Challenges of teaching Business English in higher education

• Author: Maican A.
• Pages: 273-280

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series V: Economic Sciences • Vol. 10 (59) No. 2 - 2017

Challenges of teaching Business English in

higher education

Maria-Anca MAICAN1

Abstract: The present paper focuses on teaching business English at unive rsity level, given

the place of the English language in the European Union and the general objective to have a

common European higher education area. The paper is divided into four parts: the first part

presents some aspects related to foreign languages in Europe and the advantages they offer

on an increasingly dynamic labour market, the second part gives an overview of business

English in some Romanian and European universities offering programmes of study in

economics, the third part makes reference to the competences that students in economics

should develop during their undergraduate and graduate studies and to the challenges

involved, while the last part presents some conclusions.

Key-words: business English, higher education, competences

1. Foreign languages in the European education area

Over the recent decades, especially after the fall of Communism in the eastern and

south-eastern part of Central Europe, the changes occurring at European level in all

fields of activity have been extremely significant. The map of Europe has changed,

diplomatic relations between countries have been redefined, business relationships

have been enhanced, the cooperation between the countries’ institutions has become

more prominent, workforce has become much more mobile, more and more students

have benefited from exchange programmes.

Within this context, the need has arisen to rethink the place of foreign

languages in Europe and especially in the European educational establishments,

from primary to tertiary education. In this respect, the Bologna Declaration of June

1999 can be considered a benchmark, because, by clearly encouraging integrated

programmes of study, training and research in all European countries, for both

students and teachers, it indirectly referred to the importance of foreign languages.

The genuine preoccupation to help students develop the foreign language

competences required in their educational environment and on the labour market has

been particularly visible in higher education, being reflected in the initiatives taken

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, anca.maican@unitbv.ro