Like a Pro! – Professional English Communication (6 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

The course grade is the average of the assessed course assignments. The course timetable can for example be: Week 1: DL 1a. Video introductions DL 1b. Work-life situations Week 2: DL 2. Negotiations - My experiences Week 3: DL 3. Essay on World Englishes Week 4: Online class 1: Group discussions1- World Englishes DL: 4. Negotiations. A summary. Week 5: DL 5. Styles and patterns of negotiations Week 6: Online class: Group discussion 2 - Reliability of information -> Groups for Negotiations formed NB! Only the students who have been active until here can continue on the course with the student groups DL 6. The pros and cons of virtual teams Week 7: DL 7. Sustainability in my field of studies, an essay or a podcast Week 8: DL 8. Career anchors Week 9: DL 9. Recording: Sim 1 / Negotiation / Updates or…? Week 10: DL 10. Recording: Sim 2 / Negotiation / The new factory Week 11: DL 11. Memos on two filmed simulations DL 12. Spoken test, filmed answers End of course, all assignments should be submitted

Objective

Students who have taken this course are able to co-operate and work in multicultural virtual teams. They are able to communicate efficiently and fluently in work-related interactive situations with emphasis on meetings and negotiations. The students can write texts and written messages demonstrating the control of communicative professional situations. The students can also efficiently understand and summarize texts. They are able to use academic style and use references properly in their written production. The students are ready to develop their professional identities through self-reflective tasks during the course. This course corresponds to the CEFR language levels C1-C2. (CEFR = Common European Framework for Languages).

Content

This six-credit course focuses on professional communications, virtual team and project work, multicultural co-operation, academic and professional writing, and professional self-development. The course includes two mandatory online sessions at the beginning of the course and online group simulations later during the course. The two online sessions will be held in the late afternoons/ early evenings with the teacher and the whole group present. After the online sessions, the students will be divided into groups. Each group will do two-three online group simulations organized according to the students’ own schedule. Furthermore, the students complete twelve individual assignments related to the different course topics supporting the online group simulations. The assignments are tailored based on the findings of language needs studies and are based on real working life communication situations. For example, the case company of the negotiation simulations is a local, existing company.

Location and time

Course implementation is 100% online.

Materials

Learning material and additional links are placed in Itslearning (digital learning environment in Centria). The student needs a computer and working internet access, as well as a headset and a camera.

Student workload

A 6-credit-course requires approximately 162 hours of student work. This course requires work on a weekly basis respecting the set deadlines. There are compulsory scheduled meetings on the course. It is not a course you can start later or work on intensively towards the end.

Qualifications

The course is meant for students who have completed their compulsory English courses in their degree programmes. The students on this course should have control of their basic field-specific vocabulary in English and seek to develop their confidence further in communicative situations. Please notice Like a Pro is an updated version of the previous Moving on, so if you have completed that Averko course, do not register to Like a Pro!