1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on workplace communications, assuming the young professional has now entered the workforce in some manner. Students will role-play continuously during this course, with classes pairing best practices in business communication with practical experience through role play and improv as well as with spontaneous and planned presentations, projects, and problem solving.
Students who complete the course will not only gain practical skills and experience in presentations, negotiation, meetings, and more, but will also improve their confidence, leadership, stress and time/project management, resiliency, adaptability, and creativity. They will also create a practical portfolio of professional communications collateral and participate in a project designed to further their behavioral competencies and give them real-life experiences with working professionals.
2. REASON FOR THE COURSE
Gaining practical experience and building up the confidence and skills to perform successfully as a young professional before entering the workforce can be challenging. Picking up where EB 1 leaves off, this course drops students into a partially-simulated, role-playing classroom where classes not only continue to build on developing soft skills, but provides them alongside the contextualization of practical application. With controlled activities such as role-play in nearly every class, students will rapidly improve their behavioral competencies such as emotional intelligence, customer service, resiliency, and adaptability, but also develop confidence in speaking up, leading, managing, managing up, navigating conflict or strained situations, negotiating, guiding behavior change, preparing and giving dynamic presentations, and more –all before actually entering the workforce.
3. STUDY HOURS
4. ROLE IN CURRICULUM
Prerequisites:
Students must have successfully completed English for Business 1.
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
| Knowledge | Level of Learning |
Related PLO |
|---|---|---|
| Articulate Effective Vocabulary & Terminology (CK1) Incorporate effective vocabulary and terminology used in formal business settings into dynamic written and spoken narratives |
Apply | PK1 |
| Cognitive Skills | Level of Learning |
Related PLO |
| Create Business Communications Collateral (CC1) Integrate professional English business communications collateral in business presentations, correspondence, and demonstrations. |
Create | PC1 |
| Communication, Information Technology, and Numerical Skills | Level of Learning |
Related PLO |
| Communicate Professional Behavioral Competency (CCIT1) Communicate competency in professional settings, such as events, conferences, and meetings. |
Apply | CCIT3 |
| Interpersonal Skills and Responsibilities | Level of Learning |
Related PLO |
| Perform Business Interactions Effectively (CIP1) Perform effectively in business interactions in English, such as networking events, meetings, public speaking, and negotiation |
Perform | PIP3 |
Grades will be determined based on a grading score, calculated using the following assessments and score allocations:
| SKILL | Assessment | Skill Weighting for Grade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | Portfolio | Controlled Activities | Final Simulation | |||
| Articulate Effective Vocabulary & Terminology (CK1) | 100% | 30% | ||||
| Create Business Communications Collateral (CC1) | 100% | 10% | ||||
| Demonstrate Professional Behavioral Competency (CCIT1) | 100% | 25% | ||||
| Perform Business Interactions Effectively (CIP1) | 100% | 35% | ||||
The course primarily uses role-play and improvisation, demonstrations, group discussion and problem solving, case studies, presentations, questions, and workshops. The class is frequently turned into a dynamic, interactive, safe-space for learning and growing and trying behaviors and attitudes out together as students spend time exploring, practicing, role-playing/enacting scenarios and subsequently, enhancing their soft skills and behavioral competencies for business communications. Students will also spend time in class workshopping scenarios as a group through discussion and role play. In place of tests and exams, students will produce a portfolio of communications collateral and complete a final simulation demonstrating what they have learnt:
| Portfolio | |
| Work Group: | Groups of ~4-8 |
| Output Format | Suite of Data-Driven Narratives for Business Purposes |
| Language: | English |
| Assignment: | Students will collaboratively prepare a suite of business materials which they can use immediately or over the coming months. These materials include presentations, handouts, and correspondence – elements of which will also be incorporated into class role play scenarios/activities as well as the controlled activities. Scoring will be according to the Assignment Rubric. |
| Final Simulation: | Navigating Workplace Situations |
| Work Group: | |
| Output format: | |
| Language: | English |
| Assignment: | In process |
The course targets the 20 lessons in the study plan below. Each lesson is 1.5 class hours each; there are a total of 30 class hours. The study plan below describes the learning outcome for each lesson, described in terms of what the student should be able to do at the end of the lesson. Readings should be done by students as preparation before the start of each class. Implementation of this study plan may vary somewhat depending on the progress and needs of students.
| No | Lesson Learning Outcomes | Teaching (T), and Assessment (A) Methods | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Course Introduction: Understanding yourself & finding your professional voice
|
Kahoot (T, A), Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 2 |
Negotiation Strategies
|
Kahoot (T, A) Demonstration (T) Activity (T, A) | ||
| 3 |
Negotiation Scenarios
|
Kahoot (T, A), Discussion (T, A) Case Study Roleplay | ||
| 4 |
Workshop
|
Demonstration (T) Controlled Activity – Simulation(T, A) Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 5 |
Customer service & successfully navigating workplace culture
|
Kahoot (T) Demonstration (T) Roleplay (T, A) | ||
| 6 |
Persuasion Techniques & Skills
|
Kahoot (T, A), Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 7 |
Creating Buy-In
|
Discussion (T, A) Roleplay (T, A) | ||
| 8 |
Workshop
|
Demonstration (T) Controlled Activity (T, A) Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 9 |
How to handle difficult work situations
|
Kahoot (T, A) Discussion (T, A) Roleplay (T, A) | ||
| 10 |
Something to declare: managing different opinions and asserting your own
|
Kahoot (T) Demonstration (T) Roleplay (T, A) | ||
| 11 |
Managing up, handling difficult clients/bosses/executives or workplace bullies
|
Kahoot (T, A), Discussion (T, A)/ Activity (T, A) | ||
| 12 |
Workshop
|
Demonstration (T) Controlled Activity( T, A) Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 13 |
The art of conversation and calls to action
|
Discussion (T, A) Roleplay/Activity (T, A) | ||
| 14 |
Leading meetings, leaning in, and asking questions
|
Discussion (T, A) Demonstration (T) Activity (T, A) | ||
| 15 |
Meeting preparation, materials, and follow-up
|
Discussion (T, A) Demonstration (T) Activity (T, A) | ||
| 16 |
Workshop
|
Demonstration (T) Controlled Activity( T, A) Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 17 |
Negotiating projects and ideas
|
Discussion (T) Demonstration (T) Activity (T, A) | ||
| 18 |
Understanding your audience and presenting what matters
|
Discussion (T) Demonstration (T) Activity (T, A) | ||
| 19 |
Final Showcase 1
|
Presentation/Activity (A) Discussion (T, A) | ||
| 20 |
Final Showcase 2
|
Presentation/Activity (A) Discussion (T, A) | ||
| Total Hours: 30 hours | ||||
Textbook
There is no specific textbook for this class, but students may reference the materials
below and handouts from class
References