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For those who know basic English and want to write and speak professionally at work and in international organisations: formal emails, short reports, meetings, phone calls, presentations and job interviews.
Course page on the learning platform
Course details
| Level | B1 to B2 (intermediate), based on the CEFR |
| Estimated duration | 30 hours of study and practice |
| Prerequisites | English at A2 level or the “English” course |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari (with key terms in English) |
| Cost | Free |
| Assessment | A quiz after each section and a final exam; pass mark 70%; certificate after approval by the Academy |
After this course you will be able to
- Write error-free formal work emails and letters in an appropriate tone
- Prepare short work reports and summaries
- Take an active part in work meetings and phone calls
- Give a short presentation in English
- Answer job interview questions in English fluently and in a structured way
Course outline
- Formal emails
- Tone and courtesy
- Common mistakes
- Short reports
- Summary writing
- Numbers and charts
- Meetings
- Phone and video calls
- Simple negotiation
- Structuring a presentation
- Slide language
- Questions and answers
- Common questions
- The STAR method in English
- Follow-up emails
Week-by-week learning path
With about 30 to 45 minutes of study and practice a day, you will complete this course in 6 weeks:
| Week | Topic | Weekly outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Business writing | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 2 | Reports | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 3 | Speaking at work | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 4 | Presentations | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 5 | Interviews | Lessons, practical exercises and a short section quiz |
| Week 6 | Final project and final exam | Completed project and a score of 70% or higher |
Final project
“Business English portfolio”: three formal emails (a request, a follow-up and a reply to a complaint), a 300-word report, a recorded three-minute presentation and recorded answers to three interview questions.
Project assessment criteria:
- Language accuracy
- Professional tone
- Clear structure
- Fluency of speech
Key course terms
Formal email
Tone
Agenda
Executive summary
Follow-up
Presentation
Business vocabulary
Politeness strategies
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short quiz (70% recommended before moving on)
- Practical exercises in each lesson are for learning; send your questions via the Questions section.
- End of course: final exam (pass mark 70%) and submission of the final project
- Digital certificate after review and approval by the Academy: Request a certificate
Teaching method
Each lesson includes learning objectives, explanations with real examples and images, key terms in Dari and English, common mistakes, practical exercises, a self-test and a summary. In every lesson you can put questions to the teacher using the Questions button. The courses are impartial, free and open to all young people.
Get ready now
- Check your level with a free online test
- Write a short email in English every day
- Review lesson 4.3, “Professional email”, in the basics course
Free and reliable resources
These resources have been selected by the Academy team, and most of them are in English (Chrome’s Translate option can translate them if needed). Large files (books, exercise files, videos) will be placed in the Academy’s official Google Drive folder when the course goes live and linked from this page.
- British Council – LearnEnglish, free English practice at all levels
- BBC Learning English, free English lessons with audio and video
- Coursera, courses from leading universities worldwide; most can be viewed free of charge (Audit)
Help and questions
Questions about this course: [email protected] · All courses: Online Learning Centre · Active course: Computer and Internet Basics
Women’s Academy, Afghanistan Youth Parliament · Free and open to all young people