English for
Business
Level 4
Specification
Effective from January 2006
ASPE 0108
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Vision Statement
Our vision is to contribute to the achievements of learners around
the world by providing integrated assessment and learning services,
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© Education Development International plc 2005 Company Registration No: 3914767
All rights reserved. This publication in its entirety is the copyright of Education Development International plc.
Reproduction either in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from Education Development International plc.
International House, Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry, CV3 4PE
Telephone: +44 (0) 8707 202909 Facsimile: + 44 (0) 2476516505
Email: customerservice@ediplc.com
INTRODUCTION
Education Development International (EDI) is a leading international awarding body that was
formed through the merger of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations
Board (LCCIEB) and a leading online assessment provider (GOAL). EDI now delivers LCCI
International qualifications (LCCI IQ) through a network of over 4000 registered centres in
more than 100 countries worldwide. Our range of business-related qualifications are trusted
and valued by employers worldwide and recognised by universities and professional bodies.
English for Business Level 4
This qualification is intended for candidates who have reached a standard of productive
English usage which will create an extremely good impression of their language skills. There
would be no need for close supervision and scrutiny of the English of a successful candidate
at this level. Linguistic and stylistic errors of all types will be rare.
This examination will test at a higher level the linguistic skills and business knowledge tested
at Level 3. The techniques for handling, displaying, interpreting, transferring and
reformulating information already introduced at the previous levels will be invoked for more
advanced tasks.
The level of this qualification is in line with Level 4 of the LCCI IQ Language Levels
Framework. Candidates would be expected to be at the Council of Europe s Effective
Operational Proficiency Level (C1).
Please note that a UK accredited ESOL version of this examination is available as 'Certificate
in Written Business English, Level 2'.
Note: The equivalence shown above is specific to a pass grade at the respective EFB level.
A credit or distinction is considered to be equivalent of one Council of Europe Framework
(CEF) level higher than that of a pass (eg a level 4 credit / distinction = CEF C2).
Structure of the qualification
This qualification has three parts, one part is compulsory, the other two parts are optional.
The LCCI IQ Level 4 Certificate in English for Business will be awarded to candidates who
successfully complete the learning outcomes and assessments for the following part:
·ð Reading and Writing (compulsory)
An additional certificate will be awarded to candidates who successfully complete the
learning outcomes and assessments either one or both of the following parts:
·ð Speaking (optional)
·ð Listening (optional)
1
Aims
The aims of this syllabus are to enable candidates to develop the ability to:
lð understand authentic business texts
lð write English in a wide variety of ways within an extensive range of business contexts.
źð listen and understand business-related material such as conversations, announcements,
short talks, and news bulletins.
źð give clear, detailed oral descriptions and presentations on complex subjects
źð express themselves orally in a clear and appropriate style on business or professional
matters.
Assessment Objectives
The examination will assess the candidate s ability to:
Reading and Writing
·ð extract and use relevant information from authentic written sources and employ a correct
layout and textual structure in order to complete the given written task
·ð use structures, syntax and vocabulary both coherently and accurately
·ð demonstrate an extensive range of language
Speaking
·ð give a clear, detailed oral presentation on a business-related subject
·ð express themselves orally in a discussion on business-related or professional matters
Listening
·ð understand standard speech encountered in work and everyday situations
·ð understand factual information that they have listened to, such as instructions and
directions, short talks, announcements, and news bulletins
All modes
·ð use appropriately and accurately the notions, functions and grammatical exponents
listed in the linguistic syllabus
2
Syllabus Topics
Reading and Writing
1 Reading and comprehending an authentic text and producing a piece of business writing
related to this text.
2 Writing business texts from given information.
3 Reformulating and reformatting texts from one text type to another  specifically text to
précis and digital/graphical/numerical information to text.
4 Extending and producing completed texts in a range of contrasting genres.
For a full breakdown of these topics, refer to syllabus topics 1 to 4 and the associated
learning outcomes that are shown on pages 9  11 of this document.
