EN
The presentation is concerned with several issues involved in teaching business language at the Institute of German Studies. The main goal of such courses is to teach specialised business vocabulary and to practise communication skills in relation to various fields of economy. However, the following questions may be raised: is the knowledge of specialized vocabulary more important than the ability to express one’s own ideas and personal opinions? Can formal correspondence substitute more open forms of self-expression such as essays? The author seeks to reconcile these two apparently contradictory purposes: teaching specialized communication skills efficiently, on the one hand, and showing how to master language structure competently, on the other. It is suggested that various types of exercises should be introduced, such that would help to prepare students for their prospective professional life as linguists and translators/interpreters. Often their tasks will involve correcting mistakes in texts translated by professional businessmen. Is the ability to use repetitive schemes and fixed formulas more important for students of a philological department than linguistic creativity? The author proposes to combine the practice of business vocabulary and business language with creative analysis of language/text structure. These aspects should be seen as complementary components for the practical courses in language skills. The courses should be restructured to an extent at which both elements are in perfect balance. If this presentation instigates a discussion on this issue, it will serve its purpose well.