Suport curs engleză an I, semestrul II

Written Communication in Business English

COURSE LEVEL

first year undergraduate students/ second semester of study

INSTRUCTOR

Silvia Mihuţ, Teaching Assistant, PhD Student

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course introduces the university students to business writing for both print and broadcast. Business writing for print requires a higher degree of formality than oral business communication and, consequently, a complex layout or elaborated structures. Business writing for broadcast takes a different level of skills than writing for print. The writer must use all of the techniques that he/she has learned in writing for print and must refine those techniques. The broadcast writer must learn to select and condense information. One of the course objectives is to render the way English is used in order to create written fragments in a business-oriented context. The class aims to present examples of business pieces both on paper and on television or internet like printed notices, e-mails, fax notes, business letters, memoranda, reports, action minutes, questionnaires and advertising messages with reference to both their format and content.

COURSE CONTENT

1. Short Written Messages

2. Business Letters

3. Business Memoranda

4. Questionnaires

5. Business Advertising Messages

6. Evaluation

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION AND GRADING

1. active class participation

2. a written exam at the end of the semester

LECTURE 1

WRITTEN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

I. Definition

Written Business Communication is a form of communication between two or more parties through which views, ideas or information are expressed in writing in the process of business activities.

II. Types of Written Business Communication

Types of written business communication used nowadays include business letters, emails, faxes, memos, reports, forms, questionnaires, notices, agendas, newsletters a.s.o.

III. Characteristics of Written Business Communication

Written Communication has a number of uses in business. It can portray facts and opinions in more details and these can be referred to and checked at any time. Unlike oral communication, written communication can be well planned and organised, errors therefore, can be removed before the document is distributed. However, written communication is more time consuming and often the feedback for such documents is non-existent. As verbal communication received instant feedback, written communication doesn't in fact it is often unclear as to whether the document has been read or understood. It is also difficult portray feeling or emotion in written documents without them seeming unprofessional.