Abstract:

Despite the fact that business cases have been adopted as a preferred method of teaching in various prominent business schools (Byrne, 2012 in Anderson & Schiano, 2014), many international programs choose not to use this method (Anderson & Schiano, 2014), perhaps due to the myriad of challenges that such a method presents. Especially in classroom settings with students who are non-native English speakers (NNESs), a disparity can exist between the expectations of the instructor and those of the students.

This presentation proposes to bridge the gap between research from the field of English language learning, more specifically English for Specific Purposes for Business (ESP-B), and the teaching of business content. The presenter will use previous studies in ESP-B (Piotrowski, 1982; Grosse, 1988; Westerfield, 1989; Boyd, 1991; Boyce, 1993; Jackson, 2004; Esteban & Cañado, 2004), business literature on teaching with the case method (Ellet, 2007; Anderson & Schiano, 2014; “How to read a case study,” n.d.), and personal experience from university and company Business English programs to present a learner-centered approach for engaging NNESs in case discussions and activities.

The following overarching questions will be addressed: What cultural assumptions may lead to confusion and frustration for both faculty and students? What teaching approach and practical techniques would allow students to actively engage with the case material without losing the integrity of the case method?

Specific factors that will be considered include students’ assumptions about the best way to learn, the nature of the relationship between the teacher and students, the concept of participation, the definition of active discussion, familiarity with business cases and the case method, as well as an understanding of the end goal of a case discussion.

Keywords:

ESP, ESP-B, EMI, NNES, business case studies, English language learners.