Course Description
English 407A aims to help students develop the skills they will need to write successfully in the workplace. This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of business communication including the basic forms, formats, and rhetorical techniques of business writing so they will be thoroughly prepared for the career field they are about to enter. It is designed to help strengthen written, oral, and visual communication skills and instruction students in the six elements that make up the “circulation” of documents in any business setting or workplace: planning, drafting, reading, responding, revising, and delivery.
Students will gain an understanding of the following forms of business communication:
- Business Letter
- Memo
- Business Proposal
- Progress Report
- Recommendation Report
- Business Presentation
- News Article
- Press Release
- Resume
- Cover Letter
Course Objectives
By the end of the semester, students will be able to:
- Identify conventions of business memos, letters, reports, and presentations
- Write to multiple audiences, for various purposes (e.g. inform, persuade, earn/maintain good will)
- Plan and manage short-term and long-term writing projects
- Draft, design, revise, and edit documents in both content and visual appeal
- Design and implement appropriate research strategies
- Write collaboratively (e.g., co-authoring, peer revising, peer evaluation)
- Follow and adjust to business writing conventions, including style and tone
- Use writing to help prepare and deliver oral presentations
- Write ethically and responsibly within an organization and as a member of society