English for Effective Business Writing
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English for Effective Business Writing
This course is part of Business English for Non-Native Speakers Specialization
Instructors: Kin Tang
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There are 6 modules in this course
This course aims to improve your Business English writing skills by developing your use of vocabulary, grammar, understanding of different business writing genres, and your ability to write professional business documents. Skills learned in this course will be used in the cross-cultural communications course and help prepare you to produce the professional business documents in the Capstone project.
After completing this course, you will be able to: - write business emails - write an executive summary - write persuasively in English - adapt content to purpose, context and audience - use appropriate style and tone of writing for business purposes
Welcome to Week 1! This week, we will cover Module 1 where we introduce you to the objectives and structure of this Specialization and course.
What's included
2 videos4 readings2 discussion prompts
2 videos•Total 6 minutes
- Introduction to our Specialization•3 minutes
- How this course is organized•3 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Learning how to learn•10 minutes
- Learning vocabulary•10 minutes
- The HKUST grammar guide•10 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- How is this course relevant to you?•10 minutes
- How do you learn English?•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 2! This week we will cover Module 2 where we introduce you to basic genres of business writing and the writing process. You will also be introduced to vocabulary and language skills common to business communications.
What's included
5 videos5 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt
5 videos•Total 34 minutes
- Business writing genres•8 minutes
- Business letters, memos and emails: The basics•9 minutes
- Report writing•7 minutes
- The writing process, part 1•7 minutes
- Challenging grammar: -ing vs. -ed•3 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Vocabulary list•10 minutes
- Commonly confused words•10 minutes
- Sentence pattern you should know #1•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Module 2 Quiz•30 minutes
- Vocabulary quiz•30 minutes
- Challenging grammar: -ing vs. -ed•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- What is style?•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 3! This week we will cover Module 3 where we introduce you to emailing and the language skills you will use in business emails. You will also be introduced to vocabulary and language skills common to business communications.
What's included
7 videos8 readings8 assignments2 peer reviews2 discussion prompts
7 videos•Total 38 minutes
- Effective emailing•5 minutes
- Context and directness•8 minutes
- Writing to persuade•6 minutes
- Rhetorical devices•6 minutes
- The writing process, part 2•3 minutes
- Paragraphing•6 minutes
- Challenging grammar: Missing verb 'to be'•3 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- What do we mean when we say, 'rhetoric'?•10 minutes
- The concept of kairos•10 minutes
- Peer-review practice: Sample persuasive email•10 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Vocabulary list•10 minutes
- Sentence pattern you should know #2•10 minutes
- Peer review practice: Sample email•10 minutes
8 assignments•Total 240 minutes
- Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
- Using the Direct Approach practice•30 minutes
- Writing to persuade practice•30 minutes
- Peer-review practice: Persuasive email•30 minutes
- Vocabulary quiz•30 minutes
- How concise are you?•30 minutes
- Pattern #2 Independent Clause: Appositive•30 minutes
- Peer review practice•30 minutes
2 peer reviews•Total 240 minutes
- Writing a persuasive email•120 minutes
- Correct the grammar and vocabulary errors and rewrite•120 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- How many rhetorical devices do you use?•10 minutes
- Directness and persuasion•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 4! This week we will cover Module 4 where we introduce you memos and how to write according to audience and purpose. You will also be introduced to vocabulary and language skills common to business communications.
What's included
6 videos8 readings7 assignments2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt
6 videos•Total 32 minutes
- Writing memos•3 minutes
- Audience, purpose, tone and style•8 minutes
- Plain English•7 minutes
- Gender sensitive language•8 minutes
- Active and passive voice•3 minutes
- Challenging grammar: Comma splice•4 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Vocabulary list•10 minutes
- Sentence patterns you should know #3 & #4•10 minutes
- Reasons to use the passive voice•10 minutes
- Tone & Style – Avoid using clichés in your writing•10 minutes
- Peer review practice: Sample memo with errors•10 minutes
- Peer-review practice: Sample memo•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 210 minutes
- Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
- Plain English practice•30 minutes
- Vocabulary quiz•30 minutes
- Practising your active and passive voice•30 minutes
- Tone & Style – Avoid using clichés in your writing•30 minutes
- Peer review practice quiz for grammar and vocabulary errors•30 minutes
- Peer-review practice quiz for memo•30 minutes
2 peer reviews•Total 180 minutes
- Correct the grammar and vocabulary errors and rewrite memo•60 minutes
- Writing a memo•120 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Communication styles: Is there a gender influence?•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 5! This week we will cover Module 5 where we introduce you to executive summaries and language skills you will use when writing persuasively. You will also be introduced to vocabulary and language skills common to business communications.
What's included
4 videos10 readings4 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
4 videos•Total 22 minutes
- Elements of an executive summary•8 minutes
- Presenting data•7 minutes
- Nominalization•4 minutes
- Challenging grammar: Possessive form•3 minutes
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- General organization of an executive summary•10 minutes
- Linking ideas•10 minutes
- Business Case: Sustainable Seafood for a Sustainable Future•10 minutes
- Objectives and outcomes•10 minutes
- Vocabulary list•10 minutes
- Connotation•10 minutes
- The prepositional of-phrase•10 minutes
- Sentence patterns you should know #5 & #6•10 minutes
- Peer-review practice: Sample executive summary•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 94 minutes
- Module 5 Quiz•32 minutes
- Presenting data•2 minutes
- Vocabulary quiz•30 minutes
- Peer-review practice quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Executive summary for a proposal•120 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- What do these words mean to you?•10 minutes
Welcome to Week 6! This week we will cover Module 6 where we will conclude the course and you will need to complete the final exam and post-course survey.
What's included
1 reading1 assignment
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Post-course survey•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 54 minutes
- Final exam•54 minutes
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Reviewed on Jun 5, 2023
Really effective in teaching you how to improve your general writing skills and business writing skills as well. Definitely would recommend!
Reviewed on Sep 9, 2017
Good course for practice however some error in grading section of grammar practice.
Reviewed on Oct 1, 2020
I got to learn a lot from this course. Especially,I learned so many new things at the same time very basic ones which I actually had no idea. In all
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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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