About this course: Welcome to English for Business and Entrepreneurship, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs. To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select "Full Course. No certificate." This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in learning more about the global business economy. In this course, you will learn about topics and language necessary to succeed in the international workplace. You will explore business English through authentic readings and video lectures, while learning about business vocabulary, concepts, and issues. Unit 1 will provide an introduction to entrepreneurship by examining ideas, products, and opportunities. In unit 2, you will learn about the basics of market research, including how to identify an opportunity. The next unit in the course will focus on business plans, why these plans are important, and will give you a chance to practice composing a business plan. In the final unit of the course, we will present basics for funding a business and will help you create a persuasive presentation, or pitch, based on a business plan. There are two certificate options. The first is a Coursera Verified Certificate (CVC). This is the only system-wide certificate available for every Coursera course. If you cannot afford the fee, you may fill-in the financial aid form and complete the Verified Certificate track for free. You can apply for financial aid by clicking “Learn more and apply” in the financial aid section just below the ENROLL button on the course landing page. The second certificate option is a Statement of Accomplishment (SoA) available directly from Penn. Everyone who completes the course requirements is eligible for this Statement of Accomplishment and there is no charge associated with this type of certificate. A separate e-mail of congratulations from the course team will provide a link for participants to download the SOA. This is separate and different from the Coursera Verified Course Certificate. If you cannot locate this email – please check your Junk or Clutter folders. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.
Created by: University of Pennsylvania
Taught by: Amy Nichols, Manager of International Research and Program Development
English Language Programs
Taught by: James Riedel, Executive Director
English Language Programs
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 5 weeks of study, 2-4 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Mongolian |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Unit 1: Becoming an Entrepreneur
In this unit, we will introduce course goals and logistics, then discuss basic concepts and vocabulary related to entrepreneurship.
23 videos, 14 readings, 9 practice quizzes
Graded: Self-Assessment of Business & Entrepreneurship Vocabulary Knowledge
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Entrepreneurship Seen as Solution to S. Africa's Unemployment Crisis"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Women taxi startups gaining speed globally"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "This recent grad brewed a startup by managing the details"
WEEK 2
Unit 2: Identifying an Opportunity
This unit will cover how to do market research to determine whether a new product presents an opportunity in a market. We will focus on surveys and questions.
19 videos, 11 readings, 5 practice quizzes
Graded: Check Your Comprehension: "Washington state's new apple joining a changing industry"
Graded: Check Your Comprehension: "Bugs are the new food"
Graded: Unit 2 Assessment 1: Questions and Intonation
Graded: Analyzing Sample Survey Data
Graded: Unit 2, Assessment 2: Your Survey and Results
WEEK 3
Unit 3: Creating a Business Plan (Part 1)
This first part of Unit 3 will review the importance of writing a business plan and will focus on the first two sections: operations and marketing.
10 videos, 8 readings, 4 practice quizzes
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Nigeria's Wecyclers for reusable future in Lagos"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Chinese Go to Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant, But Skip the Beach"
WEEK 4
Unit 3: Creating a Business Plan (Part 2)
In this second part of Unit 3, we will learn about the Financials section of a business plan and how to create a simple, brief business plan of our own.
9 videos, 3 readings, 4 practice quizzes
Graded: Unit 3 Assessment 2: Written Business Plan
WEEK 5
Unit 4: Attracting Investors and Obtaining Financial Support
In this unit, we will discuss different ways to get the money needed to start a business. At the end you will create a "pitch" to present your business ideas.
22 videos, 10 readings, 5 practice quizzes
Graded: Unit 4 Assessment 1: Reflective Response
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Microfinance gives voice to rural Indian women"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "Crowd-sourced funding provides 'Kickstart' to new business ventures"
Graded: Check Your Understanding: "How to Pitch a Business"
Graded: Unit 4: Assessment 2: Persuasive Pitch
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University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.
Ratings and Reviews
wonderful course I recommended it for you.
It was very good to work with you! Thanks!
Great course. Highly recommended!
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This course is excellent!