In this course, students learn the vocabulary and concepts used in oral and written transactions in the business world. Emphasis is placed on increasing vocabulary and using Spanish business terminology in commercial correspondence including letters, job descriptions, advertisements, bank documents, etc. Cultural differences which affect the way business is conducted in Spain and in the U.S. will also be briefly explored.
OBJECTIVES
This course is directed to students of Spanish who would like to improve their Spanish skills in the area of business. In addition to the thematic content, we will work with the linguistic structures that will help the student in the fluid elaboration of oral and written messages. Our course is principally directed to international commerce, but also we will discuss in class the different aspects of the current Spanish economy.
CLASS FORMAT
The students should work at home with the material assigned by the professor. There will be individual, paired, and group practical exercises about grammatical questions and Spanish vocabulary. We will also work with vocabulary lists. The class is taught entirely in Spanish.
EVALUATION
This is a business Spanish class, and participation is very important. All of the student should participate. Attendance in class is monitored daily. The individual homework consists of reading comprehension, written exercises ("redacciones"). There will be two one-hour quizzes. Group presentations will be 10-15 minutes long. There will be a final exam at the end of the course.
The evaluation of the course is divided into the following parts:
Participation + individual homework 25%
- Reading comprehension
- Written exercises (redacciones)
Quizzes (2) 25%
Group presentations 25%
Final exam 25%
SCHEDULE:
Unit 0: Introduction to the course. Quiz covering comprehension of the economy.
Unit 1: Business. Basic ideas, directives. Structures. Readings.
Unit 2: The business II. Letter writing, Curriculum vitae. Readings.
Unit 3: Business. Basic concepts of international business. Quiz 1.
Company: ZARA
Unit 4: The globalization of the business. The decision to export the business. The department of exportation (video a). Prepare group presentations. Reading.
Lecture
Group presentation: decision to export.
Unit 5: Product and image. Global marketing? Publicity and promotion. International image (advertisements). Readings.
Unit 6: Promotion and new markets. Presentations of companies and products. Readings.
Quiz 2
Unit 7: Communication and documents in international commerce. Business correspondence, by telephone. Reading.
Presentation of one company.
Reading and comprehension
Final Exam
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. General Business
CENTELLAS RODRIGO, Aurora, Proyecto en . . . español comercial. Libro del
alumno (Madrid: Edinumen, 1997). / Casete. / Libro de ejercicios
FAJARDO, Mercedes y Susana González, Marca Registrada: Español para los
negocios. Libro del alumno (Madrid: Santillana y Universidad de Salamanca, 1995).
/ Casete / Cuaderno de ejercicios.
2. Specific themes
AGUIRRE BELTRÁN, Blanca, El español por profesiones: Servicios financieros.
Banca y bolsa (1993; ed. rev., Madrid: SGEL, 2000). / Casete.
AGUIRRE BELTRÁN, Blanca y Klaus Rother, El español por profesiones: Comercio
exterior (Madrid: SGEL, 1996).
3. Dictionaries
ALCARAZ VAR�", Enrique y Brian Hughes, Diccionario de términos económicos,
financieros y comerciales: Inglés-español, español-inglés (reimp. Barcelona: Ariel,
2000).
LOZANO IRUESTE, José María, Diccionario bilingüe de economía y empresa: Inglésespañol,
español-inglés (1989; reimp. Madrid: Pirámide, 2001).
TAMAMES, Ramón y Santiago Gallego, Diccionario de economía y finanzas (1988;
ed. rev. Madrid: Alianza, 2000).
4. Correspondence / Telephone
G�"MEZ DE ENTERRÍA, Josefa, Correspondencia comercial en español. Libro del
alumno (Madrid: SGEL, 1990).
GONZÁLEZ MANGAS, G. y M. C. Marcos, Técnicas de conversación telefónica
(Madrid: Edelsa, ?). / Casete
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