Business English Learning Requirements Questionnaire Essay

Mr. Masoni is now being prepared for his first trip to the United Kingdom and, as part of this preparation, he has been signed up for a course in business English. The first step in devising the course is that of conducting a language analysis through the following lenses:

Job analysis

The needs in terms of outcomes

Target performance objectives

Performance areas in terms of language

Language analysis.

The first step is that of understating the roles, responsibilities and functions of an environmental engineer. Environmental engineers traditionally "Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology" (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010).

Commonly, the activities of environmental engineers include:

Visiting various sites, assessing them and interacting with the people around those sites

Tendering for projects, such as plantations, assessments of pollution levels, river controls and so on Gathering the necessary resources

Maintaining communications with various categories of stakeholders, such as economic agents, the population, federal agencies and so on Integrating IT developments -- such as computer models -- to support project development and implementation (Prospects).

The outcomes expected of Mr. Masoni revolve around the identification of environment related problems and the creation of solutions. In order to attain these objectives, he requires technical knowledge -- already possessed and not the scope of this endeavor -- and business English knowledge. The business English needs revolve around an increased ability to understand the information being forwarded -- namely the ability to understand what the others are saying and the ability to read written information. Also, it is imperative to be able to make oneself understood, namely through the ability to communicate both verbally as well as in writing.

At the level of target performance objectives, these refer to the following:

Increase the environmental responsibility among economic agents

Build a trustworthy relationship between the domestic and the UK agencies

Identify environment related problems

Create and implement customized solutions.

But aside from these objectives, the plan is also constructed on various business English objectives.Specifically, at the end of the course, Mr. Masoni is expected to:

Possess vast knowledge of the business English notions

Possess an increased ability to recognize the concepts, understand them and apply them within the adherent contexts

Understand and apply the functions as they intersect between environmental engineering and business English

Possess vast knowledge and ability to understand and apply the vocabulary and expressions

Ability to recognize, understand and apply the language structures.

As all these elements are cleared out and the course is developed, the language analysis represents the final step. In this order of ideas, the final issues to be considered refer to the following:

The particularities of British English as opposed to American English

Differences in expressions and vocabulary

Different writing styles

Correct writing and pronunciation, namely the dual emphasis on grammar and phonology (Anthro Palomar, 2007)

Non-verbal communications and business etiquette. At this level, it has to be recognized that the teaching of the verbal functions of business English would only be successful if completed with the functions of non-verbal communications. In this order of ideas, Mr. Masoni as well as any other individual traveling to the United Kingdom for business purposes would be introduced to the customs and etiquette. This would for instance include the role of the hand shake, the importance and duration of the eye contact, the business meetings, the importance of relationships, the giving and receiving of gifts and so on (Kwintessential).

References:

Guffey, M.E., 2008, Business English, 9th edition, Cengage Learning

2007, Analysis of language, Anthro Palomar, http://anthro.palomar.edu/language/language_3.htm last accessed on May 25, 2011

2010, Occupational employment and wages, May 2010, 17-2081 environmental engineers, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172081.htm last accessed on May 25, 2011

Environmental engineer, Prospects, http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/environmental_engineer_job_description.jsp last accessed on May 25, 2011

UK -- language, culture, customs and etiquette, Kwintessential, http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/UK.html last accessed on May 25, 2011.....