Course description

Title of the Teaching Unit

English- Corporate Communication & Economic Issues - Vol B

Code of the Teaching Unit

13ULG96

Academic year

2026 - 2027

Cycle

Number of credits

Number of hours

Quarter

Weighting

Site

Anjou

Teaching language

English

Teacher in charge

List Nikolas

Objectives and contribution to the program

General objective
This English course is designed for students following the bilingual (French-English)
Bachelor in Business Management. It is divided into 3 compulsory modules:
? Academic Writing
? Pitch Theater
? Persuasive Public Speaking
The (Bilingual) Job Interview is assessed as part of another course – please see the
document related to the course 13ULG90-A.
The 3 modules are taught by different teachers.
Building on the language and communication foundations developed in Blocks 1 and 2,
this course shifts the focus toward advanced, professional-level communication and
academic skills.
Communication is approached as a performance skill — developed through practice,
coaching, feedback, and real-world application — preparing students for the
communication demands of academic and professional environments.
Objectives
The course aims at developing the communication skills of students both in corporate and
academic contexts and focuses on oral and written (academic and professional)
communication. Moreover, English courses at ICHEC aim at making students fully
operational in English, thus increasing the possibility of international exchanges during
their studies as well as their employability on a local and international fast-changing job
market.
Contribution to the program
Through academic writing, theater pitching, and public speaking, the course strengthens
students' ability to structure arguments, write with rigor, present with confidence, and
persuade diverse audiences in realistic academic and professional situations —
consolidating the professional proficiency students are expected to reach by the end of the bilingual Bachelor's program.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Students should have successfully completed the first-year course (B1 - "English
corporate communication skills and socio-economic issues") and second-year course (B2
- "English Economic Issues, Corporate Communication and Academic Skills") and have
reached a B2+ CEFR language level.

Content

. Developing Impact & Influence
This course focuses on business and academic communication as a tool for impact and
influence. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
? structure and deliver persuasive, well-argued messages in academic and
professional contexts;
? pitch and defend ideas with clarity, credibility, and conviction;
? speak in public and debate complex topics with structure, evidence, and
composure;
? produce polished, well-argued academic writing;
? strengthen their voice, presence, and confidence in high-stakes communication
situations;
? provide constructive feedback and collaborate effectively with peers.
2. Performance-Based Learning
This course is based on the principle that communication is a performance skill developed
through practice, feedback, and interaction. Much of the learning takes place through
public speaking, pitch theater, and guided writing workshops. The implications of this
approach for attendance, participation, and assessment are outlined in the section below.

Teaching methods

In-class interactive sessions
Performance-based learning
This course is built on the principle that communication is a performance skill. Like public
speaking, negotiation, or competitive debate, it can only be developed through repeated
practice, experimentation, coaching, and feedback. Each session functions as a workshop
where students actively engage in public speaking, theater pitching, writing exercises, and
other performance-based activities. The course also aims at providing students with the
necessary skills and tools to progress and communicate in English in a corporate context,
on economic issues, and in public speaking on various topics, as well as at developing
academic and pitch-writing skills. The learning experience is created through participation
and interaction with peers and therefore cannot be fully reproduced through independent
study, recordings, or written materials.
Active engagement and teamwork
Students are expected to play an active role in their own learning and in the learning of
others. This includes coming prepared, participating fully in all activities, submitting
assignments on time, and showing a willingness to experiment, improve, and step outside
their comfort zone. Many activities involve teamwork, peer coaching, peer feedback, and
collaborative performances. Students are therefore expected to contribute constructively
to group work and to support the development of their classmates. The quality of the
learning experience depends on the commitment and engagement of the entire group.
Supportive learning environment and classroom setting
The course promotes a supportive, respectful, and encouraging learning environment in
which students are invited to take risks, try new approaches, and learn through practice.
The classroom is organized to encourage interaction, movement, and participation.
Depending on the activity, students may be asked to rearrange tables and chairs to create
space for public speaking, theater pitching presentations, and activities focused on voice,
body language, stage presence, and the effective use of space. Students are encouraged
to wear comfortable clothing and footwear that allow them to participate fully in practical
exercises.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is not simply an administrative requirement; it is a core component of the
course pedagogy. Because learning occurs through live practice, coaching, rehearsal,
observation, and feedback, each session provides learning opportunities that cannot be
replicated outside the classroom. For this reason, attendance is mandatory. The detailed
attendance rules are as follows:
Attendance Requirement for Module Assessments
Attendance requirements apply to all B3 bilingual 13ULG94-A / 13ULG96-A course
modules. Each term is divided into three modules.
To be eligible to present a module's assessment, students may not be absent more than
once per module (two absences are permitted for the Public Speaking module). The only
valid justification for such absences is a medical certificate or proof of family
bereavement. Students who do not meet this attendance requirement will not be
permitted to present the corresponding module assessment. Student employment does
not constitute a valid justification for absence.
How to prepare for the interactive class?
Before the course, do the assignments, readings, exercises required. During the course:
take an active part in the activities: public speaking, theater pitching, writing workshops,
discussions. Devote time outside class to prepare for the assignments and exercises.
Course material
All the necessary resources and study material for the course will be available on Moodle
(documents, handouts and leaflets, videos...).

Assessment method

The final grade will be an average of the Public Speaking, Academic Writing, and Pitch
Theater modules. All exams are compulsory to obtain a final grade for the course. If the
average for the 3 modules is below 10/20, students will need to retake all 3 modules.
Attendance is mandatory for all three modules (see section Attendance Policy). Students
who do not meet the attendance requirement for a module will not be permitted to present
that module's assessment.
If a student is absent for one of the assessments, he/she will need to retake that module's
exam. Students retaking the academic writing exam in August will be assigned an
individual essay. Note that only absences with medical certificates (or proof of
bereavement) will be taken into consideration.
To progress throughout the year, students are encouraged to participate actively in the
interactive class. This oral participation is also taken into account in the evaluation.
The assessment procedures may vary from one exam session to the other. Students may
be evaluated by other language teachers, in order to make grading as objective as
possible.
To succeed, students will have to demonstrate a sufficient mastery of BOTH written and
oral skills. Moreover, students will have to demonstrate the appropriate business skills
from the professional proficiency LinkedIn Framework.
The details of each module’s assessment will be explained by each teacher and made
available on each module’s Moodle page.