Speaking
The English for Business Speaking Test is a test of English with a commercial and business
focus, so candidates will be tested for their competence in English within a general business
and/or commercial context. The topics for the oral test are as follows:
1 Earning a living
2 Production and sale of goods
3 Trade
4 Money
5 Transport
6 Communications
7 Education
8 Travel and tourism
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a level of linguistic competences as outlined in
Syllabus topics 5 to 8 and the associated learning outcomes that are shown on pages 11 
12 of this document.
Listening
The English for Business Listening Test is a test of English with a commercial and business
focus, so candidates will be tested for their competence in English within a general business
and / or commercial context. The topics for the listening test are as follows:
1 Personal information
2 Travel information
3 Work information
4 Business transactions
3
5 Instructions
6 Arrangements
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a level of linguistic competences as outlined in
Syllabus topic 9 and the associated learning outcomes shown on page 12 of this document.
Assessment
Reading and Writing - compulsory
There will be 4 compulsory questions corresponding to the 4 syllabus topics listed above.
The time allowance for the examination is 3 hours. There are 4 compulsory questions as
follows:
·ð Question 1 will be in 2 parts. The first part will require the candidate to understand and
respond to a lengthy (around 750 words) and complex authentic business text.
Comprehension will be demonstrated through a variety of question types (eg sentence
completion, true/false etc.). The second part of the question will require the production
of a written text related to the article, within a given scenario
·ð Question 2 will require the candidate to produce business texts in the appropriate tone
and style. The question type will be either:
a single case study/scenario generating 2 pieces of business writing which will allow
candidates to demonstrate their ability to write in contrasting styles (eg in a memo to a
colleague and for a trade journal news item on the same topic), or:
a formal report generated from a series of pieces of information written in an informal
style
·ð Question 3 will be in 2 parts. The first part will require the candidate to reformulate
information by way of a précis of a longer text, within a given scenario (eg to write an
abstract of an article to put in an information bulletin). The second part will require the
candidate to reformulate digital/graphical/numerical information into a written form (eg a
management comment on the performance of a subsidiary company)
·ð Question 4 will require the candidate to produce fluent and accurate written texts in a
range of styles and genres. Candidates will be required to continue and complete
2 different texts appropriately from information given (eg a formal notice for exhibition on
the office wall or an invitation to a company open recruitment meeting).
Speaking  optional
Candidates will be assessed by a 17 minute examination including 5 minutes preparation
time. The examination consists of 2 parts. There are four criteria  fluency, lexis, grammar
and pronunciation  and candidates will be assessed on their performance in both parts.
The assessment tasks are as follows:
·ð Part 1 consists of a warm up conversation during which the candidate will be asked
about, eg. study, work ambitions for the future,
4
·ð Part 2 requires the candidate to participate in a discussion of the topic selected by the
examiner
Listening - optional
Candidates will be assessed via a listening test lasting about 30 minutes. The test comprises
15 listening passages, each with two multiple-choice questions. There is one mark for each
question. There are 2 types of task:
·ð Task 1. Candidates listen to a conversation. They then read 2 questions about the
conversation, both of which have 4 possible written answers (A, B, C, D), and choose the
correct answers.
·ð Task 2. Candidates listen to a monologue. They then read 2 questions about the
monologue, both of which have 4 possible written answers (A, B, C, D), and choose the
correct answers.
Candidate Answer Guidance
Answer Formats for Reading and Writing Test
Candidates will be required to answer the questions in the format prescribed to the standard
of English outlined in Target Audience and Candidate Progression above.
All answers should take full account of the given context and be fully appropriate for that
context and any associated scenario. The texts produced should be as concise as is
appropriate for these contexts and scenarios. Where the length of the required text is not
clear from the task itself, guidance as to approximate word number will be given in the
question. In the reading comprehension (question 1 part A) understanding should be
signalled in the most economic means possible, eg incomplete sentences, figures, single
words, diagrams etc.
The answers to the questions should be wholly adequate in practical business terms in the
sense that they achieve the purpose of the communication and successfully complete the
task required by being linguistically and structurally clear and by including all essential
information whilst excluding all irrelevant information.
Business style language appropriate to the text and question-type should be used at all
times. This should be correct in formal terms (eg using correct grammar and punctuation)
and appropriate in terms of the business role or occasion described (eg displaying tact or
expressing disappointment).
Marks will be awarded for the task achievement and linguistic content of the written texts and
not assessed for the business knowledge of the candidate.
