TR35: Business English II - Fall 2025, Universidad Intercontinental

Welcome to Business English II, a course designed to deepen your understanding of business language and documentation in English across different professional contexts. This course builds on the foundation established in Business English I, focusing on specialized vocabulary, communication strategies, and document types essential for international business environments.

📱 Course Communication

Class Meetings: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7-9am, AMER103
Professor: Alaina Brandt
Email: alaina.brandt@universidad-uic.edu.mx
Platform: Teams for quick questions and announcements

🎯 Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Produce professional business communications appropriate for diverse contexts and audiences
Analyze and create specialized business documentation including legal, financial, and technical texts
Demonstrate advanced understanding of business terminology across various professional domains
Apply appropriate communication strategies for cross-cultural business contexts
Evaluate and respond to changing business environments using proper business English
Deliver effective presentations and reports using specialized business vocabulary

📚 Course Structure

The course is structured into five thematic units that progressively build your knowledge and skills:

Unit 1: Business Communication & Ethics (Weeks 1-3)
Professional communication formats, presentation skills, and ethical frameworks

Unit 2: Legal & Financial Frameworks (Weeks 4-6)
Specialized terminology in contracts, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance

Unit 3: Production & Quality Processes (Weeks 7-9)
Technical specifications, project management, and quality assurance systems

Unit 4: People & Relationships (Weeks 10-12)
Intercultural competency, internal communications, and leadership language

Unit 5: Global Business & Technology (Weeks 13-15)
International business documentation, digital tools, and innovation terminology

🎓 Final Project: Show & Tell Integration

You’ll demonstrate your comprehensive mastery through a “Show and Tell” approach that simulates authentic business communication:

“Show”: Professional presentation with visual aids
“Tell”: Detailed written business report
Teams of 3: Collaborative research and presentation
Contemporary topics: Related to course content and global business trends

📋 Assessment Overview

Attendance & Participation: 30% (2 points weekly, 15 weeks required of 16 available)
General Assignments: 30% (10 assignments × 3 points each)
Partial Evaluations: 30% (3 evaluations × 10% each)
Final Project: 10% (Integrated “Show & Tell” project)

💡 Success Tips

6-8 hours weekly work expected outside class
Review materials before Tuesday classes for effective participation
Start assignments early to have time for questions
30-minute rule: Research independently, consult classmates, then contact professor
Active communication: Professor responds to Teams/email during business days

🤖 Using Course Materials with AI Tools

All course content is written in Markdown format for easy integration with AI learning tools. Content written in markdown format can be better “understood” by generative AI tools, as the hierarchy and emphasis of content is clearly communicated through symbols.

To download any lesson as a markdown file for use with GAI tools:

Visit our course repository: github.com/alainamb/uic_tr-35-business-english-II
Navigate to any lesson file (files ending in .md)
Click the file name to open it
Click the three dots in the top right
Click download
Double-click on the downloaded file to open it in a text editor.

📓 GAI Study Tip

Once downloaded, copy the entire file content and paste into ChatGPT/Claude or your preferred GAI tool with prompts like:

“Explain this lesson in simpler terms”
“Create practice exercises based on this content”
“Help me understand this with Mexican business examples”

📥 Get Practice Downloading Content and working with GAI

Get some practice by visiting our repo and downloading this index.md file. Copy the downloaded course information and try these prompts with ChatGPT/Claude:

“Explain how this course prepares me for international business”
“Write three practical scenarios based on the course objectives”
“Generate questions I should ask myself before each unit”

🚀 Ready to Begin?

Review the complete Course Overview including policies and project details or go ahead and get started with Unit 1: Business Communication & Ethics.

The course is conducted entirely in English to strengthen your immersion and prepare you for professional contexts where English is the lingua franca of global business.

This learning guide is subject to changes. Any modifications will be communicated to students in a timely manner.