English B1 Business

Who needs TELC English B1 Business level?

This exam is needed by these who have already reached B1 level according the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and want to use English language for work, education, or for personal needs. To pass the exam, all applicants should be able:

- to understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. ; to understand the main point of many radio or TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear.

- to understand texts that consist mainly of high-frequency everyday or job-related language; to understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.

- to deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken; to enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events).

- to connect phrases in a simple way in order to describe experiences and events, my dreams, hopes and ambitions; to be able to briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans; to narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe my reactions.

- to write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest; to write personal letters describing experiences and impressions.

How much learning does this mean?

In order to reach B1 Business English level you need about 300 full hours. This number is approximate and depends on many other factors, because the level measures the acquired knowledge, not the time of learning. The foreign language learning dependa on individual motivation, experience, school and life routines, and other factors.

For more information about TELC, visit www.telc.net

Sample topic for B1 Business Writing

Letter Writing

You work as a manager in a company which specializes in the sphere of marketing strategies. You want your employees to adopt a new approach to coming up with new ideas.
You have recently seen an advertisement of a tourist organization kabinata.com, suggests alternative ways to teach people to work in a team and build team spirit.

You write to trekking.bg, 57 Stratford Street, London to ask for details.
Fill in the date and reference line and use an appropriate greeting and closing formula.

The following four points should be mentioned in your letter.
Before writing the letter decide on the other in which you think these points should be included.

• Ask for the alternative approaches for building team spirit and work setting (open-air)
• Describe the specific needs of your company
• Ask about previous experience and results
• Ask about prices and the maximum number of people involved

STRATEG CO
West Park 876
d-3746825 Bradford
Tel: +96 27496 491
Fax: +96928 2756 53
E-mail: strategy@strateg.com
57 Stratford Street Date:
London
GB-C3D7 OLJ

Sample topic for B1 Business Oral Exam

part1: Social contacts - the examiner will invite you to have a conversation and to share information about each other. The aim is not only to talk and question each other, but to share and acquire information.

for example: (name, origin, foreign languages, trips etc.)

part2: Topic-Based Conversation - in this part of the exam, you and your partner will have diffferent information on the sheet before you (your Candidate's Sheet). A different opinions and information about certain topic will be written on the sheet, and the examiner will invite you to talk about it.

for example:

part3: Task - in this task the examiner will invite you to discuss problems and statements. On your sheet you will find ideas for conversation. They are the same as the ideas on your partner's sheet. You should support with arguments your thesis and will have to decide if you agree with your partner or not.

for example:

you choose the following situation :

Your company is opening a new local branch next month..

task: Discuss with your partner and agree on a programme for the opening. Include the following details:

• invite guests
• hire personnel
• times
• presentation
• etc.

You should support what you choose with arguments and examples.

Oral Examination
Two candidates

Structure of the Exam
B1 Certificate in English for Business Purposes-intermediate is a standardised TELC B1 exam with the same stardardised format like all other TELC B1 exams:

Group Written Exam:
Test 1: Reading Comprehension
Part 1: Reading for Gist
For five newspaper articles headlines have to be chosen out of 10 options.

Part 2: Reading for Details
Five multiple-choice questions on an authentic article have to be answered. The authentic article should have about 350-400 words. The article can taken from any newspaper or magazine around the world.
Part 3: Selective Reading
For 10 situations the candidate has to find 10 suitable small ads or advertisements out of 12 options.

Test 2: Language Elements
Part 1: A letter, fax or e-mail with 10 gaps has to be completed with the help of multiple-choice fill-ins. There is an emphasis on grammar and vocabulary in this task.

Part 2: Again in a letter, fax or e-mail 10 gaps have to be filled, this time with the help of a multiple matching box which has five more words than needed. The tasks aims at testing prepositions (to, from, since etc.), discourse markers (well, you know, anyway etc.) and phrasal expressions (look after, look forward to, look up etc.).
Test 3: Listening Comprehension

Part 1: Listening for Gist
This listening comprehension test requires the candidate to decide on whether a statement is correct or not following a short recording of what a person says, e.g. "The person thinks factory workers should be paid more." YES / NO ?. The recording is played only once!

Part 2: Listening for Detail:
Part 2 of the Listening Comprehension tests detailed understanding (usually the recording is a conversation, an interview etc.). There are ten statements which have to be verified. The length of the recording is approximately 5 to 6 minutes. It is played twice.

Part 3: Selective Listening:
In five typical brief listening situations which may occur in everyday working life candidates select particular information to answer questions of relevance to them. The situations are played twice.

Test 4: Writing Ability
Letter:
In this part of the examination candidates are given 30 minutes to write a business letter (mail order company, hotel, voluntary organization etc.) following up a corresponding piece of information which is given at the start of the exercise. Marks are given on the treatment of four guiding points, on the communicative design of the letter and on language correctness.

Table of exam format

Oral Examination:
Test 5: Oral Exam
The Oral Examination of the B1 exams in the series of "The European Language Certificates" are significantly different from the other language exams offered by the Examinations Office so far: the Oral Exam is always in pairs! The two candidates are asked to solve a number of language tasks together and thus prove that they can handle a certain range of language patterns ("scenarios") competently.
Part 1: "Social contacts":
The first task is to introduce oneself to the other candidate and give some information on where one lives, works, studies etc.). Examiners can also add another small surprise task such as requesting the candidates to talk about a certain routine habit (What about sports? Please talk to each other about your sport activities!).

Part 2: "Topic based conversation":
The two candidates are given task sheets to prepare the task. The task sheets present slightly different information on the same topic. Candidates first have to report the information they have been given and then give their own opinion on the topic.
Part 3: „Task, e.g. "Negotiation":
The task in the final section of the Oral Exam is to negotiate certain suggestions and ideas in order to come to a conclusion on how to solve the task set, e.g. to arrange a party, to organize an excursion etc.

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