Candidates are allowed to take one dictionary into this examination which may be either
English or foreign language/English; EDI cannot undertake to advise on which dictionaries to
choose and candidates make the choice entirely at their own risk. Poor quality dictionaries
may be misleading and candidates will lose time looking up words if they frequently have
recourse to them.
5
Pass Mark Information and Mark Allocation
Reading and Writing
Pass 50%
Credit 60%
Distinction 75%
A positive marking approach is used except where candidates extensively and
inappropriately  lift language from the text used as the basis for questions in the examination
paper, where up to 5 marks may be deducted in each question.
Question 1
Part a - Comprehension Task (15%)
An average of 6 questions will be asked with a total mark value of 15 marks.
For this part of the examination answers may also be provided in the form of incomplete
sentences, figures, diagrams, charts etc if appropriate.
Part b - Written text related to the article (10%)
·ð Extraction and use of relevant information/layout/task completion 2 marks
·ð Coherent, accurate use of structure and vocabulary 4 marks
·ð Breadth and range of language used 4 marks
Questions 2, 3 and 4 (25% each)
·ð Extraction and use of relevant information/layout/task completion 15 marks
·ð Coherent, accurate use of structure and vocabulary 5 marks
·ð Breadth and range of language used 5 marks
Speaking
Marks are awarded for: fluency, lexis, grammar and pronunciation with 4 possible marks
available for each criterion (i.e. 1 = Fail, 2 = Pass, 3 = Credit, 4 = Distinction).
Fail two or more criteria scored at fail level.
Pass minimum of three criteria scored at pass level (or higher) but failing to meet
credit/distinction requirements.
Credit minimum of three criteria scored at credit level + one at pass (or higher) but
failing to meet distinction requirements.
Distinction minimum of three criteria scored at distinction level + one at credit.
The weighting of marks for a complete oral examination is:
·ð fluency 25%
·ð lexical range and accuracy 25%
·ð grammatical range and accuracy 25%
6
·ð pronunciation 25%
TOTAL 100%
Listening
One mark is awarded for each correct answer.
Pass 15  17 marks
Credit 18  22 marks
Distinction 23 > marks
Varieties of English
The Board will accept any of the main varieties of English (British, North American,
Australasian) in candidates answers as long as candidates are consistent in the variety
they use.
Guided Learning Hours
EDI recommends that 140  160 Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) provide a suitable course
duration for an  average candidate at this level. This figure includes direct contact hours as
well as other time when candidates work is being supervised by teachers. Ultimately,
however, it is the responsibility of training centres to determine the appropriate course
duration based on their candidates ability and level of existing knowledge. EDI experience
indicates that the number of GLHs can vary significantly from one training centre to another.
Recommended Reading List and Support Material
Reading List  Reading and Writing only
Title Author Publisher ISBN Code Order Code
Business Class David Cotton CUP 0175563373
Write for Business Michael Doherty Longman 0582748933
Professional Reading
Skills Series Prentice Hall
How to Pass English M Sneyd and
for Business Level 4 A Timson LCCIEB 1-86247-098-7 ASPB 0105
How to Pass English
for Business Level 4, M Sneyd and
Teachers book A Timson LCCIEB 1-86247-028-6 ASPB 0109
7
Support Material
Candidates are allowed to take one dictionary into this examination which may be either
English or foreign language/English; EDI cannot undertake to advise on which dictionaries to
choose and candidates make the choice entirely at their own risk. Poor quality dictionaries
may be misleading and candidates will lose time looking up words if they frequently have
recourse to them.
For advice on the layout and presentation of the reading and writing test, candidates are
recommended to refer to the past question papers and corresponding model answers which
are available from EDI. For the listening and speaking tests, candidates are recommended to
refer to the Guidance Document for English for Business Optional Tests. Sample items for
the listening test and sample topic sheets for the speaking test can be found within the
appendices of this document. In addition, a listening test sample CD and a speaking test
tutorial CD are available from EDI. The speaking test tutorial CD has been developed to be
used in conjunction with the speaking test sample topic sheets.
