Why use English when conducting business? It has been documented that there are more native speakers of Chinese than English native speakers in the world. And, until the second half of the last century French was the international language of diplomacy not English. The importance of English is not just in how many people speak it but in what it is used for. English has recently become the global language. It is the official language of many international organizations and important commodities such as silver, tin and hard currency are traded in English. News and information are disseminated in English throughout the world. It is the language of business and government, even in countries where it is not the official language. When a Swedish businessperson meets a Japanese businessperson they will probably communicate in English.

According to Alan McGee “The globilisation of world business, technology and trade has brought about a huge increase in the demand for types of ESP teaching.” An important area of focus is the teaching of Business English.

Having a work force capable of conducting business in English is crucial in today’s world. The need for top executives to communicate with their counterparts in other countries has been a requirement for some time. Now with the globalization of the economy it is becoming increasingly important for employees at all levels to be able to communicate with their counterparts. Therefore, an understanding and fluency in English greatly increases communicative powers beyond a company’s national borders. And as most in the business world know communication is the medium used to inform and persuade. Whether the needs of the company focus on international negotiations or product demonstration for foreign clients English has become an integral tool for success. Example: Madama Oliva, a small Italian company two hours outside of Rome (Carsoli) has recently begun export of its product line. Many of these negotiations are handled by a bilingual employee who is also responsible for assisting the company in starting an English language program for its employees. Their website is also currently constructing an English version making product information available to a much larger market.

How is Business English being taught? Business English courses developed by both British and American schools/companies are available in many formats. An examination of several Business English course books found several similarities. The language level was consistently Low Intermediate – Advanced, making the assumption that a basic knowledge of general English was necessary before entering into the study of the specifics of Business English. The course content was theme based and covered topics such as job applications/interviews, greetings and presentations, marketing, finance, management, product development, office politics, problem solving, cultural sensitivity, etc. The activities were student centered and ensured that the students engage with the language and interact with each other. The use of authentic materials played a major role and increased potential for fluency. The best of these course books combined basic through advanced business concepts with general and business-oriented communication skills.

However, a comparison of two of the course books revealed major differences in approach. Business Matters had a lexical syllabus with articles at the beginning of each unit relating to international business. Emphasis is on terminology, phrases and expressions, which are the basis of Business English. Another course book entitled Skills For Success integrated English language instruction with the teaching of competencies essential for succeeding on the job and /or in an academic setting. Each unit has the dual purpose of building language skills and developing an awareness of appropriate workplace and academic language and behavior. So, approaches may vary but the common goal is to provide business students with tools to increase their understanding, fluency and communicative powers.

The demand for this specialization grows daily and will provide many opportunities for teachers of EFL/ESL. I hope to be one of them.

Bibliography

Business Matters /Mark Powell

Thomson Heinle, 1996

Skills For Success /Donna Price-Machado

Cambridge University Press, 1998

Let’s Talk Business /Joni Vetrano, Elizabeth Whalley, Laurie Blass

Tomson Heinle 1995

Speaking Up At Work /Catherine Robinson, Jenise Rowekamp

Oxford University Press, 1985

Linda Heine Cooper