Each session of the course is divided into

A. a theoretical part and
B. a practical skills part

This course will give students the opportunity to learn about and participate in business negotiations in a Legal and Business English context. Course participants will be able to build on their knowledge of contract law terminology and – just as crucially – the various expressions that can be employed when seeking to convince opposite parties to accept their arguments.

Course participants will also explore and discuss various cultural differences when it comes to negotiations, with a particular emphasis being placed on the subtleties as well as some of the perceived dos and don'ts of negotiations in the English-speaking world.

In an interactive approach, the theoretical part focuses on the structure of a negotiation, the language devices that can be used to direct a negotiation in the desired direction (questioning techniques, persuading, handling break-downs, etc.) as well as on strategies which are commonly employed in negotiations e.g. good cop-bad cop, slice the salami.

In the practical part students apply the theoretical knowledge acquired. The case study based simulations are partly held one-to-one or in teams. All negotiations are video-recorded and discussed in the following session. As follow-up assignment students are asked to watch the recordings on learn@wu and analyse their performance so that they can contribute actively in class.

Full attendance is obviously recommended, but participants can miss a maximum of one session if absolutely necessary.

Attendance throughout Parts A and B is required (formal records of attendance will be kept).