English

ECTS : 2

Language of instruction : French

Teaching hours : 20

Course content:

AIMS 

This module develops students’ ability to analyse and evaluate business and economic arguments  critically. It introduces the concepts of cognitive bias, flawed reasoning, and argument structure, and  applies these to real business cases. Students will learn to identify weaknesses in arguments, propose  clearer alternatives, and defend their reasoning in both written and spoken formats.  

Skills to be acquired:

Knowledge  

By the end of this module, students will have demonstrated:  

1. Understanding of key concepts in critical thinking, including logical fallacies and cognitive biases.  

2. Awareness of how biases and flawed reasoning affect business and economic decision-making.  

3. Familiarity with structured approaches to building clear arguments.  

 Skills  

By the end of this module, students will be able to:  

4. Analyse written arguments and identify flaws, assumptions, and biases.  

5. Evaluate the reliability of different types of evidence and data presentation.  

6. Construct a coherent and logically structured written critique.  

7. Defend their reasoning orally in response to questions.  

Values and Attitudes  

By the end of this module, students will have demonstrated:  

8. Commitment to academic integrity in analysis and communication.  

9. Willingness to engage constructively in critical debate and professional dialogue.  

Mandatory prerequisites

B2+ English

Assessment:

Grading Criteria:
- Critical Case Analysis (40%)

- Capstone Critique (60%)

Weighting : 0.50

Bibliography, recommended reading:

 Core Sources   

• Bailey, S. (2018) Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students (5th ed.). London:  Routledge.  
• Godfrey, J. (2016) Writing for University. London: Palgrave.  
• Harvard Business Review (various). 

Articles on professional communication, memos, and  executive summaries.  

• The Economist (various). Short articles and charts for practice in summarising and data commentary.  

The following sources are listed by topic for ease of use and alphabetically within each topic. It is not an  exhaustive list but rather provides examples of books, websites, and podcasts that will be of use and/or  interest in several different areas related to this module.  

Supplementary and Secondary Sources  

Academic & Professional Skills  

• Gillet, A. (2019) Using English for Academic Purposes for Students in Higher Education (UEFAP).  Available at: http://www.uefap.com/  • Morley, J. (n.d.) University of Manchester Academic Phrasebank. Available at:  http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/  
• University of Leeds (2020) Study and Research Support. Available at:  https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1400/study_and_research_support  

Professional Writing & Workplace Communication  

• Gallo, C. (2014) Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds. London:  Macmillan.  
• Knight, R. (2016) How to Write a Memo That People Will Actually Read. Harvard Business Review.  
• Stone, D. and Heen, S. (2015) Thanks for the Feedback – The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well.  London: Penguin.  

Data Commentary & Critical Reading  

• Nussbaumer Knaflic, C. (2015) Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business  Professionals. Hoboken: Wiley.  
• OECD (2023) Economic Outlook Highlights. (for practice with charts/tables — Reader extracts).