Laboratorio di Business English
A.A. 2013-2014
Laurea magistrale in
Comunicazione e pubblicità per le organizzazioni
Facoltà di Sociologia – Università degli Studi di Urbino ‘Carlo Bo’
A.A. 2013-2014
Laboratorio di
Business English
prof. Elizabeth Ferguson
Per contatti via e-mail:
[email protected]
OGGETTO: LM CPO / Lab. Business English
Per informazioni, materiale didattico, ecc:
BLOG DEL CORSO:
http://cpobusinessenglish.wordpress.com/
Calendario lezioni:
settembre:
mercoledì 30,
ore 15-18
ottobre:
giovedì 10,
venerdì 11,
giovedì 17,
martedì 22,
giovedì 24,
giovedì 31,
ore 15-18
ore 15-18
ore 15-18
ore 15-18
ore 15-18
ore 15-18
novembre:
giovedì 7,
martedì 12,
lunedì 25,
ore 15-18
ore 15-18
ore 9-12
dicembre:
lunedì 2,
lunedì 9,
ore 9-12
ore 9-12
Esame parziale:
Lunedì 9 dicembre,
ore 11
Argomenti:
grammatica di base
Language in ads
Dal vademecum:
OBBIETTIVI FORMATIVI:
Per poter operare con successo nell'economia globale, le aziende
dovranno utilizzare sempre di più la lingua inglese, non soltanto
nella tradizionale corrispondenza commerciale con l'estero ma
anche nella stesura di una vasta gamma di materiali promozionali
ed informativi spesso sconosciuti ai non addetti ai lavori.
Dopo aver preso coscienza della varietà di materiali in
lingua prodotti dalle aziende, lo studente sarà introdotto all'analisi
del messaggio pubblicitario in lingua inglese e alla comprensione
delle norme grammaticali e stilistiche per la stesura di vari tipi di
testo (tra cui istruzioni, comunicati stampa, cataloghi, relazioni
annuali) per metterlo in grado di comprendere e produrre materiali
originali in lingua (signs, sandwichboards, slogans, ads,
brochures, leaflets, viral marketing, catalog copy, labels,
newsletters, press releases and kits, instructions, ecc.).
Programma
Partendo da un'analisi del linguaggio della
pubblicità e delle particolari caratteristiche dei
materiali promozionali ed informativi in lingua
inglese, si procederà ad esaminare una gamma di
materiali autentici in lingua, tra cui:
comunicati stampa ed altri tipi di media resources,
relazioni annuali, istruzioni, manuali, materiali
multimediali per la formazione del
personale, depliant e cataloghi, direct mail,
inserzioni pubblicitarie, etichette e cartellonistica.
Saranno illustrate le ‘norme' per la corretta stesura
di alcuni tipi di testo.
Nella discussione dei testi pubblicitari, si
evidenzieranno le varie
strategie utilizzate, tra cui:
PSP, USP, AIDA and benefit-oriented copy;
active v. passive verbs; ‘voice', use of sentence types
and pronouns;
buzz words; polysemy, puns, presupposition; formality,
‘real speech' and ‘everyday talk';
Figurative language (metaphor, simile, synecdoche,
metonymy); parallelism; alliteration, assonance,
homophones, homonyms;
Ellipsis, substitution, associative meanings,
connotations
Materiale di studio:
- Cleary M., Ferguson E. & Taylor J.,
Behind Business,
Editrice Montefeltro, Urbino, 2007
- dispensa:
Language of Advertising and Promotion:
Glossary, Key Strategies & Grammar Review
Presentazioni PowerPoint
5 crediti / 30 ore di lezioni frontali
Modalità didattiche
Lezioni frontali con utilizzo di supporti audiovisivi, attività di laboratorio.
Le parti da approfondire saranno indicate durante il corso.
Obblighi
Partecipazione ad almeno tre quarti delle ore di lezione.
Studio individuale dei testi indicati e preparazione di lavori individuali
da portare e discutere in sede di esame orale.
Modalità di accertamento
Esame scritto e orale in lingua inglese, valutazione del
portfolio di lavoro prodotto da ciascuno studente.
Note:
Studenti con gravi lacune linguistiche sono pregati di mettersi
in contatto con il docente ad inizio anno accademico,
per concordare un progetto di ripasso/studio individuale
che possa permettergli di frequentare con profitto il corso.
Argomenti grammaticali di base:
tempi verbali: presente, passato, futuro;
l’imperativo;
frasi ipotetiche;
Infinito v. –ing (sarà scaricabile un documento in Power Point)
Verbi modali
Verbi attivi v. passivi
Verbi irregolari
Aggettivi & avverbi – forma e posizione
Articoli determinativi ed indeterminativi
THE
IMPERATIVE
USES:
We use the imperative to give:
warnings,
orders,
strong suggestions,
directions &
Instructions.
FORM:
base form of verb (infinito senza ‘to’);
no subject!
In negative sentences (divieti) :
don’t + base form
Stop !
Fermati !
Sit !
Siediti ! Seduto !
Shut up !
Stai zitto !
Forget it !
Scordatelo !
Don’t stop !
Non ti fermare !
Don’t sit down !
Non sederti !
PRESENT
TENSES
The Present Simple
I have a shower every morning
PRESENT SIMPLE: FORM
I – you – we – they work.
He – she – it works.
Do I – you – we – they work ?
