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【Abstract】Cambridge English：Business Vantage （BEC Vantage） is the second level of business qualifications provided by Cambridge Assessment English. Many universities open up the course of BEC Vantage in an effort to increase students’ competitiveness in the job market， but students still feel less confident to communicate in real international business settings. By integrating the approach of awareness raising in the BEC Vantage classroom， students can be guided to notice the gap between genuine English and their own usage in an international business settings independently， which will improve their language awareness and confidence.
【Key words】BEC Vantage； language awareness； awareness raising
1. BEC Vantage
Cambridge English：Business Vantage （BEC Vantage） is the second level of business qualifications provided by Cambridge Assessment English. According to its official website， BEC Vantage is designed to help candidates develop practical English language skills to communicate confidently and successfully in international business environments. Using real-work related tasks and activities， BEC Vantage tests all four language skills， i.e. listening， reading， writing and speaking， in order to provide an overall assessment on candidates’ English proficiency in business settings. With this qualification， professionals are supposed to have better chances when applying for new jobs， getting promotions or developing a career. Because BEC Vantage is globally accepted by international companies （e.g. HSBC）， the course of BEC Vantage is extensively adopted by English majors， especially Business English majors of universities in mainland China trying to increase students’ employment opportunities. Although it simply requires candidates to know general business topics and mainly tests English proficiency， EFL （Learning English as a Second Language） students still have difficulties to either anticipate reactions and responses or apply the most appropriate usage in real English-speaking business context. Shortage of authentic materials and limitations of course length might be the possible reasons for students’ inefficiency， but students’ unawareness of language usage in business settings is a barrier when entering an international business environment.
2. Language awareness
According to Bolitho et al （2003）， language awareness （LA） refers to “mental attribute which develops through paying motivated attention to language in use， and which enables language learners to gradually gain insights into how languages work” （p. 251）. It means that through noticing and recognizing language usage， language awareness can be developed by learner themselves step by step. The objective of language awareness is to allow students to notice the gap between genuine English and their own usage independently and to learn English beyond the classroom. Bolitho et al. （2003） also suggests that the ideal result of LA approach is to raise learners’ ability of critical thinking about the target language and the culture by exploring the language independently instead of passively accepting fixed rules. Being aware of language is beneficial to both students and teachers. Students’ learning outcomes can be enhanced by noticing the authentic language forms on their own， which in return actives their interests to learn more （Mahaputri
【Key words】BEC Vantage； language awareness； awareness raising
1. BEC Vantage
Cambridge English：Business Vantage （BEC Vantage） is the second level of business qualifications provided by Cambridge Assessment English. According to its official website， BEC Vantage is designed to help candidates develop practical English language skills to communicate confidently and successfully in international business environments. Using real-work related tasks and activities， BEC Vantage tests all four language skills， i.e. listening， reading， writing and speaking， in order to provide an overall assessment on candidates’ English proficiency in business settings. With this qualification， professionals are supposed to have better chances when applying for new jobs， getting promotions or developing a career. Because BEC Vantage is globally accepted by international companies （e.g. HSBC）， the course of BEC Vantage is extensively adopted by English majors， especially Business English majors of universities in mainland China trying to increase students’ employment opportunities. Although it simply requires candidates to know general business topics and mainly tests English proficiency， EFL （Learning English as a Second Language） students still have difficulties to either anticipate reactions and responses or apply the most appropriate usage in real English-speaking business context. Shortage of authentic materials and limitations of course length might be the possible reasons for students’ inefficiency， but students’ unawareness of language usage in business settings is a barrier when entering an international business environment.
2. Language awareness
According to Bolitho et al （2003）， language awareness （LA） refers to “mental attribute which develops through paying motivated attention to language in use， and which enables language learners to gradually gain insights into how languages work” （p. 251）. It means that through noticing and recognizing language usage， language awareness can be developed by learner themselves step by step. The objective of language awareness is to allow students to notice the gap between genuine English and their own usage independently and to learn English beyond the classroom. Bolitho et al. （2003） also suggests that the ideal result of LA approach is to raise learners’ ability of critical thinking about the target language and the culture by exploring the language independently instead of passively accepting fixed rules. Being aware of language is beneficial to both students and teachers. Students’ learning outcomes can be enhanced by noticing the authentic language forms on their own， which in return actives their interests to learn more （Mahaputri