VIVY LUVIANA/ELS-EDU/P0600214050

ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE MID TERM PROJECT

(FOR BUSINESS PURPOSE)
My previous real experience in teaching Business English in a private course
I had a previous real experience of teaching English for Specific Purpose in a
private course in my hometown in 2013, but it was not for business purpose, I would
say. It was for occupational purpose, as all of my students were workers of PT Askes
Baubau branch office, which is a state-owned company, so there was no making
money orientation at all while performing their duties, but providing affordable health
services to public.
I began teaching them in their company after their working hours for a threemonth period of an extensive course. Most of the time, I got them exposed to their
authentic materials, pertaining to their working situations, such as how to serve
customers, handle problems when they arose as well as work with their business
associates, so as to meet their main purpose for being assigned to sit for such a
course, that is, to make them able to correspond with either the company foreign
business associates or foreign customers in particular and to increase their human
resource quality in general. It followed then classroom activities designed for them
had to be the ones which would encourage them to use their language to optimal
level. Hence, I opted for discussion, role play, simulations of working situations,
problem solving, and games.
Overall, it seemed that the course was effective for them as they extended their
contract for another three-month period by the time the first ended even though it
was not I anymore responsible for teaching them, but my colleague. However
effective it was, I learned a lesson from this very course, that is, particularly, for
working learners, the time for class meetings had to be previously set as well as
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possible. As with my experience since all the learners were busy workers, particularly
at the end of each month, even after their working hours, in many occasions, class
meetings that had been scheduled had to be postponed for a long enough time,
resulting in the course to be overdue, taking five instead of three months to complete.
The imaged Business English class in Makassar where I am assigned to teach
As I imagine my clients are all employed and have specific needs for learning
English in concern with their specific responsibility at work, that is, negotiating
business, the nature of my BE class would as a consequence be English for Specific
Business Purpose (ESBP). The profiles of my clients are then described in the right
section to follow.
The profile of my clients
My clients are all employees of Human Resource and Development Department
of PT. BIMA ALKETSA, one of the distributor companies located in Walter
Mongonsidi 83, Makassar of a total of 5 persons; 3 males and 2 females ranking
right under the level of supervisor, able to speak English with certain degree of
fluency, aging between 28 30 years old, all married, and responsible for dealing
negotiations with foreign manufacturing companies for their health products which
will be later distributed to hospitals in and around Makassar at a profitable deal.
As to their educational background, those of my clients are pretty homogeneous;
four graduated from Business, with only one from International Relationship School,
while their origin regions vary a lot; one from Jakarta, one Bandung, one Kendari,
and two Makassar. As to their working experiences, before their hiring for PT BIMA
ALKETSA, which is approaching a year by this time, they had worked for other
companies specializing in the same field for around 2 years; only the business
associates of their former working company were all domestic, while those with PT
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BIMA ALKETSA are all foreign, that is, Asian and American manufacturing
companies.
The communicative functioning of English in my BE class
The communicative functioning of English in my BE class is determined by its
discourse community, business genre, key communicative events, and functions of
the language that affect the choices of lexis and grammar.
o Discourse community
The discourse community which refers to a group of people speaking the
same language and interacting within a set of shared norms (Labov, 1972b: 120-1
in Routledge (2007: 84); Morgan 2001, p.31 in Wardhaugh (2006: 124)) of my
BE class, consists of all parties involved in the selling and buying-out of the
health products. They are the sellers, the buyers and the rival companies. More
specifically, however, representatives of foreign manufacturing companies, my
clients, and the counterparts negotiators from other competing companies who
all speak English language when communicating and interacting together within a
certain norm is what form the real discourse community of my BE class.
The discourse of this community, however, does not go in a random direction.
It is rather a more prescribed way of communication, determined, as
acknowledged before, by a norm shared by all its members, as a resultant of three
factors combined, giving rise to differences in the ways of communicating
between and among the parties involved. Those three factors are how long a
relationship has been established, how the position of the power lies, and how
cultures of the involved parties influence the way they value things, thus resulting
particular acts on the basis of those values (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998:61).