Does he – she – it work ?
I – you – we – they do not work.
He – she – it does not work.
USES of the Present Simple:
1. Presenting facts,
for ex., facts about company activities
 Our company employs over 100,000
people, operates in many overseas markets
and offers a wide range of hi-tech products for
the 21st century.
2. Actions and situations which are generally
true
 Microsoft belongs to Bill Gates.
 We sell our products on many markets.
A good brand guarantees a certain level of quality
to customers.
 Competition brings out the best in products and
the worst in people.
3. Verbs used only in the present simple (and
NOT in the present continuous). These verbs
usually refer to:
mental states: believe, doubt, forget, imagine,
know, realise, recognise, regret, remember, suppose,
think, understand
likes and dislikes: admire, wish want, dislike, hate,
like, love,
possession: belong to, contain, have, include, own,
possess
appearance:
being:
appear, look like, resemble, seem
be, consist of, depend, exist
perception:
hear, see, smell, taste
4. Saying HOW OFTEN you or other people do
things
We usually use the present simple with frequency
adverbs:
 I never smoke at work.
 He plays golf every Sunday morning.
 I often take work home at the weekend.
 When she gets to the office she always checks her
e-mail first.
5. Asking for and giving directions and
instructions
 “How do I get to your office?”
--“first you turn left at the station, then you
cross the bridge and it’s the second building on
your right.”
6. Talking about timetables and
scheduled events
(future meaning)
 The bus leaves at 8:35 am.
The trade fair opens on January
the 25th.
The academic year starts in
October.
7. Newspaper headlines and press releases
The use of the present simple creates a sense of
dramatic impact
Governor wins election in landslide
Markets collapse as investors panic
Serial killer escapes prison in dramatic
break-out
8. “Doing by saying”
We use the present simple with certain verbs
that say what their function is. When we say
them, we “perform” the action.
For example, saying “I promise I’ll meet you at
the airport” is making a promise.
Other examples:
 I resign !
 I apologise.
 I admit I was wrong.
 I suggest you contact Mr. Rossi.
9. Providing a summary at the beginning of a
report:
“The first section of this report provides
introductory comments, focuses on important new
developments and highlights some recent
developments in our European branch office. The
second section analyses the results of the
company as a whole. The final section addresses
our financial situation. The report concludes by
pointing out the need for new investments.”
10. In Mission Statements, describing the aims
and goals of a company or organisation:
See also : Behind Business, “Shell”.
The aims of the “Slow Food” movement include
increasing consumer awareness of food quality,
fostering environment-friendly tourism, promoting
high quality gastronomic production, protecting
artisanal manufacturing methods and vegetable
and animal varieties in danger of extinction, and
providing “taste education” to stave off the
increasingly aggressive advance of food and
cultural standardization.
THE PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
Where are the children ?
They’re playing in the garden.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS: FORM
You- we - they are working.
You- we - they are working.
He- she - it is working.
You- we - they are not working.
You- we - they are not working.
He – she - it is not working.
Am I working ?
Are you – we- they working ?
Is he – she - it working ?
USES:
1. Talking about an event in progress at the
moment of speaking
 “What are you doing ?”
--“I’m trying to find a file.”
 “I’m afraid Mr. Jones can’t see you now. He’s
interviewing someone.”
We also use this tense with verbs of
movement when the action has just started:
 “I’m leaving. See you tomorrow !
 “Can I speak to John, please ?”
--“Sorry, he’s out of the office at the
moment. No—hold on—he’s just coming down
the corridor.”
2. Describing current situations and ongoing
projects.
The time reference is at (or around) “now”,
before and after the situation referred to.
N.B.: the situation may not be literally in
progress at the exact moment of speaking.
“We’re waiting for permission to go ahead
with the project.
“The Italian government is thinking about
changing the school system.
3. Describing temporary situations
When the present progressive is used in this way,
the situation described is NOT permanent.
“They are staying at the Waldorf Hotel until the
end of the week.
“He’s working in Libya on a 6-month contract.
“They are offering a 20% discount for the
duration of the trade fair.”
4. Changing, developing situations
We use the present progressive to describe
changes that have not yet finished:
“The number of people using the Internet is
growing.
“The Amazon rainforest is disappearing at an
alarming rate.
“Consumers in the industrialized world are
becoming more interested in healthy living.”
5. Personal arrangements and plans
We use the present progressive to refer to future
time when talking about arrangements and fixed
plans made before the time of speaking. N.B.: we
often use a time expression to make it clear that
we are talking about the future:
“I’m meeting Mr. Rossi at 10 o’clock tomorrow
morning.
“I’m taking our client to the best restaurant in
town this evening.”
What are you doing on Saturday
evening ?
--I’m meeting Sarah.
“She’s got a new job, so she’s leaving the firm in
November.”
We also use this tense with verbs of movement to
talk about actions which are just beginning:
 “It’s 1 o’clock. I’m going to the canteen for lunch.
Are you coming ?”
6. Talking about repeated actions:
 “My daughter is taking driving lessons.
 “His wife is always telling him not to work so
hard.
N.B.: If we describe repeated situations using
the present progressive with always, the
situation is often unplanned:
COMPARE:
 I always meet Tom at the bus stop. Then we
have a cup of coffee together before going to
work. (planned in advance).
 I’m always meeting Tom at the bus stop. (by
chance).