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English for Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 32 hours
  • Course by University of Pennsylvania
  • Offered by

About

Welcome to English for Business and Entrepreneurship, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs. To enroll in this course for free, click on "Enroll now" and then select "Full Course. No certificate." This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in learning more about the global business economy. In this course, you will learn about topics and language necessary to succeed in the international workplace. You will explore business English through authentic readings and video lectures, while learning about business vocabulary, concepts, and issues. Unit 1 will provide an introduction to entrepreneurship by examining ideas, products, and opportunities. In unit 2, you will learn about the basics of market research, including how to identify an opportunity. The next unit in the course will focus on business plans, why these plans are important, and will give you a chance to practice composing a business plan. In the final unit of the course, we will present basics for funding a business and will help you create a persuasive presentation, or pitch, based on a business plan. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.

Modules

Introduction

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Unit 1 Assessment 1: Self-Assessment of Business & Entrepreneurship Vocabulary Knowledge

4 Videos

  • Welcome to English for Business & Entrepreneurship (Video 1)
  • Course Introduction Part I - Course Overview (Video 2)
  • Course Introduction Part II - Using the Course Site (Video 3)
  • Unlockable Achievement

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

What is Entrepreneurship?

    • 5 Videos
    • 4 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Entrepreneurship Seen as Solution to S. Africa's Unemployment Crisis"
  • Value Affirmation Activity

5 Videos

  • What is Entrepreneurship? (Video 4 Part 1)
  • What is Entrepreneurship? (Video 4 Part 2)
  • Language Focus - Reading Skills (Video 5 Part 1)
  • Language Focus - Reading Skills (Video 5 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement

4 Readings

  • Video/Listening: Elon Musk's Journey to Mars
  • Game 1: Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards
  • BASIC: Entrepreneurship seen as solution to South Africa's unemployment crisis
  • ADVANCED: Entrepreneurship seen as a solution to South Africa’s unemployment crisis

Why Entrepreneurship?

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "African women entrepreneurs think big and share dreams"
  • Check Your Understanding: "This recent grad brewed a startup by managing the details"

5 Videos

  • Why Entrepreneurship? (Video 6 Part 1)
  • Why Entrepreneurship? (Video 6 Part 2)
  • Ideas, Products, and Opportunities (Video 7)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Unlockable Achievement

3 Readings

  • Women taxi startups gaining speed globally
  • African women entrepreneurs think big and share dreams
  • “This recent grad brewed a startup by managing the details”

Products

    • 2 Videos
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Game 2: Identifying Different Types of Products
  • Game 3: Creating Product Descriptions

2 Videos

  • Creating Simple, One-Sentence Product Descriptions (Video 8 Part 1)
  • Creating Simple, One-Sentence Product Descriptions (Video 8 Part 2)

Startups

    • 8 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Game 4: Correlative Connectors & Sentence Connectors

1 Discussions

  • Unit 1 Assessment 2: Compare and Contrast Selling Goods to Selling Services

8 Videos

  • Deciding on a Type of Startup (Video 9 Part 1)
  • Deciding on a Type of Startup, Guest Speaker (Video 9 Part 2)
  • Risk, Failure, and Important Steps (Video 10 Part 1)
  • Risk, Failure, and Important Steps (Video 10 Part 2)
  • Language Focus - Comparative Structures (Video 11 Part 1)
  • Language Focus - Comparative Structures (Video 11 Part 2)
  • Language Focus - Comparative Structures (Video 11 Part 3)
  • Online Learning Opportunities to Extend Your Skills

Additional Resources and Exercises (Not Required for Course Certificate)

    • 6 Readings
    • 6 Assignment
Show info about module content

6 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Young Entrepreneurs Win Million-Dollar Prize"
  • Game: Connector Practice Activity
  • Check Your Understanding: "Many paths lead to successful business startups"
  • Check Your Understanding: Entrepreneurs find new ways to address housing shortages
  • Check Your Understanding: "Ludwick Marishane: A Bath Without Water"
  • Check Your Understanding: "Broadway rallies to save a beloved diner"

6 Readings

  • Young Entrepreneurs Win Million-Dollar Prize
  • “Many paths lead to successful business startups”
  • “Entrepreneurs find new ways to address housing shortages"
  • Video: “Ludwick Marishane: A bath without water”
  • “Broadway rallies to save a beloved diner"
  • Game: Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