VIVY LUVIANA/ELS-EDU/P0600214050
With some Asian manufacturing companies, for example, in which the
relationship has been established for quite some time and the power of negotiation
is pretty much even, the way my clients hold discourse with representatives of
those companies may become less formal in nature; using less formal words and
less strict grammar. In the meantime, as an impact of sharing the same Asian
cultural background, their way of communication is very likely to be also
attributed by some go-arounds, saying things indirectly, with quite many uses of
nonverbal signals. But if the relationship has just been built, even if it is backed
up with some commonality of Asian culture, the use of more formal words and
stricter grammar, may be opted by my clients as part of a strategy to make a good
image on their company as a whole, which is of significance for giving ways for
maintaining such a new relationship in the future.
In contrast with American manufacturing companies, either their relationship
has been long established or just built or either the power of the parties involved
is even or not, the use of direct words and expressions, with the least nonverbal
signal, if nothing at all, is opted by my clients in any communicative events when
communicating with those western representatives as part of my client awareness
of western culture, i.e. placing high value on straightforwardness on
communication. With those from long-established-relationship companies
however, the formality in terms of word choices and grammar may be reduced to
some extent while with those of new ones, formality of language may be
maintained to a relatively higher degree.
As to counterparts, the nature of the discourse between them and my clients is
quite a different thing. Rather than the three factors acknowledged, the strategies

VIVY LUVIANA/ELS-EDU/P0600214050
and tactics employed to win a deal or defeat the other are what more determinant
for their discourse as for one reason, they are rivals to each other. It follows then
there is no need for building and maintaining relationships the same way as it is
with foreign manufacturing company representatives since in nature they are
rivals to one another, resulting in the use of direct, formal-informal words as well
as nonverbal signals are so much dependent on the particular atmosphere of a
negotiation at the concerned time.
o Business genre
The genre which refers to specific type of language use based on shared
purpose (Arhus, 2005) of my BE class is a buyout negotiation genre, as opposed
to the one maintained in Dudley-Evans and St John, a sales negotiation genre,
(1998: 63). This genre of my clients just a others typical uses of language is
determined by considering their purpose of using language, both in written and
spoken, such as in their written documents and their spoken presentation and
negotiation which must be for buying out the health products. So if sales
negotiation genre is a genre used on the part of the seller as their purpose is to sell
their products, buyout negotiation genre is that on the part of my clients.
o Key communicative events
Communicative events refer to an event in which the role of language is
seminal and central, consisting of the discourse, the role of the discourse, the
environment as well as the culture surrounding it (Swales, 1990:46 in Arhus)
For my BE class, its key communicative events consist of three, i.e.
socializing events, meeting events, and negotiating events (Dudley-Evan and St
John, 1998:64), as the following:
Socializing events

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Socializing events refer to a situation where relationship is built and or
maintained. Parties involved in selling and buying business negotiation may
socialize in or out of work, directly or indirectly with subject of socialization

is not pertaining to the negotiation matters.

Meeting events
Meeting events refer to the occasions where all parties involved in the
business negotiation, that is to say, the foreign manufacturing company
representatives, my clients, and the counterparts, sit together in a conference
in certain scheduled place and time to start discussing their shared interests
and the possibilities of meeting them.

Negotiating events
Negotiating events are core events where rounds of proposals, bargains, and
alternatives are made and respond to before eventually a deal or a contract for

one of the buying parties is settled.

o The functions
The functions of English which refer to the purposive nature of
communication (Brown, 1993:232-4) and which in concern with the social acts as
well as the specific intention of speaker (Hutchinson and Water, 1991: 39) of my
BE class can be elaborated into some as follows:
Socializing events
to introduce their selves and others
to respond to others introductions
to greet business associates or counterparts
to respond to others greeting
to do small talk
to respond to others small talk
to offer something
to respond to others offer
to ask for something
to respond to others responses
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VIVY LUVIANA/ELS-EDU/P0600214050

to invite others to an occasion

to accept an invitation or an offer
to decline an invitation or an offer
to signal the end of talk
to part
Meeting events
to thank the chairman
to address conference participants
to introduce their company
to say opening statements of proposal presentation
to introduce the first section of proposal presentation
to make a point
to move forward
to quote the trading points, such as the desired numbers of products and

the prices
to change subject
to signal a willingness to discuss it
to hand the floor to the chairman
Negotiating events
to counter-bargain other parties
to debate
to question
to interrupt
to offer a new bargain
to insist
to give reasons
to employ tactics
to warn
to propose an alternative or suggestions
to ask a tradeoff
to propose terms and conditions
to take turns
to agree
to disagree
to remind
to confirm
to close a deal
to arrange the payment system
to end negotiation
to thank
o Lexis and grammar
Lexis
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Lexis or vocabularies refer to single words or sets of words
(assets.cambridge.org)
Semi-technical vocabularies
Some semi-technical or core vocabularies in business are as
follows:
-

