ECTS credits ECTS credits: 4
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 10 Expository Class: 10 Interactive Classroom: 55 Total: 75
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Campus Sur
Areas: Centro Superior de Hostelaría
Call: Annual
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
The objective of the subject English for Hotel Industry Executives is to consolidate the acquisition of a degree of communicative competence in the specific field of B2 Business English according to the descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A B2 level of communicative competence in general English will also be achieved. Students will improve their level of communicative competence through reception, production, interaction and mediation activities.
Specifically:
• Handling communication techniques: Through the writing of written texts and oral presentations, students will learn to handle different communication techniques, both written and oral.
• Working in English as a foreign language: Knowledge and use of the English language in different professional fields, and especially in the tourism-hotel and gastronomy environments, both in its oral and written form.
The student will learn linguistic aspects relevant to the acquisition of transferable skills such as time management and leadership and other communicative and interpersonal skills. These skills are key to being able to develop in management positions in companies with international relations. Likewise, issues related to risk analysis and crisis management will be discussed.
In addition, we will work on the concept of corporate social responsibility and the impact of the hospitality industry in developing countries in order to make strategic decisions that take sustainability into account.
During the course, more emphasis will be placed on the production of written texts in the business field, such as reports and proposals. In addition, the student will have to participate in a meeting or negotiation to reach some kind of final agreement. Students will also practice skills in personnel selection processes and simulate a job interview.
Basic references
• Most of the contents of the subject are included in the notes organized in a manual that will be available to students on the CSHG virtual campus.
• It is essential that they regularly access this campus as other teaching materials, links to useful resources for students and information on the organisation of the subject will be shared there.
• Students must use a good dictionary. We recommend Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (general English monolingual) or Collins Masters Dictionary (bilingual Spanish-English).
• Students can also consult other online dictionaries such as:
www.wordreference.com
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
www.dictionary.reference.com
www.m-w.com
www.dictionary.cambridge.org
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/
• Pronunciation:
http://www.howjsay.com/
http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/tts_example.php
• Grammar: It is also advisable to have a grammar reference with explanations and exercises for consultations and practice of aspects that are complicated for the student.
Recommendations:
British Council Grammar Reference
Business English Grammar Quizzes
• On the internet there are also a multitude of resources that facilitate learning, such as:
• General English:
BBC Learning English
British Council Learn English
• Business English:
British Council Business English
English Club Business English
Business English Site
Learn English Today Business English
• Other resources:
TED Talks
Talk English
News in Levels
Basic and General
B4.► That students can transmit information, ideas, methodologies, problems and solutions to both a specialized and non-specialized audience, both through oral and written communication in their field of study.
G1.► To train professionals who are capable of carrying out management and leadership tasks in hospitality business organisations, developing leadership skills, with a clear customer service orientation, a high capacity for permanent adaptation and innovation and orientation to results in the different areas of the sector, favouring sustainable development and respecting diversity and multiculturalism: Organize and analyze information, identify opportunities, define objectives and strategies, plan, design, and allocate resources, manage and motivate people, solve problems and make decisions, achieve objectives, and evaluate results.
Transferable
T3- Oral and written communication in the business environment
T4- Computer and ICT knowledge related to the field of study
T9- Recognition of diversity and multiculturalism
T11- Lifelong autonomous learning and adaptation to new situations
T14-Motivation for continuous improvement of quality and environmental sustainability
AV3- Respect, tolerance and personal and professional responsibility
Specific
E9-Handle communication techniques.
E11-Communicate orally and in writing in English or a second foreign language.
The methodology applied to the teaching of the subject is based on a multilingual approach whose objective is to ensure that students communicate effectively in contexts of their professional activity in which several linguistic codes and speakers of different languages coexist. It is therefore advisable for students to know and know how to use mediation strategies between different codes and speakers as a communicative skill. These mediation strategies will be personal or textual (in oral or written language) linked to the production, interaction or reception activities that are developed. Mediation may be carried out interlinguistically or intralinguistically, depending on the languages involved in the development of each activity.
Autonomous work, either individually or in small groups, will be necessary for the preparation of assigned tasks and mandatory readings. It will also be necessary for students to work autonomously using online resources that allow them to progress in their knowledge of general English. The students will also monitor their learning process and will have to work according to their needs to achieve the objectives of the subject.
In the subject English for Hotel Industry Executives, case studies will be used as another tool to integrate concepts and vocabulary. Each of them will consist of preliminary work in the classroom in small groups and autonomous work. Students will have to produce oral dialogues and written texts.
The subject will be taught in English, and all communication either between students or between students and the lecturer will take place in English as well. The subject has a transversal nature with other subjects. This subject will have three weekly sessions of 50 minutes duration. Depending on the number of students per class, this subject will be taught in small groups.
Given the applied and practical nature of this subject, it is mandatory to have the notes printed for the class. In some sessions, students will have to go to class with an electronic device (computer or tablet) to correctly follow the activities to be carried out in the classroom. Its use will be expressly authorized by the lecturer.
The following teaching-learning methods will be used for the development of the subject:
1. Classroom work with the lecturer. Since our main goal is to put the English language into practice, an active method is essential: students must use English to the fullest and participate in all tasks. The sessions will be subdivided into:
- Active work guided by the teacher in the class group: These sessions, in which the participation of students will also be encouraged, will be dedicated to giving general and introductory explanations, working on the basic material, vocabulary, concepts and exercises. There will be an opportunity for students to use English in the most effective and practical way by carrying out activities such as role-plays and simulations.
- Work in the language laboratory. We will use the computers in the language laboratory to work on listening skills. Students will take quizzes individually on the virtual campus about various listenings related to the content of some of the units. The work with these listening practices in a timely manner will be taken into account, as well as their result for the evaluation of the subject.
