NARGIZA ABDURAKHMANOVA (MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE OF SINGAPORE IN TASHKENT)
TATYANA SOKHRANNAYA (Management Development Institute of Singapore in Tashkent )

DEVELOPING NEGOTIATION SKILLS OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT STUDENTS THROUGH SIMULATIONS AS A PART OF LANGUAGE TRAINING : ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC/SPECIFIC PURPOSES

Foreign language proficiency is one of the major demands in the global job market, but without complementary business and transferrable skills it does not provide a candidate with a competitive advantage when applying for a prestigious position in an international business organization. In this regard, teaching a foreign language in combination with negotiation skills in universities specializing in Business and Management is becoming particularly relevant for ELT/ESP professionals. By combining language fluency with negotiation expertise, students get the opportunity to practice realms of the business world and enhance essential skills that contribute to their personal and professional growth. This study employs the integration of negotiation simulations as a teaching tool in English Language and Communication Skills for Business modules for Foundation Year students at the Management Development Institute of Singapore in Tashkent (MDIST). The aim of this research is to cultivate students’ negotiation skills by means of simulation exercises related to various scenarios occurring in the business community which contribute to enhancing their understanding of fundamental concepts from the field of Business and Management and soft skills development along with upgrading language proficiency. The practical part of the article contains a description of the empirical study of the negotiation simulation results, which prove educational efficiency of simulation technology in the professional development of future entrepreneurs and economists.

Nargiza Abdurakhmanova is a Senior Lecturer at Management Development Institute of Singapore in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She has over 10 years experience in teaching English for Academic Purposes and Communication Skills for Business. Her research interests include such fields as Academic Writing, Business Communication, and Teaching Strategies and Methodology.

Tatyana Sokhrannaya is a Leading Lecturer and Head of School of Language and Communication at Management Development Institute of Singapore in Tashkent. She is a dedicated professional with a 5-year managerial and 18-year teaching experience in ELT, ESP, Academic Writing and Communication Skills; materials designer and trainer-trainer in governmental projects.