ENGLISH
2021:
Business Technical Writing
Winter 2000
Interterm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome! This course
provides
an introduction to professional business writing. We will discuss and
practice
strategies for creating a variety of business documents such as memos,
letters, résumés, and reports. By the end of the quarter,
students will be able to produce documents that take into account the
expected
experiences, information bases, and biases of intended readers.
Prerequisite: First-Year
English. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask
in
class or to send me an email
anytime.
(See your course handout for specific class policies and other
information.)
SCHEDULE
Please complete the
readings before
the class date on which they are assigned. Please be sure to check this
web page for complete details of each assignment. All page
numbers
below refer to The Business Writer's Companion (2nd
edition).
| Week
One |
|
| M 11/27 |
Introduction/Overview
Introduction
to Business
Writing Presentation
discuss: 3-50
(business
writing), 277-304 (style, clarity,
and tone), |
| W
11/29 |
Business
Writing Process Presentation
read:
188-192 (memos),
49-50 ("you" viewpoint), 298-299 (positive writing)
discuss memo
format / in-class
memo work / begin memo
assignment |
| R
11/30 |
Memos
due
read: 158-174
(correspondence
overview), 174-177 (inquiry letters), 158 (complaint letters), 195-196
(refusal letters), 210-212 (sales letters), 17-21 (openings), 7-9
(conclusions)
discuss types
of messages and buffers / letter
format / in-class
letter work / begin letter
assignment |
| Week Two |
|
| M
12/4 |
Letters
due
read: 196-210
(résumés),
150-153 (application letters), 185-187 (job search)
discuss
résumés
and application letters |
| W
12/6 |
Résumé/Application
Letter draft due (with job description)
workshop
résumés
discuss
interviews and follow-up
strategies |
| R
12/7 |
Résumé/Application
Letter due (with job description)
read: 101-110
(formal reports),
128-131 (proposals), 93-94 (executive summary)
discuss report
format and criteria / work on team plan and formal
report |
| Week
Three |
|
| M
12/11 |
Team
Work Plan due (should include the following information in effective
letter
format):
- definition
of your project
- personnel
involved
- anticipated
activities
- timeline
for completion of activities
read: 241-273
(visual aids)
discuss visual
aids / work on formal
reports and
presentations |
| W
12/13 |
Team
Progress Report due (should include the following information in
effective
letter format):
- background:
statement
of the purpose of the project andthe problem under investigation
- work
completed: specific
tasks completed, amount of time spent, general information about team
progress,
and problems encountered
- current
work: work at
present
- work
to
be completed:
what remains to be done, any problems you anticipate, and what you hope
the results of your research will be
read: 228-238
(presentations)
discuss
presentations /
work on formal
reports and presentations |
| R
12/14 |
Presentations
/ Formal
Report due |
IMPORTANT LINKS
HELPFUL TEXT
SECTIONS
- Strategies
for
Opening, 17-21
- Strategies
for
Concluding, 7-9
- The "You"
Viewpoint, 49-50
- Positive
Writing, 298-299
- Parallel
Structure, 297-298
- Quotation
Integration, 132-134
- Paraphrase,
121-122
- MLA Source
Documentation, 80-87
return to class list
|