Business Communication I (WIKO I)

Course Description

The first Business Communication course in Italian necessitates knowledge of the language corresponding to the level A2 according to CEFR/GERS. (Having learned Italian in high school in Austria will also give you the necessary language skills.) 

Topics

  • Business encounters
  • The world of work, workspaces
  • Business talks
  • Writing a CV
  • Business trips
  • Work calls and videoconferences
  • Commerical correspondance: Writing enquiries, offers, reminders/warnings 
  • Preparing presentations, participating in company meetings
  • Conducting negotiations
  • Company visits
  • Describing performance 
  • Company structures and organisation

Grammar

  • Regular and irregular verbs (perfect tense)
  • Prepositions and adverbs
  • Possessive pronouns
  • "Si" impersonale
  • Modal verbs
  • Past tense
  • Connektors
  • Imperative
  • Double object pronouns
  • Future I
  • Conditional I
  • Relative pronuns
  • Past perfect tense
  • Subjunctive present tense
  • Comparative forms
  • Verbs with double auxiliaries

Methods

  • The teaching method is communicative and focuses on active learning. Through a selection of authentic topics and issues encountered in real work situations you will practice dealing with Italian business partners and colleagues, as well as handling typical situations encountered on business trips directly in class (though group work, dialogues, peer review). The textbook "Obiettivo Professione" also follows this active and communicative teaching approach. 

Goals

  • Aim: Language level B1 according to GERS/CEFR (specialised language/business)
  • This course aims at providing students with the basic vocabulary of Italian business communication, as well as developing the written and spoken language skills necessary to communicate effectively in the Italian world of work and work-related daily business. To that end basic grammatical knowledge will be deepened and practiced to achieve language level B1 (specialised language/business). 

Literature

  • Book used in the course: A. Costantino, A. Rivieccio (2013) "Obiettivo Professione", Bonacci: Formello
  • Additional material:
    • Ferullo & Macedonia (2014) Italienisch für den Beruf. Klett: Stuttgart.
    • Vial & Colella (2014) Großes Übungsbuch Neu: Großes Übungsbuch Italienisch Neu: Grammatik / Buch: Grammatik / Buch. Niveau A2-B2. Hüeber: München.
    • Fraggi, Fratter, Jafrancesco (2022) Obiettivo grammatica 1. Ornimi: Atene.
    • Pepe & Garelli (2016) Al lavoro A2. Loescher: Torino.
    • Newspaper articles and videos can be found at Adesso-online.de, ilsole24ore.it, ilfattoquotidiano.it, panorama.it, focus.it, quifinanza.it, repubblica.it, corriere.it., loeschertv.it