Business Writing Thomas Tasker English Language Fellow Program

Overview The functions of business writing writing The basics: writing paragraphs Cover letters Resumes Writing assessment

What writing do your students do? Discuss – The academic and business writing your students currently do. – How often your students write. – The problems your students have with writing (motivation, organization, mechanics, etc.) – What the writing goals you have for your students are. – How you plan to help them achieve these goals.

s: What do we do with writing? Give background information Refer to previous contact or acknowledge situation Build rapport (usually an off-topic comment) State the purpose for writing Reference for writing Request information Respond to requests (accept or refuse)

What do we do with writing? Confirm or remind of arrangements Offer assistance Give good news Give bad news Emphasize information Apologize Reference future business and concluding

Have a clear understanding It is essential that you have a clear understanding of the purpose of your document. What is your purpose in writing the document? What purpose should the document serve for your reader? Is your main point stated early in the document? What do you want your reader to do when she finishes reading the document?

Important considerations Does your document begin by explaining your main point? Your introduction should answer these three questions from the perspective of the reader: – What is this? – Why am I getting it? – What do you want me to do?

Sample Area Leads, Please take a moment to check with your Wave 4a countries to make sure they have completed the Local Table Setups. If they have not, please instruct them to go into the UB Scenarios Database. The section for 'HRIS Conversion Checkout' within the 'Scenarios' will provide them guidance in setting up their local and generic tables. They should have this task completed in order for their users to utilize the system properly. Please forward a note back to me prior to EOD Friday, 22 Sept verifying that this has been completed. Thanks. Henry

Task 1: Working with s Look at the s I’ve provided. Underline the phrases that have a function. What are the functions used? How many? Does it answer these questions from the reader’s perspective? – What is this? – Why am I getting it? – What do you want me to do?

Controlled student writing You need to send an to a colleague, Jon Davis. Below is information that will help you write the . Thank him for his invitation to the concert, but you cannot go. Tell him why. Tell him you received his fax, and that you will meet him on July 1 at 11am in his office in Prague. Explain why your boss can't come to the meeting. Tell him about the report you have attached to this . Ask him to look over the report in preparation for the meeting. Ask him to send the report to anybody who will be at the meeting Apologize that the appendix to the report is not completed yet; you will fax it to him when it is ready.

Task: Practice using phrases Using the list of business writing functions and phrases, write an to a colleague. Use as many phrases as you can!

The Cover Letter A cover letter's importance includes its ability to: – E xplain your experiences in a story-like format that works with the information provided in your resume – Allow you to go in-depth about important experiences/skills and relate them to job requirements – Show the employer that you are individualizing (tailoring) this job application – Provide a sample of your written communication skills

The Cover Letter Does your communication proceed in a logical and organized way, moving from general to specific information? Is information arranged in order of importance to your audience? Is similar information kept together? Is each section organized around only one main idea? Are there enough details? Do key sentences begin each paragraph?

The basics: writing paragraphs Keep one idea to one paragraph A paragraph should contain: – A topic sentence – Unity – Coherence – Adequate development

Resume writing What information should be included in a resume? Using action verbs Task: how do the authors of these resumes use action verbs?

Writing assessment How do you choose what to correct? What are the problems of trying to correct everything? How can you limit your focus in correction? Editing vs. direct correction vs. indirect correction Margin comments vs. end comments End comments = encourage, future goals

Discussion With your group, share successful writing tasks you have done with your students