2. Independent individual work. Although the preparation will be done in part in the classroom with the lecturer, the student will have to dedicate part of his/her independent work time to the search for information, the structuring of written work, and the practice of oral presentations. It is important that each student dedicates effort to assimilate the specific lexicon by copying examples from the different contexts in which they are used to reinforce their competence.
For this course there will be a number of additional compulsory individual assignments. A self-assessment rubric will be used for the student and another for the lecturer to manage and monitor classroom work, oral practice and autonomous individual work. This includes the learning process demonstrated (attendance, participation, effort, and results).
3. Group work. Students will have to work in groups autonomously (with the possibility of supervision by the lecturer) with case studies that they will then have to present orally or in writing.
4. Additional English activities. Depending on the number of English language assistants available, conversation and/or support classes may be required.
5. Tutorials. Lecturers are available for tutorials always by appointment. The lecturer may also summon a student to give individualized feedback on their work. These sessions will be mandatory.
It is highly recommended to review the assessable tests, especially if the objectives set have not been achieved.
The assessment system in each of the opportunities to pass the subject will take into account all the activities carried out by the students that are indicated in the section corresponding to each opportunity detailed below. Students who do not pass the subject at the first opportunity will be entitled to a second opportunity, which will be the one that appears in the academic record in the event that the grade achieved is higher.
First ordinary opportunity:
The assessment system will be continuous and will include several exams to monitor the student's progress. The student's autonomous work and responsibility for their learning will also be evaluated. The student must demonstrate that they have completed the additional mandatory individual tasks and processes in a timely manner, otherwise the grade of the corresponding semester will be penalized by up to 10%.
The course is divided into two semesters and the average of the two constitutes the grade of the continuous assessment. Those students who obtain an average grade equal to or greater than 5 in each of the four skills worked on in the subject (specific written competence, grammatical competence, oral comprehension and oral production) and a continuous assessment mark equal to or greater than 6 will not need to take the final exam. In this case, the grade of the continuous assessment will constitute 100% of the grade of the subject.
A student who does not meet the above criteria to pass the continuous assessment will have to take a final exam. In the 1st opportunity, the grade of the final exam will count 40% and the grade of the continuous evaluation of the subject 60%.
For those students who must take the final exam, it will cover the entire subject of the course and will consist of three tests: a written exam (40%), an oral production exam (30%) and an oral comprehension exam (30%). To pass the subject, the weighted average between the continuous control and the final exam must be 5 or higher.
Aspects to be evaluated and percentages
1st SEMESTER
• Written proficiency (skill): 45%
• Listening comprehension (skill): 30%
• Oral production (skill): 25%
2nd SEMESTER
• Written proficiency (skill): 45%
• Listening comprehension (skill): 30%
• Oral production (skill): 25%
An evaluation rubric (and another for the student's self-evaluation integrated into their manual) will be used to manage and monitor classroom work, oral practice, autonomous individual work and other aspects related to the student's responsibility in relation to the subject. This includes the learning process demonstrated (attendance, participation, effort, and results). The student must demonstrate that they have completed all the tasks and processes in a timely manner, otherwise the grade of the corresponding semester will be penalized by up to 10%.
Those students exempt from taking the final exam and who, however, want to raise their grade, may present themselves at this first ordinary opportunity. They will have to take the three skills exam and their grade will be calculated as described in the previous paragraphs.
In the CSHG, punctual attendance is mandatory and an important part of the student's training, so repeated absences from face-to-face activities will be considered a lack of performance and will therefore affect the grade of the subject, as follows:
• Total calculation of face-to-face hours (75 hours): 30% of absences and penalty of -1 point (23 hours); 60% absences and penalty of -2 points (46 hours).
• If the student reaches 80% of absences out of the total number of face-to-face hours, the subject will be considered failed with a grade of 0.
Extraordinary second opportunity:
On this occasion, all the contents of the subject will be evaluated. A final exam (with the same sections and percentages as in the 1st opportunity) will be the only evaluation tool, so that it will no longer average with the continuous evaluation. To pass this second opportunity exam and thus pass the subject, students must obtain a weighted average grade according to the percentages indicated below of 5 or higher. (Written competence (skill): 45% Listening comprehension (skill): 30% Oral production (skill): 25%)
Subsequent calls:
Students who must pass the subject in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th call (both in the 1st and 2nd opportunities) will be evaluated only by means of a final exam with the sections and percentages indicated for the final exam in the 1st call. To pass it, they must obtain a weighted average grade according to the percentages indicated above of 5 or higher.
The training activities and their dedication in hours will be as follows:
• Lectures (10 hours), interactive lectures (40 hours), multimedia classroom sessions (12 hours), oral presentations (3 hours), exams and tutorials (10 hours), and autonomous student work (45 hours).
It is assumed that students have achieved a B2 level of competence in general and specific English according to the CEFR in the third year, which will be consolidated in the fourth year.
Students must get the most out of the classes, so an active method and participatory attitude are essential: English must be used to the maximum and actively participate in all tasks, since it is a fundamental part of the course methodology to acquire the necessary fluency to work in that language.
Mobile phones or other devices (computer or tablet) must remain switched off in the classroom. Any use of mobile phones or other electronic devices must be expressly authorised by the lecturer. In the event that a student does not meet these necessary conditions for the proper development of their learning, the lecturer may deny them their attendance at the class session. All these issues will have an impact on the student's grade.
Inmaculada Gigirey Liste
Coordinador/a- Department
- Campus Sur
- Area
- Centro Superior de Hostelaría
- inmaculada.gigirey [at] usc.es
- Category
- Not Applicable
María Cristina Casal Barreiro
- Department
- Campus Sur
- Area
- Centro Superior de Hostelaría
- mariacristina.casal [at] usc.es
- Category
- Not Applicable