Market Research

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Check Your Comprehension: "Washington state's new apple joining a changing industry"
  • Game 2: More Practice with Comparative Language

5 Videos

  • Market Research and Testing to Identify Opportunities (Video 1)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Informal Research - Advantages and Disadvantages (Video 2)
  • Formal Research - Advantages and Disadvantages (Video 3 Part 1)
  • Formal Research - Advantages and Disadvantages (Video 3 Part 2)

3 Readings

  • Game 1: Unit 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
  • BASIC: Washington state's new apple joining a changing industry
  • ADVANCED: Washington state's new apple joining a changing industry

Surveys

    • 9 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Check Your Comprehension: "Bugs are the new food"
  • Game 3: Creating Survey Questions
  • Unit 2, Assessment 1: Questions and Intonation

9 Videos

  • Language Focus - Listening Strategies (Video 4 Part 1)
  • Language Focus - Listening Strategies (Video 4 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Creating a Survey (Video 5 Part 1)
  • Creating a Survey (Video 5 Part 2)
  • Language Focus - Questions and Intonation (Video 6 Part 1)
  • Language Focus - Questions and Intonation (Video 6 Part 2)
  • Language Focus: Sample questions and intonation
  • Unlockable Achievement

3 Readings

  • BASIC: Bugs are the new food
  • ADVANCED: Bugs are the new food
  • Samples of Question Forms and Intonation (for Assessment 1)

Data

    • 6 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Analyzing Sample Survey Data

1 Peer Review

  • Unit 2, Assessment 2: Your Survey and Results

6 Videos

  • Collecting Data (Video 7)
  • Evaluating Results (Video 8)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Completing Assessment 2 (Video 9 Part 1)
  • Completing Assessment 2 (Video 9 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement

1 Readings

  • Assessment 2 Model

Additional Resources and Exercises (Not Required)

    • 3 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Game: Question Matching Practice Activity
  • Check Your Understanding: "Taiwanese business seeks specialized markets"
  • Check Your Understanding: "People who bring their own grocery bags are more likely to buy junk food"

3 Readings

  • “Taiwanese business seeks specialized markets”
  • “People who bring their own grocery bags are more likely to buy junk food”
  • Game: Unit 2 Vocabulary Flashcards

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Overview of Unit 3

Why write a business plan?

    • 5 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Game 1: Practice with degree complements and intensifiers
  • Check Your Understanding: "Nigeria's Wecyclers work for reusable future in Lagos"

1 Discussions

  • Unit 3 Assessment 1: Business ideas for your local community

5 Videos

  • Why write a business plan? (Video 1)
  • Strategic Language Focus - Intensifiers & degree complements in persuasive business writing (Video 2 Part 1)
  • Strategic Language Focus - Intensifiers & degree complements in persuasive business writing (Video 2 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Business description, including management and operations (Video 3)

2 Readings

  • BASIC: Nigeria's Wecyclers work for reusable future in Lagos
  • ADVANCED: Nigeria’s Wecyclers work for reusable future in Lagos

Marketing

    • 5 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Chinese Go to Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant, But Skip the Beach"
  • Game 2: Sorting the 4 Ps

5 Videos

  • Marketing: Part I: Vocabulary and Concepts (Video 4 Part 1)
  • Marketing: Part I: Vocabulary and Concepts (Video 4 Part 2)
  • Marketing: Part I: Vocabulary and Concepts (Video 4 Part 3)
  • Marketing: Part II: Business Plan (Video 5 Part 1)
  • Marketing: Part II: Business Plan (Video 5 Part 2)

2 Readings

  • BASIC: Chinese go to Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant, but skip the beach
  • ADVANCED: Chinese go to Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant, but skip the beach

Additional Resources and Exercises (Not Required)

    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Check your Understanding: "50 business ideas you can start for under $100"
  • Check Your Understanding: "Chilean government seeks to boost female-led start-ups"

3 Readings

  • “50 business ideas you can start for under $100"
  • "Chilean government seeks to boost female-led start-ups"
  • Game: Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards

Financials

    • 9 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Game 3: Vocabulary: Word problems matching numbers with words
  • Game 4: Vocabulary: Word problems matching numbers with words
  • Game 5: Interpreting Results

