Department of Foreign Languages : Ohio Foreign Language Association Annual Conference

The Department of Foreign Languages at The University of Toledo

• CIBERWeb – listing of 30 CIBERs (Centers for International Business Education and Research) in the United States, plus other resources

• Center for Language Education And Research (CLEAR), Michigan State University:  Materials and Products, Professional Development, Events, Newsletter

• Online Resources

• The Internet Sourcebook for Business French – links for Canada, France, and Africa
• The Internet Sourcebook for Business German – links for German-speaking countries
• The Internet Sourcebook for Business Spanish – links for Spanish-speaking countries

• Print Materials – free downloads, each can be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat pdf format and copied for student use
  • French packet “includes guidelines for creating a French website about the development of a successful business, as well as activities with graphs and data, reading, and discussions that draw on the students' personal experience, and guide them to build basic concepts and knowledge about how to do business. In addition, it has activities that strengthen the students' communication and cultural skills while focusing on their cultural environment and learning about the target cultural environment.”
  • German packet I “covers information on employers in Germany and German companies in the United States, and has activities that focus on students' interests and qualifications and demonstrate how to describe them to employers. It also has activities that lead students through the process of writing a Lebenslauf (résumé) and an Anschreiben (cover letter).”
  • German packet II, “titled Wirtschaftsdeutsch für die High School: Die Wirtschaftswelt im Bundesstaat Michigan, is for advanced high school language learners.  It covers information on the industrial sector, starting a business, and the role of individuals as consumers.  The packet contains numerous activities including reading, writing, discussion, and listening.”
  • Spanish packet “includes guidelines for creating a Spanish website about the development of a successful business, as well as activities with graphs and data, reading, and discussions that draw on the students' personal experience, and guide them to build basic concepts and knowledge about how to do business. In addition there are activities that strengthen the students' communication and cultural skills while focusing on their cultural environment and learning about the target cultural environment.”

• Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), University of Minnesota - supports a number of coordinated programs of research, training, development, and dissemination of information related to second language teaching, learning and assessment.

• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) - a federally-funded national information system that provides, through its 16 subject-specific clearinghouses, associated adjunct clearinghouses, and support components, a variety of services and products on a broad range of education-related issues.

• Business Culture Guides, Executive Planet – sites for more than 40 countries worldwide with information regarding each country’s cultural background and business practices such as making appointments, topics of conversation, and negotiating.

• Business Protocol Throughout the World, Worldbiz.com - information on international management as well as business customs in various countries throughout the world

French Links

            General Links

• Business Etiquette - France, Executive Planet
• Doing Business in France, TodayTranslations
• French Business, Economics and Finance Dictionaries, FrenchStudio
• French Business Letters, French Language, About.com
• French Companies, Societe.com

            Journals

• Actualités économiques – major economic news of the day
• L’Humanité
• Libération
• Le Monde Diplomatique - Index - index of all topics covered by Le Monde Diplomatique and free access to the articles

       Online Resources:  Dictionaries and Exercises

• Business English Glossary – English-French, French-English
• Business Language Packet for High School French, CLEAR
• Commercial and Economic French I, Dr. Elizabeth Martin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• The Internet Sourcebook for Business French, CLEAR

 German Links

            General Links