8
Syllabus Topic Learning outcomes
1 Comprehension and response
to a complex authentic text
The text will be from a business source
such as a business newspaper or
journal. The writing task will be related
to the article and may require the
candidate to invent some further
information according to the specified
scenario. Candidates must be able to:
1.1 Demonstrate a factual
understanding of the text by
answering comprehension
questions.
1.2 Demonstrate an ability to identify
ambiguity, argument, opinion and
persuasive devices in the text.
1.3 Demonstrate an ability to infer the
writer s meaning by reading
between the lines.
1.4 Write a text based on the
information in the passage and
appropriate to a specified
scenario, including all necessary
information from the article.
1.5 Employ correct and stylistically
appropriate language in the
satisfactory completion of the task
2 Composing business texts
Based either on a scenario which will
generate 2 contrasting business texts
or on informal data which will generate
a more formal report. Candidates must be able to:
2.1 Compose a full range of business
correspondence using appropriate
business conventions (i.e. layout
etc) to a standard suitable for
mailing or distribution
9
2.2 Compose a report, using
appropriate layout, conventions,
and clear organisation of
information
2.3 Describe accounts of events,
cause and effect, assessments of
data and evaluation of information
within these contexts
2.4 Handle different content types,
such as giving instructions and
directions, making proposals and
suggestions and argumentation
2.5 Employ correct and stylistically
appropriate language for both the
report and other business
correspondence.
3 Business-related text and data
conversion and reformulation
A contextualised precis based on a
text and a reformulated text from
digital/graphical/numerical data Candidates must be able to:
3.1 Select relevant information from
the text or other data
3.2 Collate and express such
information concisely, clearly and
unambiguously
3.3 Adopt an appropriate tone and
format for the specified context
3.4 Draw on a basic understanding of
relevant business issues and
practices to enhance the
effectiveness of the texts
produced.
3.5 Employ correct and stylistically
appropriate language in the
satisfactory completion of the task
10
4 Handling different genres/text types
Based on the start of
2 contextualised texts to be
completed in a style
appropriate to the genre Candidates must be able to:
4.1 Recognise and identify the
reader/writer relationship from the
given context and the initial part of
the text
4.2 Adopt an appropriate tone and
style for this genre
4.3 Complete the task satisfactorily for
the purpose according to the
information supplied
4.4 Supply invented content
appropriately to the texts as
required.
5 Linguistic Competence
(Structures) Candidates must be able to:
5.1 Understand and use an
unrestricted range of structures.
6 Linguistic Competence
(Functions) Candidates must be able to:
6.1 Use a full range of appropriate
language to carry out an
unrestricted range of functional
purposes: eg to give descriptive
accounts of events and statements
of cause and effect; to give an
assessment and evaluation of
information; to give instructions
and directions; to make proposals,
suggestions, arguments for action
etc.
11
7 Linguistic Competence
(Vocabulary) Candidates must be able to:
7.1 Understand and use an extensive
range of vocabulary and other
lexical items both on general
topics (eg making arrangements,
current affairs etc. and on all usual
business topics (eg company and
management practices, financial
terminology, production practices
etc)
7.2 Understand and use a wide range
of idiomatic forms used in
business eg business idioms and
business collocations
8 Linguistic Competence
(Style) Candidates must be able to:
8.1 Select appropriate grammatical
structures and lexical items for use
in a full range of business styles 
formal and less formal, standard
and colloquial.
9 Listening competence Candidates must be able to demonstrate
their ability to:
9.1 Understand enough to follow
extended speech on abstract and
complex topics even when it is not
clearly structured and when
relationships are only implied and
signalled explicitly.
9.2 Recognise a wide range of
idiomatic expressions and
colloquialisms, and appreciate
shifts of register.
9.3 Understand complex technical
information and distorted public
announcements.
9.4 Follow most talks, discussions or
debates with relative ease.
9.5 can understand a wide range of
broadcast material, including
implicit attitudes and relationships
between speakers.
12
© Education Development International plc 2005 Company Registration No: 3914767
All rights reserved. This publication in its entirety is the copyright of Education Development International plc.
Reproduction either in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from Education Development International plc.
International House, Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry, CV3 4PE
Telephone: +44 (0) 8707 202909 Facsimile: + 44 (0) 2476516505
Email: customerservice@ediplc.com


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