English for Business and Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

English for Business and Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

Welcome to English for Business and Entrepreneurship, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs. This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in learning more about the global business economy. In this course, you will learn about topics and language necessary to succeed in the international workplace. You will explore business English through authentic readings and video lectures, while learning about business vocabulary, concepts, and issues. Unit 1 will provide an introduction to entrepreneurship by examining ideas, products, and opportunities.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

IIn unit 2, you will learn about the basics of market research, including how to identify an opportunity. The next unit in the course will focus on business plans, why these plans are important, and will give you a chance to practice composing a business plan. In the final unit of the course, we will present basics for funding a business and will help you create a persuasive presentation, or pitch, based on a business plan.
Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.
Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Unit 1: Becoming an Entrepreneur
In this unit, we will introduce course goals and logistics, then discuss basic concepts and vocabulary related to entrepreneurship.

WEEK 2
Unit 2: Identifying an Opportunity
This unit will cover how to do market research to determine whether a new product presents an opportunity in a market. We will focus on surveys and questions.

WEEK 3
Unit 3: Creating a Business Plan (Part 1)
This first part of Unit 3 will review the importance of writing a business plan and will focus on the first two sections: operations and marketing.

WEEK 4
Unit 3: Creating a Business Plan (Part 2)
In this second part of Unit 3, we will learn about the Financials section of a business plan and how to create a simple, brief business plan of our own.

WEEK 5
Unit 4: Attracting Investors and Obtaining Financial Support
In this unit, we will discuss different ways to get the money needed to start a business. At the end you will create a "pitch" to present your business ideas.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Becoming a changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Becoming a changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation (Coursera)

This free 6 week course is for anyone who wants to make a difference. Whether you are already familiar with the field of social innovation or social entrepreneurship, working for an organization that wants to increase its social impact, or just starting out, this course will take you on a journey of exploring the complex problems that surround us and how to start thinking about solutions.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Legal Tech & Startups (Coursera) Coursera
IE Business School

Legal Tech & Startups (Coursera)

LegalTech is the reaction to the disruption that technology is having across all sectors of the economy. Considering that the legal sector is one of the most resistant to change, due to its conservative nature, we can see just how different the future will be. In this course, IE professor Marti Manent will guide you through the essential stages of this disruption in technology, giving you the key tools and ideas to consider when starting your online business.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Réussir une négociation : Stratégies et compétences clés (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Réussir une négociation : Stratégies et compétences clés (Coursera)

Nous négocions tous au quotidien. À titre personnel, nous négocions avec des amis, notre famille, des propriétaires, des vendeurs de voitures et des employeurs, entre autres. La négociation est également la clé de la réussite en affaires. Aucune entreprise ne peut survivre sans affaires rentables. Au sein d’une entreprise, des compétences en négociation peuvent vous permettre d’évoluer.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
English and Academic Preparation - Grad Track (Coursera) Coursera
Rice University

English and Academic Preparation - Grad Track (Coursera)

The English and Academic Preparation – Grad Track course is for students with a (minimum) advanced level of English. It is designed to help international students strengthen their English while developing academic skills necessary for success in graduate studies at an American university. Ideally, prospective students have completed or are near completion of a bachelor’s degree in their country and would like to come to the United States to study for a master’s or doctorate degree.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Renewable Energy and Green Building Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

Renewable Energy and Green Building Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

Welcome to the course where you learn to launch a new business in the energy, finance, real estate, design, engineering, or environmental sectors, while also helping you create positive environmental and human health impacts around the world. We will integrate tools, trends, and tips from the field of entrepreneurship as a career path for making a difference and generating wealth in the renewable energy and green building sectors.

Sep 7th 2026
3 Weeks
Writing in English at University (Coursera) Coursera
Lund University

Writing in English at University (Coursera)

Acquiring good academic research and writing skills early on is essential for your success both at university and in your professional life. This course aims: - to give you an understanding of the conventions of academic writing in English and to teach you the components and benefits of what is called process writing. - to help you to put together your own “toolbox” of academic writing skills, as well as to give you a chance to test out these tools and to reflect on your own development as a writer. - to encourage reflection on discipline specific conventions; although the course deals with generic skills, you will be able to apply these generic skills to meet the particular needs of your own discipline.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Teaching EFL/ESL Reading: A Task Based Approach (Coursera) Coursera
University of London,UCL Institute of Education

Teaching EFL/ESL Reading: A Task Based Approach (Coursera)

This course explores ways of teaching reading skills in English as Second and Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) using a task-based approach. You will be introduced to the concept of task and the key principles of task-based language teaching (TBLT) and learning. TBLT uses communicative tasks as the key unit for creating language learning activities. You will also examine the role of reading in real-life and in second and foreign language teaching and current thinking about the interface between TBLT and second language reading.

Aug 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

This course assists aspiring and active entrepreneurs in developing great ideas into great companies. With strong economies presenting rich opportunities for new venture creation, and challenging economic times presenting the necessity for many to make their own job, the need to develop the skills to develop and act on innovative business opportunities is increasingly vital.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies (Coursera) Coursera
Case Western Reserve University

Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies (Coursera)

The path for entrepreneurs to grow their companies outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley is challenging. Most markets around the world do not look like Silicon Valley, and they never will. But there are other models to support new businesses. In transitioning markets (where entrepreneurs do not have much access to private sector financing), government officials, donors, and business leaders are experimenting with creative approaches to support the growth of entrepreneurs. Northeast Ohio, whose largest city is Cleveland, is one such community. During our time together in this course, we will be exploring some of these innovative approaches.

Aug 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks