate proficiency in basic B1-business English terms in the fields of company organisation and international business.
Books
a) MacKenzie, I. (2010). English for Business Studies. A course for Business Studies and Economics Students, 3rd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [selected Units]
b) Philpot, S. and Curnick, L. (2011). New Headway Academic Skills. Reading, Writing, and Study Skills: Level 3 Student’s Book, edited by Soars L. and Soars L. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [selected Units]
c) Additional course material: real case studies related to financial settings from micro conferences (TED Talks), specialised newspapers (e.g. Financial Times), finance expert video interviews, and podcasts (BBC Business); course slides regarding descriptive statistics in B2 business English.
Frequency
Attendance is strongly recommended. Students unable to attend are encouraged to contact the course lecturer to agree on a tailored study plan (remo.appolloni@uniroma1.it).
Exam mode
The final exam takes place during the regular exam sessions or during the special exam session (i.e. sessione straordinaria; see Regolamento per la frequenza dei corsi di laurea e laurea magistrale e contribuzione studentesca, Article 40, par. 6).
The exam lasts 30 minutes and consists of three tasks:
Exam task 1: Comprehension of finance-related concepts based on short case studies (10 pts).
Exam task 2: Grammatical accuracy in global market contexts (10 pts).
Exam task 3: Interpretation of graphs and data trends (10 pts).
The final score is out of 30. The minimum score to pass is 18/30, which corresponds to a threshold-level B2 performance according to the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020).
Descriptors and scoring criteria are based on CEFR-aligned models and are made available to students on the e-learning platform (Moodle).
Bibliography
Suggested Course Bibliography – Additional review material for B1 business English students:
e) Eastwood, J. (2019). Oxford Practice Grammar – Intermediate with answers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Verb tenses: units 6, 10, 14-18, 20; 24-26, 28-29; modal verbs: units 46, 53]
f) Yule, G. (2019). Oxford Practice Grammar – Advanced with key. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Modal verbs: pages 32, 36, 40]
g) Cotton, D., Falvey, D. and Kent, S. (2010). New Market Leader – Intermediate Business English Course, 3rd edition. Pearson. [Units 1, 3, 4, 9]
h) Longman Business English Dictionary. (2002). Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited
Lesson mode
This B2-level course in English for business purposes is taught face-to-face over the semester, helping students gradually develop the skills they need. During the regular exam periods, webinars are provided to support learning and prepare students for assessment.
Course schedule (from 25 September 2025): Thursdays 6-8 pm (room 6A, building RM019), Fridays 4-6 pm (room 6A, building RM019).
