Syllabus for Comprehensive Business English

Unit One Introduction to Business

Section One: Basic knowledge of Business

I. What is Business?

II. Importance of obtaining basic knowledge of business

III. Types of business activities

IV. Forms of Business Enterprises

V. More knowledge about businesses types

Section Two: Reading -- Sole Brothers 

I. Company Background: Adidas & Puma

II. Language explanation

Unit Two Management

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Management

I. Definition of management

II. Basic functions of management

III. Importance of management

IV. Theory X and Theory Y

V. The big three management styles

VI. Departments in companies

VII. Management structure of companies

Section Two: Reading -- Company structure of Starbucks

I. Company Background: Starbucks

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language explanation

Unit Three Team Building

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Team Building

I. Definitions

II. Importance of team building

III. Four types of team building

IV. Elements of successful team building

V. Definition of leadership

VI. Leadership styles

Section Two: Reading -- The bolt that holds the Ikea empire together

I. Company Background: Ikea

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Four Market

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Market

I. Definition of Market

II. Types of Markets

III. Economic Blocs

IV. Emerging Market

Section Two: Reading -- Market segmentation of P&G

I. Company Background: P&G

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Five Finance

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Finance

I. Definition of Finance

II. Types of Finance

III. Types of Investment

IV. Sources of Corporate Finance

Section Two: Reading -- IDG in China

I. Company Background: IDG

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Six Product

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Product

I. Definition of Product

II. Types of Product

III. Levels of Product

IV. Product Lifecycle

V. Product Quality

Section Two: Reading -- Miele: focuses on old-fashioned quality

I. Company Background: Miele

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Seven  Brand

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Brand

I. Definition of brand  

II. Different types of brand

III. Some useful concept related to brand  What is branding?

IV. Why is branding so important?  

V. How to build a strong brand?

Section Two: Reading -- Nestlé S. A

I. Company Background：Nestlé S. A

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Eight Marketing

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Marketing

I. Definition of Marketing

II. Marketing Mix

III. Market Segmentation

IV. STP

Section Two: Reading -- A Film: No 5

I. Company Background：Chanel

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Nine Advertising

Section One Basic Knowledge of Advertising

I. What is advertising?

II. Function of advertising

III. Principal advertising media

IV. Corporate advertising

V. Types of corporate advertising

Section Two: Reading -- What Makes Nike’s Advertising Tick

I. Company Background：Nike

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Ten E-Commerce

Section One: Basic Knowledge of E-commerce

I. What is E-commerce ?

II. What is needed to do an e-commerce business?

III. Why is E-commerce a convenient way to do business?

IV. Why is the cost of e-commerce lower?

V. Why do we say e-commerce lead to a cleaner, greener economy?

VI. What other benefits does e-commerce have ?

VII. Kinds of E-Commerce

VIII. Impact of E-commerce

Section Two: Reading -- E-Commerce: Challenges of Amazon in Book Publishing

I. Company Background: Amazon

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Eleven Culture

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Culture

I. What is culture?

II. Why is culture awareness important for international business people?

III. The basic elements of culture to focus on

IV. How do companies solve intercultural communication problems?

Section Two: Reading -- Key to VW's Success in America Is Cultural Understanding

I. Company Background: Volkswagen

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Twelve Corporate Culture

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Corporate Culture

I. Definition of Corporate Culture

II. What shapes a corporate culture?

III. Why Corporate Culture is so important ?

IV. Six Components of a great Corporate Culture

Section Two: Reading -- Dirty Business, Bright Ideas

I. Company Background: SOL

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Thirteen Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Section One: Basic Knowledge of CSR

I. What is CSR?

II. Why do companies practice CSR?

III. How to practice CSR?

IV. Ways to evaluate companies' performance of practicing CSR

Section Two: Reading -- Meeting business challenges at Johnson & Johnson

I. Company Background：Johnson&Johnson

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Fourteen Globalization

Section One: Basic Knowledge of Globalization

I. Definition of globalization

II. The driving force of globalization

III. Major areas of globalization

IV. Positive and negative aspects of globalization

V. Something for company to consider before going global

Section Two: Reading -- Coffee Culture Comes to Coffee Grower

I. Text Comprehension

II. Language Explanation

Unit Fifteen Customer Service

Section One Basic Knowledge of Customer Service

I. Definition of customer

II. Customer segmentation

III. What is customer service?

IV. How to perform excellent customer service?

Section Two: Reading -- McDonald's Hidden Customer Secrets

I. Company Background：McDonald’s

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Sixteen Outsourcing

Section One Basic Knowledge of Outsourcing

I. Definition of outsourcing

II. Advantages of outsourcing

III. Disadvantages of outsourcing

IV. Process of outsourcing

V. A specific outsourcing model

Section Two: Reading -- IBM: Focusing on Core Competencies

I. Company Background：IBM

II. Text Comprehension

III. Language Explanation

Unit Seventeen Statistic Writing

Section One: Different types of graphics, Structure and Register of Statistic writing  

I. Different types of graphics

II. Structure of statistic writing

III. Register for statistic writing

Section Two: Vocabulary used in Statistic Writing

I. Verbs and Nouns

II. Adjectives and Adverbs

III. Expressions

IV. Linking Words

Unit Eighteen Business Writing

Section One: Email Writing

I. Styles of email

II. Format of email

III. Five C's Principles

Section Two: CV and Resume

I. Definition of CV and Resume

II. Importance of CV and Resume

III. Difference between CV and Resume

IV. Components of a CV

V. Resume writing tips

Section Three: Memo, Agenda and Minutes Writing

I. Memo

II. Agenda

III. Minutes