high-ball
low-ball
bottom-line
log-rolling
deadlock
turnkey
rapport
proposal
bargain
trading points
deal points
trade-off
clauses
counterattack
counterproposal
counterpart
counteroffer
counterbid
joint-venture
margin
range
concessions
terminate
provisions
bullying
follow-on business
margin
bedrock price
alternatives
offer
collective
deal
compromise
commitment
estimate
figure-out
negotiate
point out

mandatory
associate
memorandum
deadlock
procurement
one-off deals
win-lose model
offer
compensate
solicitation
ultimatum
walkaway
lose-lose model
leverage
acquisition
requisition
terms
conditions
quote
rebate
consensus
scope
termination
win-win results
zero-sum game
parties
bluff
bargain price
proposal
amplify
bargain
conflict resolution
agreement
discount
feasible
know-how
renegotiate
supply
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-

supplier
work-out
give and take
early stages
stall
progress
accept
agree
confirm
explain
object
order
recommend
reject
reply
say
talk
wonder

tender
persuade
budge
bluff
break down
renegotiate
advice
disagree
consider
invite
offer
query
refuse
remind
respond
speak
tell

Taken from:

https://www.englishclub.com/business-english/negotiations-

vocabulary.htm
http://www.learn-english-today.com/business-english/negotiations-

vocabulary.html
http://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/negotiations/exercises/negotiati

ons_essentials1/negotiations_essentials1.html
http://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/negotiations/exercises/negotiati

ons_essentials2/negotiations_essentials2.html
(Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998: 79)

Collocated words
Some collocated words in business are as follows:
- suggest an alternative
- aware of
- step into
- an evasive answer
- strong argument
- annual turnover
- keep in mind
- break off negotiations
- close a deal
- close a meeting
- end negotiations
- come to a point
- dismiss an offer
- draw a conclusion
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VIVY LUVIANA/ELS-EDU/P0600214050
-

draw your attention to

launch a new product
go into partnership
make a loss
make a profit
land a deal
receive a discount
bear in mind
chair a meeting
sales figures
cease trading
market forces
do business
vested interest
shared interest
current liabilities
hedge funds
Taken from:

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations-list.htm,
www.englishleap.com/vocabulary/collocations,
http://englishwithatwist.com/2014/09/12/englishcollocations-series-words-that-collocate-with-conversation/)

Lexical phrases
Some useful lexical phrases for a business negotiation can be such
as follows:
- To welcome participants:
Good morning everyone...
Wed like to thank you all for coming today...
Its good to see you all today...
- To open a proposal presentation
Now, lets make a start...
Lets get down to business...
- To introduce the first section in proposal presentation:
The first section of our presentation is...
We would like to start with...
So, lets start with...
- To make forward
Now, lets move on to...
Wed like to move on to the next section...
Moving on to the next section, lets take a look at...
- To propose:
Our basic position is...
Regarding your offer, our position is...
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We would like to propose at...

To make a point
Personally, we think...
In our opinion...
The way we see it...
Obviously...
To compromise:
We would be willing to...
Wed like to make an alternative
Its accepted under one condition
To respond to suggestions:
Maybe it would be better to...
Perhaps a better idea would be...
From where we stand, a better solution might be...
To agree:
Thats a fair suggestion
We dont see any problem with that
I think everyone is happy with that
To disagree:
Thats not really how we see it...
Were afraid, we could not agree with you..
It would be less than my company used to...
To clarify:
Are suggesting that...?
I am not sure we fully understand your point
Could you be more specific?
To give reasons:
The reason for that is...
This is because...

Grammar
Some aspects of grammar which may matter to business negotiations are
as follows:
1. Verb
To indicate one position during negotiation processes, different verbs
can be used as the following:
- Strong verbs
The use of strong verb, such as assert, maintain, emphasize,
establish and insist shows that the concerned party is in a
stronger power position in a negotiation, thus not being open
to many compromises.
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VIVY LUVIANA/ELS-EDU/P0600214050
-

Neutral verbs
Neutral verb form, such as mention, point out, say, and state
are used to indicate willingness to comprise, implying that the
involved parties are pretty much even in the power for

bargaining.
Weak verbs
The use of weak verb forms, such as offer, suggest, and
consider, indicates willingness to take others sides, implying
less strong power.

