Business Society and Culture 1

Module Title	Business Society and Culture 1
Module Code	25-4003-00L (French) 25-4022-00L (German) 25-4024-00L (Spanish)
Semester of Delivery	See Module Information Table
Mandatory/Elective/Option	See Module Information Table
Level	4
Credit Points	20
Assessment Mode Weighting	Coursework	50%
	Examination	50%
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	Depends on degree
Class Contact Hours
Average Weekly	2
Directed Learning
Average Weekly	5
Module Leader	Depends on Language
	Sheffield Business School
Module Banding	B
Approval Status	Validated

Rationale

 

Language learners whose ultimate objective is to engage in professional activities where the vehicle of communication is their chosen target language will not only need to develop an ability to use and manipulate structures and vocabulary but also to acquire the sort of background knowledge of the society and culture where the language is used.

 

Business, Society and Culture 1 is the first in a series of three modules. It will allow students to develop a general awareness of the political, economic, social, technological and environmental issues of the countries where the language learnt is spoken, whilst also giving students the opportunity to further develop their language skills to an appropriate level.

 

Summary of aims

 

1. To raise the students' cultural and business awareness of the country where the language is spoken by providing them with the relevant background information
2. To prepare students to function effectively, independently and confidently in a foreign culture and business environment
3. To consolidate, build on and further develop the students' competence in the Target Language (TL)
4. To allow students to develop Key Skills in the area of Communication

 

 

Anticipated learning outcomes

 

On successful completion of this module, students should be able:

 

1 To describe and discuss major contemporary issues in the country studied in the TL both orally and in writing

2 To explain and use appropriately in the TL the terminology associated with these issues

3 To identify and select appropriate sources of information to gather relevant and up-to-date information on the issues studied

4 To demonstrate their comprehension of written and aural authentic material by producing written documents in English and/or the TL which convey the content of this material

5 To demonstrate their ability to summarise and organise information from written or aural sources in the TL or in English

6 To present information orally

 

Assessment and feedback strategy

 

The learning outcomes for this module will be assessed using coursework (50%)

and examination (50%). Assessment is designed to be both formative and summative and will be undertaken at regular intervals throughout both semesters to enable feedback. The examination will take place at the end of semester 2.

 

The coursework component will consist of one oral (Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 6) and one essay in the TL (Outcomes 1, 2 and 3).

 

The examination will consist of a written, text-based paper (summary of a target language text into English and an essay in the target language (Outcomes 1, 2, 4 and 5).

 

The exact timing and nature of the assessment will be communicated to students at the beginning of the semester. Assessment will be consistent with university standards.

 

Tutor feedback will communicate to students how well they have achieved the module learning outcomes and how well they have met the assessment criteria. It will aim to identify the students' strengths and weaknesses and offer guidance on how to improve.

 

Module assessment criteria

 

Students will be assessed on their ability

•  to demonstrate understanding of the issues studied

•  to identify and collect adequate sources of information

•  to present information and arguments in a structured way both orally and in writing using adequate terminology

•  to demonstrate competence in speaking, reading, listening to and writing in the TL to a standard appropriate for Level 1 at university (post-A/AS level)

 

The Level descriptors grid below provides details of how the learning outcomes and the individual pieces of assessment are linked. For detailed level descriptors please see the Appendix entitled Language Level Descriptors .

 

Teaching and learning strategy and methods

 

In order to achieve the required learning outcomes students will be required to take part in regular class sessions with the tutor as well as to engage actively in structured directed learning outside the classroom.

 

The normal mode of classroom communication will be the target language in order to maximise the students' opportunities for improving their oral and aural competence. Classroom work will consist of various forms of input and follow-up activities, both tutor- and student-led. Tutor input will be in the form of mini lectures and guidance and facilitation of student activities, e.g. discussions, group work, presentations, etc.

 

As part of their directed learning students will be expected to prepare topics and texts for discussion and presentation, to search for relevant materials using CIT , and to undertake the relevant reading and language work required for the module.

 

The foreign language assistant ( FLA ) will play an important role in providing an opportunity for students to practise their language skills with a native speaker and to acquire first-hand knowledge of the society, culture and institutions of the TL country. In order to facilitate this process regular sessions with the foreign language assistant will be timetabled and the FLA will follow a carefully structured programme.

 

Students will also be encouraged to take part in the Tandem learning Scheme, which pairs foreign nationals with English students to allow both partners to improve their TL skills and to increase their cultural awareness.

 

Indicative content

 

While the specific topics to be introduced and discussed will vary to some extent from language to language, they are likely to include such themes as:

 

•  Introduction to the political environment and institutions

•  Introduction to the structure of the economy, and to some of the major economic issues facing the TL country, e.g. unemployment, etc.

•  Introduction to specific socio-cultural issues

•  Introduction to the technological environment

•  Overview of the influence of the EU on the country studied

 

Indicative reading list

 

Ardagh, J., France in the new century: Portrait of a changing society.

Viking, 1999.

 

Forbes , J. and Hewlett, N., Contemporary France , Essays and Texts on Politics, Economics and Society. Longman, Second edition, 2000.

 

Mermet, G., Francoscopie. Fondements et politiques. Paris, Editions Larousse, 1995.

 

Mermet, G., Comment vivent les Français. Paris , Editions Larousse , 1997.

 

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Ardagh, J. and Ardagh, K., Germany and the Germans. Penguin, 1995.

 

Radice, G., The New Germans. Michael Joseph, 1995.

 

Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland und ihre Länder. Inter Nationes, 1999.

 

Carrington-Windo, T. and Kohl, K., A Dictionary of Contemporary Germany . Hodder&Stoughton, 1996.

 

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Hooper, J., Los Nuevos Españoles. Vergara, 1996.

 

Kattán-Ibarra, J., Perspectivas Culturales de España. NTC, 1995.

 

Fajardo, M. and González, S., Marca Registrada - Español para los negocios. Santillana, 1995.

 

 

Students will also be expected to use information sources on the Internet.

Learning Outcome	Assessment Criterion (where assessed)	Level descriptors
fail	PASS	2.2	2.1	First
1	Essay (CW) Presentation (CW) Written examination
2	Essay (CW) Presentation (CW) Written examination
3	Essay (CW) Presentation (CW)
4	Summary (CW)
5	Summary (CW)
6	Presentation (CW) Oral examination

 

See Appendix entitled Language Level Descriptors for detailed information.

 

For assessment criteria for written work, their weighting and level descriptors please refer to the grids entitled

Summary and Written Work .

For assessment criteria for oral work please refer to Individual Presentation and Oral Work .