Description du cours

Intitulé de l'Unité d'Enseignement

Economic Issues, Corporate Communication and Academic Skills

Code de l'Unité d'Enseignement

12ULG14

Année académique

2025 - 2026

Cycle

BAC

Nombre de crédits

Nombre heures

Quadrimestre

1-2

Pondération

Site

Anjou

Langue d'enseignement

Français

Enseignant responsable

ECHEVIN Laurence

Objectifs et contribution de l'Unité d'Enseignement au programme

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

This English course is designed for students doing the bilingual (French-English) Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. The bilingual section at ICHEC equips students with business communication skills for the professional world of the 21st century. This program is designed for students who are already fluent in English.

LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES AND COURSE LEVEL

While part of the broader ICHEC language department, the bilingual section views language

primarily as a tool within the larger framework of business communication. The curriculum is carefully balanced to develop both language proficiency and communication expertise.

The first two years of the program are dedicated to ensuring that students achieve the language

skills defined by the Full Professional Proficiency framework (LinkedIn). Various assessments in Block 1 and Block 2 monitor students’ language abilities, ensuring they reach the required proficiency before entering the B3 masterclasses, where full professional proficiency is essential.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAMME

The bilingual section aims to equip students with advanced language skills, enabling them to thrive in business communication. The section also works in close collaboration with other course units in the programme to provide a comprehensive learning experience. It prepares students for a fast-changing world full of challenges, contributing—at its level—to developing soft skills, sustainability and digital skills through the Ichec framework of Business management skills. (see “Tableau des 7 compétences”).

Prérequis et corequis

Students should have successfully completed the first-year (Block 1) course "English corporate communication skills and socio-economic issues" and have reached a B2 level as described by the European Common Framework for Languages of the Council of Europe. During the first year, they were also introduced to corporate communication, socio-economic issues and academic writing. These knowledge and skills are necessary to further progress in the second and third years of the bilingual programme (Block 2 & Block 3).

In addition, students have to master the Block 1 programme in terms of communication skills as well as language skills (grammar and business vocabulary) as the Block 2 course is built upon these fundamentals.

Description du contenu

This English course is designed for students following the bilingual (French-English) bachelor's in business management.
The course is organized in 4 modules:

First term:
1- Storytelling for Business
2- Debating

Second term:
3- Personal Branding
4- Case study and effective business meetings

Méthodes pédagogiques

In-class interactive sessions

Interaction and involvement are at the heart of this business communication course. A balanced mix of theory (only given in class) and live exercises (individually or in groups) will provide students with the necessary skills, tools and theoretical background to progress. Attendance is thus a must. It is not possible to go through that process outside of class.

Assignments outside of class such as research on companies, preparing debate arguments, preparing a presentation (…) will be regularly required and are essential to a good functioning of the course. They are thus considered as compulsory. Failing to prepare them will impact the final grade.

Students are placed at the centre of the process, benefiting from a coaching approach that supports their progress both individually and in group interactions. Teachers, in turn, empower them with the necessary skills and closely monitor their development.

Self-study

The bilingual track is intended for students who are already proficient in English, demonstrating strong oral fluency and a solid command of written expression. The vocabulary and grammar component is designed to further support and refine this proficiency. Students are given access to a self-study program in vocabulary and grammar, while selected class sessions are devoted to activating key points, practicing through interaction and mock-tests, and addressing remaining questions. Most of the required work will therefore be carried out independently.

In addition, vocabulary development will be guided by the reference book indicated below, with the specific units to be studied announced during the course.

Title: Business Vocabulary in Use: Advanced
Author(s): Mascull
ISBN: 9781316628232
Date published: NOVEMBER 2017

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Use of artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is likely to be embedded in some of the course activities, including formative/learning activities as well as evaluation activities.
For each of these situations, students will be provided with specific instructions regarding the level of AI that is allowed (from 0 to 4), based on the following typology.

Types of use: In the context of an activity or an assessment that requires a production (text, presentation, spreadsheet, code, poster, visual, etc.)

Level 0 No assistance
Level 1 Assistance with pre-production activities: collecting information
Level 2 Assistance with the organization or revision of a production
Level 3 Assistance with the partial elaboration of a production
Level 4 AI used as content and/or analysis generator
Students are expected to strictly abide by the provided instructions. In case AI is used, students are to use it transparently and critically:
Students must comply with citation rules regarding the use of AI (APA norm)
Students might be asked to fill in a grid acknowledging their use of AI (available on
the Moodle page of the course)
Students should always remain critical towards the results of their use of AI and be
able to ‘go beyond’ and develop their own personal opinion/ production…

Students who do not comply with the hereabove principles expose themselves to sanctions.

Mode d'évaluation

Formative and summative evaluations will take place throughout the year.

Q1

ASSESSMENT – STORYTELLING FOR BUSINESS MODULE – Continuous evaluation through the storytelling module + a group live pitch in class (during the last session of the module) presenting a storytelling branding proposal to a client + a 10-slide social media carousel PDF accompanying the pitch to be submitted (part of the English exam).

ASSESSMENT – DEBATING MODULE
Continuous evaluation throughout the Debating module as well as minimum one assessed debate during the January session (part of the exam).

January exam:
• Oral exam: Debate based on the debating techniques studied and practised during the 1st term
• Written exam: Vocabulary and grammar

Q2

ASSESSMENT – PERSONAL BRANDING MODULE Continuous evaluation throughout the personal branding module as well as a formal pitch assessed in class during one of the sessions (part of the exam).

ASSESSMENT – CASE STUDY AND EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MEETINGS MODULE
Continuous evaluation throughout the module + exam (meeting + oral pitch) during the last sessions of the module.

June exam:
• Written exam: Vocabulary and grammar

All exams are compulsory to obtain a final grade for the course.

If a student is absent for one of the assessments in class, he/she will need to retake it if the student has a medical certificate to justify his/her absence.

To progress throughout the year, students are encouraged to participate actively in the interactive class and to do the required assignments. This oral participation is also taken into account in the evaluation.

The assessment procedures may vary from one exam session to the other. Students may be evaluated by other language teachers, in order to make grading as objective as possible.

Références bibliographiques

All documents will be posted on Moodle throughout the year.

We will work with the following reference book for vocabulary:
Title: Business Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Author(s): Mascull ISBN: 9781316628232 Date published: NOVEMBER 2017
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS