Concerns of teachers of business English

CONTRARY to popular belief, business English teaching principles were known and practised before English for general and cultural purposes was taught. Those of us earning our living from business might pause to commemorate the 500th anniversary of business English.

We can trace the roots of business English back to the writing, in 1498, of the Little Treatise for the Learn English and French by a printer, Winkyn de Worde. His purpose was to be able to carry on his business "so that (he) may do (his) merchandise in France and elsewhere in other lands".

Teaching English for business has two purposes: knowing about business and communicating in business. Students will need different doses of them, depending on their situation. Surprisingly, the emphasis was on knowing about by the late 1980s. Then Doug Pickett, the late LCCI examinations officer, highlighted how both were essential to a business career. The pendulum swung towards communicating in.

Now there are signs that the pendulum may be swinging back a little in the other direction. The reason is simple. Teachers of business English and teachers of English as a Foreign Language who want to become business English teachers want to know more about business.

They want to know more about the stock market, accounts, finance and production. They want to know more about the language which business people use. They want help with increasingly young pre-service business English learners and want more lower-level business English materials. They want to know how to deal with difficult questions from business English learners, how to do need analysis, and how to make materials and activities relevant and interesting.

These were some of the responses of participants at a recent training session attended by would-be and practising business English teachers. The questions were: "What would you like to know more about?" and "What are your biggest problems as business English teachers?"

The latest teaching qualification from the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board addresses many of these teachers' concerns. The Foundation Certificate for Teachers of Business English (FTBE) is an internationally-accepted qualification which introduces the teaching of business English to qualified teachers of general English.

Teaching business English is now seen as a profession in its own right, and the FTBE aims to develop basic knowledge of the profession. It consists of three parts: Firstly, professional skills covers needs analysis, syllabus design, lesson planning, feedback and evaluation, and the special "client approach" which a business English teacher needs to develop.

Secondly, methodology and materials include particular teaching approaches, materials and classroom management styles used with business English course participants. Lastly, basic business terminology, formats and language are dealt with, along with specific areas such as corporate structures and marketing principles.

The teaching of business English has become increasingly professional, encompassing language knowledge, communication skills, cross-cultural skills and management skills. Moreover, to be credible, business English teachers need knowledge of business. Formerly, this was not something expected of the business English teacher.

No more. Particularly in pre-service teaching and in emerging economies where a business culture is weakly rooted, business knowledge is a requirement for the professional business English teacher. While there are now plenty of books and training courses to help EFL teachers, business English still has comparatively little guidance for those who want to specialise in it. The FTBE, therefore, represents a valuable qualification for anyone working in the field, whether they be EFL teachers or teachers with the occasional business class.

It is also a good starting point for anyone wanting to move further into business English, whether from a general English or a business background. As business English becomes more international in scope, the world will need more qualified business English teachers. In the next 500 years, they will carry on the work started by de Worde, providing help in knowing about and communicating in business, and developing international relationships at the same time.

Language Works, in partnership with the LCCI and the Malaysian Association of Productivity, is offering an intensive Foundation Certificate for Teachers of Business English course.