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Teaching

BSc in Business, Language and Culture (BLC)

FAQ
Here we have collected some of the many questions prospective BLC students might have about the teaching:
What is Area Studies at the BLC programme?
Companies and organisations think globally and act locally. The courses in Area studies will give you knowledge and insight into how economic, political, social and cultural aspects in a specific region shape the environment, in which companies and organisations act.
You will achieve insights into at least three areas defined by their language. The first two are the British & American language areas. The third will be either a French-, German- or Spanish-speaking region according to your choice.
The Area Studies' classes are divided into lectures, class teaching and language training. Each of these classes has a different purpose.
  1. During the lectures, you will learn about the economic, political and socio-cultural context of your language area. You have two tasks for these lectures. The first is to prepare the texts carefully beforehand (reading them at least once thoroughly, looking up words you do not know, checking grammar constructions you do not understand, and trying to figure out the overall message of the texts and the main concepts used). Your second task is to listen. Even if you feel you only understand a few words, this is a very valuable activity, as you are training your mind to hear and make sense of the foreign language. You will find that within a few weeks you will be able to understand much more. So pay a great deal of attention and work hard at making sense of what is said.
  2. During the class teaching, your tasks are to practice your spoken language skills as much as possible and do your best to grasp the concepts and content of the texts. This means carefully preparing the texts, so that you can ask the teacher questions if you need to; and do your best to participate in discussions - even if you feel you lack the exact words you need
  3. During the language training, focus is on your grammar and your spoken and written language. Your job is to work independently with grammatical points that you find difficult, and to get as much as possible out of the classes by carefully preparing the tasks set by the teacher.
How do you learn languages at the BLC programme?
At the BLC programme, foreign language learning is an integrated part of the study programme. This means that you will develop your communicative skills by using the two languages that form part of the programme: reading articles and books, attending lectures, writing assignments, and participating in class discussions and group work.
The major part of the programme is taught in English. The exceptions are the classes about your second foreign language area. These courses are all taught in the language in question and all readings are in the language of your choice, i.e. French, German or Spanish.
Is there any specific language training?
  • British/American language:
    Grammar will be introduced to the extent that it helps you acquire fluency and proficiency in English. Part of the goal of the courses is to help you improve your oral and written communicative skills and to facilitate and ensure your progress; you will be asked to make oral presentations in class and hand in written assignments. This includes a focus on your acquiring a high level of correctness, adequate use of specialist terminology, oral and text comprehension and fluency. Grammar will be included as one of the tools towards achieving that, but there is no specific or systematic teaching of grammar.
  • French/German/Spanish language:
    Specific language courses will help you improve your basic grammar skills, pronunciation as well as your reading and oral comprehension. To facilitate and ensure your progress, you will be asked to make oral presentations in class and multiple choice tests.
What to expect in terms of language level in French, German or Spanish?
The level at the BLC programme is naturally higher than at high school, and initially you are likely to find it a challenge to have classes, where only a foreign language is spoken. But our experience shows that you will quickly be able to follow more and more of what is said, especially if you prepare the texts carefully before classes and work on your language as much as possible outside classes.
This does not mean looking up every single word you do not understand in the dictionary! It means attempting to work out the main messages in the texts, and working with dictionaries, internet tools and, most importantly of all, your teachers, to help you get the gists. One trick is to highlight everything you understand in a text first, and see what you get out of it, rather than just focusing on what you do not understand.
What do you learn in Economics at the BLC programme?
During the three years at BLC, students are introduced to economics through different courses such as statistics, microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics, and finance. For example, statistics focus on useful practical examples and exercises, where students get familiar with basic excel manipulations of data.
The required level of mathematics is low, and there is no usage of advanced stuff.
Another example of the economics taught at BLC is the macroeconomics that focuses on relationships between interest rates, exchange rates and balance of payments, and discuss subjects such as: what determines exchange rates in the short and long run? Is it possible to predict future exchange rates? The mathematics used is at a basic level. The primary supporting tool is diagrams, which are used extensively to illustrate reasoning.
What is peer-to-peer learning in project work?
The first and third year of the BLC bachelor programme culminates in a written project. In these projects you will apply knowledge acquired from courses to answer specific questions from a business and a cultural perspective. The project works are group-based. You will work with fellow students on a topic of mutual interest, refine this topic into a research question, and design, conduct and write the project. Your group will receive supportive critique from an adviser that will ensure that your group stays on the right track in terms of content and method. Yet, it is up to your group to choose the topic and to organise the work.
Project works are concentrated periods of five to six weeks, during which you will go through an intensive learning process with your group. Sharing ideas and knowledge, critical and constructive debates with your fellow students will allow you to obtain a much better result together than working on your own. And most importantly, it helps you develop the team-work skills that are essential for your future career.
Why obligatory assignments and presentations?
Some courses include obligatory assignments as an element of the teaching method. An assignment is a small paper, a multiple choice test or an oral presentation in class. The objective is to give you the necessary training in writing papers and making oral presentations as well as to receive constructive feedback from your teachers. In this way, assignments serve as a tool to help you to achieve insight and understanding of relevant syllabus topics and to prepare the exam at the end of the semester.
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How to prepare yourself for language learning at the BLC?
A typical week of a BLC student

Last updated by Business relations & Communications 09/06/2010