About 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
Created by: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Taught by: Sean McMinn, Senior Insructor
Center for Language Education
Taught by: Kin Tang, Instructor
Center for Language Education
Taught by: Delian Gaskell, Instructor
Center for Language Education
| Basic Info | Course 2 of 5 in the Business English for Non-Native Speakers Specialization |
| Commitment | 6 weeks of study, 3-5 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Welcome Module
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.
2 videos, 4 readings
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Video: How this course is organized
- Discussion Prompt: How is this course relevant to you?
- Reading: Learning how to learn
- Reading: Learning vocabulary
- Discussion Prompt: How do you learn English?
- Reading: The HKUST grammar guide
WEEK 2
Business writing genres
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.
5 videos, 5 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Discussion Prompt: What is style?
- Video: Business letters, memos and emails: The basics
- Video: Report writing
- Video: The writing process, part 1
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Reading: Vocabulary list
- Practice Quiz: Vocabulary quiz
- Reading: Commonly confused words
- Video: Challenging grammar: -ing vs. -ed
- Practice Quiz: Challenging grammar: -ing vs. -ed
- Reading: Sentence pattern you should know #1
Graded: Module 2 Quiz
WEEK 3
Writing emails
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.
7 videos, 8 readings, 7 practice quizzes
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Video: Context and directness
- Practice Quiz: Using the Direct Approach practice
- Video: Writing to persuade
- Practice Quiz: Writing to persuade practice
- Reading: What do we mean when we say, 'rhetoric'?
- Video: Rhetorical devices
- Reading: The concept of kairos
- Discussion Prompt: How many rhetorical devices do you use?
- Video: The writing process, part 2
- Reading: Peer-review practice: Sample persuasive email
- Practice Quiz: Peer-review practice: Persuasive email
- Discussion Prompt: Directness and persuasion
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Reading: Vocabulary list
- Practice Quiz: Vocabulary quiz
- Practice Quiz: How concise are you?
- Video: Paragraphing
- Video: Challenging grammar: Missing verb 'to be'
- Reading: Sentence pattern you should know #2
- Practice Quiz: Pattern #2 Independent Clause: Appositive
- Reading: Peer review practice: Sample email
- Practice Quiz: Peer review practice
Graded: Writing a persuasive email
Graded: Module 3 Quiz
Graded: Correct the grammar and vocabulary errors and rewrite
WEEK 4
Writing memos
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.
6 videos, 8 readings, 6 practice quizzes
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Video: Audience, purpose, tone and style
- Video: Plain English
- Practice Quiz: Plain English practice
- Video: Gender sensitive language
- Discussion Prompt: Communication styles: Is there a gender influence?
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Reading: Vocabulary list
- Practice Quiz: Vocabulary quiz
- Video: Active and passive voice
- Practice Quiz: Practising your active and passive voice
- Video: Challenging grammar: Comma splice
- Reading: Sentence patterns you should know #3 & #4
- Reading: Reasons to use the passive voice
- Reading: Tone & Style – Avoid using clichés in your writing
- Practice Quiz: Tone & Style – Avoid using clichés in your writing
- Reading: Peer review practice: Sample memo with errors
- Practice Quiz: Peer review practice quiz for grammar and vocabulary errors
- Reading: Peer-review practice: Sample memo
- Practice Quiz: Peer-review practice quiz for memo
Graded: Module 4 Quiz
Graded: Correct the grammar and vocabulary errors and rewrite memo
Graded: Writing a memo
WEEK 5
Writing executive summaries
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.
4 videos, 10 readings, 3 practice quizzes
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Reading: General organization of an executive summary
- Video: Presenting data
- Practice Quiz: Presenting data
- Reading: Linking ideas
- Reading: Business Case: Sustainable Seafood for a Sustainable Future
- Reading: Objectives and outcomes
- Reading: Vocabulary list
- Practice Quiz: Vocabulary quiz
- Video: Nominalization
- Reading: Connotation
- Discussion Prompt: What do these words mean to you?
- Video: Challenging grammar: Possessive form
- Reading: The prepositional of-phrase
- Reading: Sentence patterns you should know #5 & #6
- Reading: Peer-review practice: Sample executive summary
- Practice Quiz: Peer-review practice quiz
Graded: Module 5 Quiz
Graded: Executive summary for a proposal
WEEK 6
Concluding module
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.
1 reading
- Reading: Post-course survey
Graded: Final exam
FAQs
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| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
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