English for Effective Business Communications

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English for Effective Business Communications

This course is part of Essential English for Business Professionals Specialization

Instructors: Karen Vallejo

7,297 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

122 reviews

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

122 reviews

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

23 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Essential English for Business Professionals Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

In this course, we will delve into some business topics that illustrate how all company departments and teams need to work together to be successful. We will have some interesting topics learning vocabulary and ideas about human resources, management, and marketing. All of these departments need to work well together to avoid confusion and to be productive and efficient. We will also cover the very important topic of balancing our work tasks and our life outside of work. You will also learn about the language skills of passive voice, non-count nouns, making recommendations, and using dates and numbers in business situations.

This week, you’ll learn about human resources—the ways that companies recruit, hire, and train their employees. We’ll think about how companies attract and keep the best people to make their organization successful and learn about job interviews and how to do well if you’re being interviewed. You’ll also hear a human resources professional discuss current trends and challenges in this important field. Finally, you’ll learn how to use passive voice sentences in many business situations.

What's included

6 videos3 readings6 assignments

6 videos Total 35 minutes

Meet Your Teachers 3 minutes
Preparing for a Job Interview 6 minutes
Who Would You Hire? 7 minutes
Job Interview Video Quiz 6 minutes
Interview with an HR Professional 8 minutes
Passive Voice in Business 6 minutes

3 readings Total 45 minutes

Human Resources Management 20 minutes
Preparing for a Job Interview Vocabulary 5 minutes
Interview with an HR Professional Vocabulary 20 minutes

6 assignments Total 120 minutes

Human Resources Vocabulary 20 minutes
Human Resources 20 minutes
Human Resources Management Vocabulary (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Human Resources Management (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Interview with an HR Professional (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Passive Voice in Business (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes

Management of people and teams is the focus of this week’s lesson. You will read about a challenge for a general manager and listen to passages about meetings and staff recognition. Through these passages, you will reinforce your management related vocabulary in English. You will also learn about how to use count and noncount nouns in business communication.

What's included

1 video6 readings5 assignments

1 video Total 11 minutes

Language Skills: Non-Count Nouns in Business 11 minutes

6 readings Total 110 minutes

General Manager of Widgets 20 minutes
General Manager of Widgets Vocabulary (Practice Activity) 20 minutes
"How to Save the World from Bad Meetings" 20 minutes
"How to Save the World from Bad Meetings" Vocabulary (Practice Activity) 20 minutes
Rewards & Recognition 10 minutes
Language Skills: Non-Count Nouns in Business (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes

5 assignments Total 100 minutes

Management Vocabulary 20 minutes
Management 20 minutes
General Manager of Widgets (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
"How to Save the World from Bad Meetings" (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Rewards & Recognition (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes

Marketing is our topic for this week. Analysis, planning, and promotion are major activities for a marketing team. We will read about basic ideas of marketing and listen to passages about the promotion and placement of products. We will also learn about how to speak, read, and write about numbers in American business contexts.

What's included

3 videos4 readings4 assignments

3 videos Total 27 minutes

Promoting Goods & Services 10 minutes
New Airline Launched 8 minutes
Basic Numbers in Business 8 minutes

4 readings Total 80 minutes

Marketing Basics 20 minutes
Marketing Basics Vocabulary (Practice Activity) 20 minutes
New Airline Launched (Practice Activity) 20 minutes
Basic Numbers in Business (Practice Activity) 20 minutes

4 assignments Total 80 minutes

Marketing Vocabulary 20 minutes
Marketing 20 minutes
Marketing (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Promoting Goods & Services (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes

This week, we’ll look at some very current topics in the world of work. You’ll learn about the benefits to both companies and employees when workers balance their lives to avoid stress and burnout. We’ll hear about why many companies are turning to remote or hybrid work and how this is becoming a part of the future of work. You’ll also learn useful ways to consider possible options and make recommendations.

What's included

3 videos5 readings8 assignments1 discussion prompt

3 videos Total 16 minutes

It's Time for a Change 4 minutes
The Future of Work 5 minutes
Language Skills: Solving Problems & Making Recommendations 7 minutes

5 readings Total 90 minutes

Work-Life Balance 20 minutes
It's Time for a Change Vocabulary 15 minutes
The Future of Work Vocabulary 15 minutes
"Why Working from Home is Good for Business" 20 minutes
Language Skills: Making Recommendations (Practice Activity) 20 minutes

8 assignments Total 160 minutes

Work-Life Balance Vocabulary 20 minutes
Work-Life Balance 20 minutes
Work-Life Balance Vocabulary (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Work-Life Balance (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
It's Time for a Change (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
The Future of Work (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
"Why Working from Home is Good for Business" (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes
Language Skills: Making Recommendations (Practice Quiz) 20 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 30 minutes

The Future World of Work 30 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(46 ratings)

Karen Vallejo

University of California, Irvine

6 Courses 193,730 learners

Offered by

University of California, Irvine

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Reviewed on Jan 12, 2025

This course teaches a lot of intricate things. Thanks

Reviewed on Jul 11, 2023

Very good and complete introduction.Exercises effective.Good choices of situation.

Reviewed on Feb 11, 2026

Very interesting course for business communications , tbh I found it very helpful ?

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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.