8. Business is booming: Rethinking business presentations in response to the Bologna Reforms

This contribution describes an example of how the Bologna Reforms, and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in particular, have helped towards a re-evaluation of both level and content of a Language for Specific Purposes course. The example concerns an English for Business course for Åbo Akademi University economics undergraduates in Turku, Finland. The main focus will be the oral components and the introduction of the Business is Booming Convention as a way to maintain the required CEFR language level (B2-C1) in the face of increased class size, reduced contact hours and the need to offer more ‘real-life’ business activities. This may also be of interest to teachers of other languages and specialist areas.