Class Rules and Guidelines
Conversational English for Business
Instructor: William L. Boletta

Attendance
Regular attendance is required:

If you miss more than 1/3 of the classes, you will not receive credit (unless you have a medical excuse or other acceptable reasons).
If you miss more than 1/2 of the classes, you will not receive credit regardless of your reasons for missing class.

Textbook
Buy the textbook and always bring it to class. Students who repeatedly forget their book may lose a day's attendance.

Participation
The main method used in this class is practice. Participation in conversational activities is essential for achieving the goal of fluency.

Grades
Grades will be based on attendance, in-class participation, and test performance. There will be a final examination at the end of the semester which will count roughly 1/3 of the final grade. In order to get credit for the course, all students must take this examination. No exceptions.

Attention
No sleeping in class. Students who put their head down on the desk and take a nap during class will be asked to leave the class for that day. Repeatedly taking naps in class may result in permanent expulsion from the class.

Goals
The chief goal of the course is to be able to carry on conversations in English about topics that will be useful to you in your future career in business and professional life. Knowledge of conversational English is essential for success in the modern world. Also, English is the main language of cyberspace, and knowing conversational English will help you to participate in international business or personal communication via e-mail, online chatting, online conferencing, and the Internet in general.

Atmosphere
Because of the informal nature of in-class practice and conversational activities, the atmosphere of this course may be a bit more casual than most classes you are used to. Please keep in mind, however, that what we are doing here is just as serious an undertaking as that of other university courses. The standards will be high, and mastering the material will require effort and perseverance on your part. But this doesn't mean that it can't also be fun.

Good luck!