Better Business Writing in English

About this course: Do you need to write more easily and effectively in English? This course will provide the tools to help you do just that. You will develop your personal voice in your writing. You will develop strategies to plan and produce clear, understandable text. You will learn and practice specific writing skills to use in different types of business communications including cover letters, mission and vision statements, proposals , instructions and reports. You will organize, design and write clear text for Power Point Productions. Writing skills include how to choose correct noun and noun modifiers; how to choose correct verb forms and tenses; how to write a variety of clauses and sentences. As you work through the course, you will complete self- and peer-evaluations. Many of the peer assignments will have 2 or more options so that you can choose the best path depending on your current situation. Through a combination of lectures, quizzes, supplementary resources, practice and performance, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to write well in English for your business and professional purposes.

Who is this class for: This course is primarily designed for non-native English users who want to improve their business writing skills in English. The language skills reviewed in this course are mainly targeted for intermediate level. However, there are many items that any non-native English user will find helpful to improve their overall written communication.

Created by:  Georgia Institute of Technology

• Taught by:  Amalia B. Stephens, Lecturer

  Georgia Tech Language Institute

Level Beginner Commitment 4 weeks of study, 3-4 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.6 stars Average User Rating 4.6See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's top research universities, distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. Georgia Tech's campus occupies 400 acres in the heart of the city of Atlanta, where more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive a focused, technologically based education.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Write to Share and Achieve Your Goals
Learning outcomes: After this module, you will be able to develop your personal voice and increase your accuracy, and appropriateness in written English, and produce a written document which displays your personal voice.


4 videos, 3 readings, 3 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: Intro to Course
2. Discussion Prompt: Introduce Yourself to your Classmates
3. Video: Personal Voice
4. Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check
5. Discussion Prompt: Discuss Personal Voice
6. Reading: Written Communication
7. Video: Sentence Types Part 1
8. Practice Quiz: Practice Compound Sentences
9. Video: Sentence Types Part 2
10. Reading: Sentence Type Resources
11. Practice Quiz: Practice Adverb Clauses
12. Reading: Get from the Georgia Tech Language Institute

Graded: Simple, Compound and Complex sentences
Graded: Write a Cover Letter OR Company Description/Mission/Vision Statements

WEEK 2


Write a Proposal and Get Results
Learning outcomes: After this module, you will be able to increase your accuracy, and appropriateness in written English and plan and compose a business proposal in English.


3 videos, 2 readings, 2 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: 3 Key Parts of a Proposal
2. Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check
3. Video: Strong Sentences Part 1: Verb Tense & Parallel Structure
4. Reading: Spelling Present Tense Verbs
5. Video: Strong Sentences Part 2: Subject-Verb Agreement
6. Reading: Verb Tense, Parallel Structure and Subject Verb Agreement Resources
7. Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check
8. Discussion Prompt: Discuss grammar rules from this module

Graded: Lesson Review
Graded: Write a Proposal

WEEK 3


Write Clear and Complete Reports
Learning outcomes: After this module, you will be able to increase your accuracy and appropriateness in written English and plan and produce a paragraph style report in English


3 videos, 1 reading, 2 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: How to Connect Ideas & Sentences
2. Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check
3. Video: How to Write a Process
4. Discussion Prompt: Discuss process writing
5. Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check
6. Video: 3 Main Parts of a Paragraph
7. Reading: Online Writing Tool

Graded: Module 3 Review
Graded: Write a 1-Paragraph Report

WEEK 4


Write and Design Powerful Slides for Powerful Presentations
Learning outcomes: After this module, you will be able to increase your accuracy and appropriateness in written English and write, design and produce a set of clear and powerful presentation slides


2 videos, 2 readings, 2 practice quizzes expand

1. Video: Organize, Write, and Design Effective Slides
2. Practice Quiz: Comprehension Check
3. Video: How to Use Articles and Count/Non-count Nouns
4. Reading: Count/Non-count Nouns & Articles Resources
5. Practice Quiz: Nouns and Articles
6. Reading: Where to go from here?

Graded: Module 4 Review
Graded: Create a Powerful Slide Presentation