Introduction
English for Human Resources is an online course, consisting of 56 units of English, and providing approximately 60 hours of study for students.
Course aims
To give students at Intermediate, CEFR B1/Upper Intermediate B2 level practice in general and business-oriented language required for business contexts at this level, specifically tailored towards human resources situations. The course blends grammatical structures necessary for this level, with vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, speaking, and pronunciation.
Grammar
By the end of the course, students will be able to
- Use present and past tenses correctly
- Use the appropriate conditional forms to talk about situations and consequences.
- Use the present perfect to describe a link between past and present events.
- Use going to and will to talk about future predictions and intentions.
- Use the passive form correctly
- Distinguish and be able to correctly describe countable and uncountable nouns.
Vocabulary
By the end of the course students will have learnt approximately 200 expressions used in the human resources field.
Skills
By the end of the course students will have had exposure to and practice in reading and hearing formal and informal English from a variety of accents and human resources contexts.
Unit summary
Module 1
- Introduction to Human Resources
- Grammar: Present tenses
- Vocabulary: Key HR terminology, basics of employment, types of employees:
- Reading: The evolution and importance of HR in organisations
- Listening: An interview with an HR manager discussing their role
- Writing: Drafting a brief description of one’s HR job role
- Speaking: Discussing the role of HR in an organisation
- Pronunciation: Anxious and Chess + connected speech
Module 2
- Recruitment and Selection
- Grammar: Past tenses
- Vocabulary: Job postings, applications, interviews, selection processes
- Reading: The stages of the recruitment process
- Listening: A mock job interview
- Writing: Creating a job advertisement for a fictional position
- Speaking: Job interviews
- Pronunciation: Beats and Beach + connected speech
Module 3
- Training and Development
- Grammar: Going to and Will
- Vocabulary: Onboarding, training modules, career progression
- Reading: The importance of continuous employee training
- Listening: A workshop on employee development
- Writing: Drafting a training schedule for new employees
- Speaking: Organising initial and ongoing employee training
- Pronunciation: Bet and But + connected speech
Module 4
- Compensation and Benefits
- Grammar: Present perfect
- Vocabulary: salary, bonuses, benefits, allowances, deductions
- Reading: How companies decide compensation packages
- Listening: Negotiation of a salary package
- Writing: Designing a basic compensation package for a role
- Speaking: Salaries and bonuses
- Pronunciation: Bud and Bird + connected speech
Module 5
- Performance Management
- Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns
- Vocabulary: Appraisal, feedback, goals, performance metrics
- Reading: The significance of regular performance reviews
- Listening: A mock performance review meeting
- Writing: Drafting a performance feedback for an employee
- Speaking: Improving performance
- Pronunciation: Book and But + connected speech
Module 6
- Employee Relations
- Grammar: First conditional
- Vocabulary: Employee engagement, grievances, mediation, workplace culture
- Reading: The importance of maintaining positive employee relations
- Listening: A mediation session between an employee and a manager
- Writing: Drafting a memo addressing a common workplace concern
- Speaking: Conflict resolution
- Pronunciation: Cart and Cut + connected speech
Module 7
- Legal and Ethical Aspects of HR
- Grammar: Passive
- Vocabulary: Contracts, labour laws, non-discrimination, ethics
- Reading: An overview of European Union labour laws and their significance
- Listening: A discussion on ethical dilemmas in HR
- Writing: Designing a code of conduct for employees
- Speaking: The implications of a breach in the code of conduct
- Pronunciation: Day and Ray + connected speech
Module 8
- Trends in HR and the Future
- Grammar: Second conditional
- Vocabulary: Remote work, diversity and inclusion, automation in HR
- Reading: The changing landscape of HR in the digital age
- Listening: A seminar on the future of HR practices
- Writing: Drafting a proposal for incorporating a new HR trend
- Speaking: The future of work
- Pronunciation: Fine and Vine + connected speech
Follow-up
Students completing the English for Human Resources course should feel confident in tackling any upper intermediate course, including our Upper Intermediate Business Power course.