English for studies in economics and international policies

Participants are invited to share their interests by selecting the themes we will be discussing, monitoring the media as the course progresses and making a group presentation on that theme. Discussions also provide an opportunity to practise taking and reporting discussion minutes. Themes covered in previous years have included:

The economic consequences of (and solutions for) climate change
AI and the future of work
The consequences of current demographic change
Income & wealth inequality
Mass migration and its consequences (focus on Italy)
Globalization and slowbalization
Hydrogen for sustainable mobility
Tax havens: definitions, regulations and implications
Dollarization in Argentina
Food sustainability around the world
Taiwan & China: Cross-Strait relations

Language-related skills covered will include:

Presentations in English: introducing, signposting and sequencing; body-language; developing greater confidence
Interpreting and discussing graphic information
Active reading and listening skills 
Useful language for discussions
Note-taking and reporting
Disentangling (and writing) complex sentences
Academic writing in English: generating ideas; structures for writing; anatomy of a paragraph; plagiarism & citation review; ongoing discussion of the use of AI
 

No prescribed textbooks. Material will be made available by the teacher and course participants.

The objective of the course is to give students the opportunity to explore and discuss issues in Economics and International Policies in the English language through contact with a variety of material, and to encourage confident use of the language in various situations. In addition, students are provided with the advanced skills in English that they will need in the future, either in academia or in the working world.

In presence

Learning method

The content of the course is divided into two strands. In groups, students choose a theme for the semester. They monitor the mainstream media for developments and discussion, creating a ‘portfolio’ of articles and videos for others to read and watch, as well as a list of useful vocabulary. In class, they are asked to present their theme and then lead small group discussions. One student in each group will be nominated to take notes, and their reports of the discussion will be uploaded to iCorsi. 

A second strand is devoted to a more focused exploration of the language, which is centered not on grammar, but on those skills that can be used to decipher the language on the fly or to produce strong language output such as argumentative essays, presentations, meeting reports, etc.

As with all language courses, students will be expected to devote a fair amount of private study time to developing their vocabulary and communication skills, and to be able to demonstrate this work in progress. With this in mind they are invited to enrol in the new eGrammar Learning Resource, where they can improve aspects of their English-language grammar skills. 

Slides, portfolios, discussion notes and practice exercises will be placed on the course's iCorsi page as the course progresses.

Examinations

Assessment is principally by final exam, which will include written and listening comprehension along with an essay and/or other written piece. However, performance in the following activities will also be reflected in the grade: final group presentation at the end of the course, ongoing media monitoring and ‘portfolio’ updates, note-taking and reporting.

Students from all Master’s programmes of the Faculty of Economics, as well as Erasmus or exchange students, are welcome to attend.