2. Tense
Main tenses in business negotiation are presents, pasts, and futures.
- Present tenses are used when talking events in current times.
- Past tenses are typically used for events that already occurred,
such as mentioning sales and buyout figures of a last year
-

contract.
Future tenses are used when talking about future events or
possibilities that may happen in a future, like if a certain

contract is dealt.
3. Modal
- Will, shall, could and should can be used to give advice or
-

suggestion.
Must, may, might, and could can be used to express degree of
certainty. With must, the degree is around 95%, while with the

rest, the degree is less than 50% (Azar, 1993: 89)

But in their negative form, the degree of certainty is reversed:
could not, and cannot are in around 99% sure; must not 95%
sure, while may not and might not less than 50% (Azar, 1993:

92)
4. Imperatives
Imperatives can be also used to give suggestions.
Example:
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Make it lower by 5%!
Such sentence, however, make a suggestion sound more like an order,
which is very likely uttered by a stronger party with long enough
relationship and probably from western culture.
5. Auxiliary
- To be is used to express certainty
Example:
Our trading point is 5% higher.
- Auxiliary do can be used to emphasize
Example:
Do consider the terms!
Do renegotiate!
6. Conditionals
- Conditional type clause I is used when the talk orients on
-

future actions or consequences.

Conditional type clause II and III are used to imply meanings
indirectly.
Example:
If our company had a choice to agree, we would be
happy for it.
It implies:
We do not want to take your offer.
If only your company had dealt with us, each party
would have enjoyed a greater profit.
The implied meaning may be:
That is at your loss for not granting our proposal last
year, but to our counterparts from whom you could not
make maximum profits. So if you guys can think with
common sense, you will not handle this contract to
them anymore, but us.

The specific expectation of my BE students

Specific expectations of my clients regarding the whole course design of my BE
class are presented in the following table:

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Items of expectations
My clients expectations
the number of students in a not more than 6 persons
class
course type
course length
course starting time
the numbers of weekly

an extensive course
a month
early September
two times

meetings
class meeting duration
place of class meeting
time of class meeting
range of material
type of material
material selections
type of interaction
reference
approach
skills prioritized
classroom activities

two hours each

their company
16.30 18.30 p.m
specific to sales-buyout negotiation only
written and spoken
by tutor and clients
teachers as facilitator
all provided by tutor
Communicative approach
Speaking
- some tutoring on related language
-

facilities

skill
simulation

of

meeting

and

negotiating situations
recordings, internet, overhead projector, air
conditioner, a round table in the middle of
the class, chairs, and other usual class

procedures of assessment
payment system
time of payment

equipment
classroom assessment
all arranged by the company
- all paid in advance;
- some extra will be given if feedback
is satisfactory