1 Peer Review

  • Unit 3 Assessment 2: Written Business Plan

9 Videos

  • Financials: Part I: Startup Costs, Operating Costs & Sales Projections (Vocabulary & concept focus) (Video 6)
  • Financials: Part II: Income statement (Vocabulary & concept focus) (Video 7)
  • Financials: Part III: Startup Costs, Sales & Revenue Projections, Cost Projections & Income Statement (Calculations) (Video 8 Part 1)
  • Financials: Part III: Startup Costs, Sales & Revenue Projections, Cost Projections & Income Statement (Calculations) (Video 8 Part 2)
  • Financials: Part III: Startup Costs, Sales & Revenue Projections, Cost Projections & Income Statement (Calculations) (Video 8 Part 3)
  • Strategic Language Focus - Describing Financials (Video 9)
  • Creating a brief business plan (Video 10 Part 1)
  • Creating a brief business plan (Video 10 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement

1 Readings

  • Template and Model for Brief Business Plans (for Assessment 2)

Additional Resources and Exercises (Not Required)

    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "It's a startup world!"

2 Readings

  • It's a startup world!
  • Game: Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

Financing a Business

    • 23 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 6 Assignment
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6 Assignment

  • Unit 4 Assessment 1: Reflective Response
  • Check Your Understanding: "Poll: Businesses Designed to Help India's Poor Attract Overseas Investors"
  • Check Your Understanding: "Crowd-sourced funding provides 'Kickstart' to new business ventures"
  • Game 1: Be brief!
  • Check Your Understanding: "How to Pitch a Business"
  • Unit 4 Assessment 2: Elevator Pitch (written)

23 Videos

  • Financing a Business: Bootstrapping versus Outside Funding (Video 1 Part 1)
  • Financing a Business: Bootstrapping versus Outside Funding (Video 1 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Debt-Financing: Bank Loans and Microloans (Video 2 Part 1)
  • Debt-Financing: Bank Loans and Microloans (Video 2 Part 2)
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Equity-Financing: Venture Capital (Video 3 Part 1)
  • Equity-Financing: Venture Capital (Video 3 Part 2)
  • Finding Investors in the Social Network (Video 4)
  • Crowdfunding (Video 5 Part 1)
  • Crowdfunding (Video 5 Part 2)
  • Listening: Crowd-sourced funding provides kickstart to new business ventures
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Making a Pitch to Attract Investors (Video 6 Part 1)
  • Making a Pitch to Attract Investors (Video 6 Part 2)
  • Creating an Effective Hook (Video 7 Part 1)
  • Creating an Effective Hook (Video 7 Part 2)
  • Adding Impact: Word Stress, Body Language,& Eye Contact (Video 8)
  • Listening: How to Pitch a Business
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Persuasive Pitch, Two Samples
  • Unlockable Achievement
  • Course Conclusion

3 Readings

  • Poll: Businesses Designed to Help India's Poor Attract Overseas Investors
  • Instructions for Assessment 2: Persuasive Elevator Pitch
  • Sample Elevator Pitch and Elevator Pitch Template

Additional Resources and Exercises (Not Required)

    • 5 Readings
    • 4 Assignment
Show info about module content

4 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Tech startups boom in India, attract big investments"
  • Check Your Understanding: "Crowdfunding for businesses growing in Africa"
  • Check Your Understanding: "The original social network: How global diasporas can mean big business"
  • Game: Build a Pitch - Structure Practice

5 Readings

  • BASIC: Tech startups boom in India, attract big investments
  • ADVANCED: Tech startups boom in India, attract big investments
  • "Crowdfunding for business growing in Africa"
  • "The original social network: How global diasporas can mean big business"
  • Game: Unit 4 Vocabulary Flashcards

Auto Summary

"English for Business and Entrepreneurship" is a foundational personal development course by the University of Pennsylvania, ideal for non-native English speakers aiming to thrive in the global business economy. Taught by expert instructors, it covers essential business vocabulary, concepts, and issues through authentic readings and video lectures. The course spans 1920 minutes, with free enrollment available. Learn about entrepreneurship, market research, business plans, and funding basics. Supplemental materials are provided by Newsela. Subscription options include Starter, Professional, and Paid, catering to a wide range of learners.

Amy Nichols
Instructors

Amy Nichols

James Riedel
Instructors

James Riedel