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Business English
We offer Business English at pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate and advanced levels. We aim to improve the four main language skills, i.e. speaking, listening, reading and writing. Our business courses typically focus on the English business people need for the following tasks: negotiations, presentations, meetings, telephoning, e-mail and fax writing. We assist our clients to develop and use appropriate English language for making arrangements, expressing opinions and making suggestions. If necessary we also help our clients with the technical terminology for their job.
Our approach is to tailor the course to the student’s specific needs and preferred learning styles. The following is a brief description of how we rise to meet the challenge of Business English at the Clare Language Centre.
Needs Analysis
Our first priority is to conduct an analysis of the client’s needs. In order to facilitate the client’s acquisition of the relevant set of English language skills we need to do some research. The following are some areas of investigation:
- the course participant’s exact job, the specific tasks they carry out in English and any problems associated with these tasks;
- whether their work situations are formal, informal, or both at times and so necessitating different styles of communication;
- the client’s current strengths and weaknesses in English.
Learning Styles
Having gained a valuable insight into the client’s language needs and his/her present level of English, we try to discover something of the individual’s character in order to determine which learning styles would be most effective in his/her course. We find that people’s learning styles can vary:
- some learners love to get to grips with grammar by understanding every rule and irregularity;
- other learners prefer to acquire the knowledge by picking up key phrases and to make progress by trial and error, correcting and learning from their mistakes as they go along;
- many learners progress well using language learning games and puzzles; whereas others use visual stimuli.
Our Approach
We think that some strategies work right across the board:
- We emphasise face to face contact in a relaxed and accepting atmosphere as the most pleasant and effective way to learn a language.
- We believe in the use of as much authentic material as possible and in fitting the activities of the course to the client’s actual work situations. For example, if it important for the client to give very formal presentations then we practise that type of presentation.
- The learning style here at our language centre is task based. We also think that the more grounded in reality the tasks are, the more likely the course participants are to remember and reproduce the language they used when back at work.
- The amount of out-of-class work expected from clients increases with competence. Clients with a lower level of English are directed towards repetition and revision of areas covered in class to reinforce learning, whereas some independent study and research is expected from clients with good English.
- Regular feedback is encouraged throughout the course.
Conclusion
Our course curriculum is dictated by the participant’s needs. Each individual client contributes to the course in their own way. Our message to our students is:
This is your training course. Please feel free to take control over the direction it takes. Our aim is to meet your needs.
All our Business Course prices include:
20/25 classes of 60 minutes each,
all transfers to/from Shannon Airport or Ennis Train/Bus station,
2 excursions / company visits per week,
Business english - 20 X 60 minute classes.