dress rules

formal

The role of cross-cultural communication in my BE class

The essence of the role of cross-cultural communication in my BE class is to
increase cultural awareness and understanding so as to increase communication, thus
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enhancing abilities to work together with others from diverse cultures; starting from
acknowledging individual differences, recognizing our own cultures and the cultures
of others, then showing appreciation to them being aware that differences in culture
are very likely to be reflected as their typical ways of using language.
In an international business workplace such as the one my clients have, cross
cultural awareness and understanding will give them a basis to respect the general
predilection of Asian representatives to go around in saying things as well as general
tendency of American representatives to say something directly instead of judging
them as like to waste time and like to be rude as such ways are inherent so stress
and frustration can be lowered. It follows then such awareness will induce my clients
willingness so will other parties to adjust themselves to those inherently
differential ways of using of language as an impact of their respective cultures. It will
by then give rise to conflict management, relationship maintenance, professional save
facing, and success making.
The management theory and practice in my BE class
The management theory and practice refers to the integration of theories of
business and the practices of it; the tendency of how people are conducting business
nowadays. Such a management matters a lot to do as practices of business are prone
to change over time according to the current developments into such a way that may
not match anymore with some of the aspects as prescribed in its theories.
As a case in point, as theoretically prescribed, that negotiating events during a
meeting are core events of a business negotiation where offers are brought and deals
are closed. However, as mentioned by Firth (1995:6) in Dudley-Evans and St John
(1998:63), the actual bargaining may not be happening at that given meeting, but
instead after it; which can be done through either telephoning or corresponding, that
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is, the deals may get settled through telephone conversations, faxes, or emails, thus
demanding all parties involved in negotiations to be skillful at those two
communicative events, too, not simply on the face-to-face encounter like in a meeting
or negotiating events.
Another situation where theories and practices are in the need for solid
management is the tendency of business people nowadays to rely their negotiations
on social media.
For that purpose, it then requires particular attempts from my part as my clients
consultants to always encourage them to stay in touch with the latest development of
business world, particularly, of their field in which one way to do that is by providing
a television set, internet connections, and periodicals whose issues pertaining to those
of business, particularly that of sales and buyout negotiation in my BE classroom. By
so doing, not only my clients will benefit from it, but also I do myself as it will help
me get better sense of their general working situations so as to help them learn
language skills better.
The communication skills and training need by me and my students
I think I need communication skills training on interpersonal skill and interacting
skill. With interpersonal and interacting skill, I can enhance my capability to build
relationships with my students. Other skills are business and negotiation skills. It is
not that I want to master business and negotiation the way business people and
negotiators do, but to provide myself with a sense of real touch of how to manage
business and hold negotiations; understanding underlying principles of business and
negotiations and how they are reflected in our ways of managing business and
negotiations. By so doing, I hope I will be able to perform my services more skillfully
to my students.
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In the part of my students, in addition to language skills, they are in the need of
various skills necessary for performing their prime responsibility at negotiations.
They are, among others, public speaking skill, presentation skill, influencing skill,
interpersonal skill, and negotiation skills so they are faced with such a new and
frustrating situation they will just know how to deal with ease and grace. They will
know better how to come across to others, speak honestly and confidently, but
assertive; become aware of body language; master their emotions; give and receive
criticism constructively; present themselves as powerful, but not intimidating; and say
what they need to say without offending or creating conflict which are all vital for
their success in whole steps of negotiation.
After all the imagination, I think I am not really eligible to assume such a BE teacher
position since I only master language skills without any supporting skills in business
and negotiations. Many may argue that it would not be necessary for an English
teacher to have such knowledge and skill, but to me, I would not take it that easy as
the situation of my prospective clients are very specific, requiring particular attention
in the sense of how to make language works for their business as they have tough
responsibilities for their company. Their success and their failure will bring direct
significant impacts on it. The situation will be of much difference more relaxing and
less demanding if my clients are only students or job-seekers in which they do not
have that much at stake, nor much expectation to meet. Therefore, to be honest with
myself, I feel kind of ineligible for teaching them, not until I have equipped myself
with appropriate and adequate knowledge and skills in business and negotiations.
Some things to do before I fulfill such a position as a BE teacher, as the following:
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1. Attending online training courses from abroad for general English teachers
with no experience who want to teach business.
2. Studying hard by reading a lot from various sources or watching many videos
which in concern with business and negotiations. It may also be that I attend
conferences or seminars or for business English teachers.
3. Once I feel eligible to assume that position, I would go consult my students
head department as to setting the exact time for their class meetings and
determining the consequences for skipping class meeting schedule as I do not
want what happened to my previous experience reoccurs.
I think such BE class can be carried out in my hometown, however, it may not be the
popular one for the local people to sit in as the prevailing interest of people, as far as I
am concerned, is with tourism. So if there will be any Business English course, it has
to be the one in relation with tourism.
Three most important learnt lessons
1. Teaching English for Specific Business Purpose can be very stressful and tiring if
we do not have appropriate knowledge and skills both in language and in
business.
2. Teaching English for Specific Purposes can be such a very promising area for a
professional carrier as it can be a good way of making money.
3. Teaching English for Specific Purposes has to be conducted at big cities, not in
small town as it may not match their needs yet.

REFERENCES

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Brown, Douglas H. 1993. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. The United
States of America: Tina Carver.
Dudley-Evans and St John, Maggie Jo. 1998. Developments in English for Specific
Purposes, A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hutchinson, Tom and Waters, Alan. 1987. English for Specific Purposes, A Learningcentered approach. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Routledge Companion to Sociolinguistics. 2007. New York. Routledge.
Wardhaugh, Ronald. 2006. An Introduction to Linguistics, Fifth Edition. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishing.

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