About the lecturers:
Suzanna Riordan immigrated with her family to New York City from Ireland at the age of 10, and her understanding of New York's energy, culture and opportunities began even at that young age. She went to Catholic schools in Manhattan, always loving toread and write short stories. She continued this love throughout her college career, earning a BA in Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing, Fiction.
She is now working on both a collection of short stories and a memoir. She has been an adjunct lecturer of Writing and Literature at Baruch and Hunter, CUNY and various other private schools in New York City, concentrating on both the freshman population, and adults returning to school.
Her teaching philosophy is that what is done inside the classroom should affect what we do in the outside world. Therefore, her goal for the Business English class is for every student to have a well rounded grasp of communication in English, the confidence to bring what is learned in the classroom to his our her professional lives, and to have a good time doing so!
Michael Skafidas is a writer and professor of Writing, Communication and Literature at the City University of New York and Gateway New York. His articles and interviews with some of the world’s most influential thinkers, politicians, entrepreneurs and writers have appeared in international print and electronic publications such as The Huffington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, El Pais, La Republica and Die Velt. He is also an editor-at-large for European editions of Marie Claire and Vogue magazines. His most recent academic publication is The Fabric of Cultures (Routledge: London, New York).
About the course:
Business English at Gateway New York is designed to develop a student’s ability to read and think critically in order to communicate effectively in English through writing and speech.
Business is as much about great ideas as it is about being able to express these ideas clearly and concisely through language. Communication is the key to success. Part of our goal is to teach the organizational skills required in order to transform an idea from a vague thought to a concrete plan.
Inspiration comes from knowledge, but performance is enhanced by one’s ability to transmit and present concrete ideas. The goal is to successfully communicate your knowledge, plans, ideas to other businessmen, potential clients, co-workers and the general public by employing the highest standard of communication in English.
The examination and understanding of communication as one of the most vital aspects in business is the course’s objective. The students will also improve their practical skills in CV and report writing.
The course will run like a workshop with formal and informal assignments. Reading, research, writing and presentations are all parts of our work. During the semester, a variety of writing assignments/projects will be completed in class and at home. Aside from the main textbook, our readings will include various sources, such as articles, essays and excerpts from recent best-selling books written by experts in the field.
Studying Business English in New York City is a unique experience for European students. As the epicentre of global business, New York is the ideal playground for acquiring knowledge, practice and experience in the field. Aside from class work, our students have the opportunity to attend events and lectures by guest expert lecturers, take short trips, and visit the New York headquarters of some of the world’s leading corporations, such as Google.