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Form 6.3: Course Outline with Assessment Ideas and Activities

Course Title: Writing for Business Communication
Module Number and Name: 1 Formal letter writing
Objective
1 use the correct layout
and be able to tell the
difference between the
French layout and English/
American formal letter
layout

Assessment
Ideas
1. Quiz
2. Write a formal
letter

Absorb

Do

Connect

Examine different Quiz (can take as

examples of cover many times as
letter layouts
they need)
(Am., BR., Fr)

Write a formal
letter
Quiz

2 be able to recognize and

use expressions and style
characteristic of formal
letter writing

1. Quiz
2. Write a formal
letter

Watch a video
Read formal
letters and
examine the style

quiz

Write a formal
letter
Quiz

3 organize their writing into

paragraphs

Write a formal
letter

Read a document
about
paragraphing

Discussion: case
studies

Write a formal
letter

4 write a well-organized
formal letter without
glaring language and
register mistakes

Write a formal
letter

All the above

All the above

Write a formal
letter

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

2
Course Title: Writing for Business Communication
Module Number and Name: 2 Email writing
Objective
1 analyze and determine
the kind of register used in
emails the student receives

2 use the most appropriate

register (expressions,
vocabulary, politeness
forms) in order to reply to
emails

Assessment
Ideas
1.Quiz
2.Discussion

Reply to an
email
Quiz

3 decide on the right

1. Quiz
register to use when writing 2. Reply to an
an email to a member of
email
staff (depending on their
3. Discussion
position in hierarchy and
company policy), client,
provider etc.
4 spot language calques
1. Quiz
(e.g. false friends, fixed
2. Reply to
phrases translated word for
an email
word) and how they impede
communication

Absorb

Do

Connect

Video on registers
Read a text
explaining
differences in
registers

Quiz A
Discussion A
(guided analysis)

Reply to an email

The above:
Video on registers
Read a text
explaining
differences in
registers

Quiz B
Discussion A
(guided analysis)

Reply to an email

The above:
Video on registers
Read a text
explaining
differences in
registers

Quiz C
Discussion B
(guided analysis)

Reply to an email

Examine different
examples of
mistranslation
and language
calques

Quiz D

Reply to an email

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Course Title: Writing for Business Communication

Module Number and Name: 3 Memo
Objective
1 Identify situations that
require the use of memos
and the correct audience

Assessment
Ideas
1.Quiz
2.Discussion
3.Write a memo

2 use the correct layout

1.Quiz
2.Write a memo

3 use the language of

recommendation and
making suggestions

1.Discussion
2.Quiz
3.Write a memo

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch video A on
memo writing

Discussion (case
studies)
Quiz

Write a memo

Watch video A
Read how to
section on memos
at Purdue
University
website
Read about ways
of making
suggestions in
English

Quiz

Write a memo

Discussion: case
studies
Quiz

Write a memo

Discussion: case
studies
Quiz

Write a memo

Watch video A
4 be able to adapt the
register (formal, semiformal) to ones audience

1.Discussion
2.Quiz
3.Write a memo

Watch video A

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Course Title: Writing for Business Communication

Module Number and Name: 4 Minutes
Objective
1 analyze pros and cons of
using various styles of
writing minutes to be able
to choose the most
appropriate style in a given
situation
2 use reporting verbs

Assessment
Ideas
1.Discussion
2. Write minutes
of a meeting

Absorb

Do

Connect

Read a document
about various
styles of writing
minutes
(document 1)

Discussion (case
studies)

Write minutes of a
meeting

1.Quiz
2.Write minutes
of a meeting

Read about the

use of reporting
verbs

Self-study book
chapter
Quiz

Write minutes of a
meeting

3 identify what to write

down and what to leave out

1.Discussion
2.Write minutes
of a meeting

Read a document
about writing
minutes
(document 2)

Discussion (case
studies, guided
analysis)

Write minutes of a
meeting

4 proofread and carefully

edit minutes

1.Role playing
2.Write minutes
of a meeting

Read a document
about writing
minutes
(document 2)

Role playing:
students evaluate
minutes of
meeting (they
correct mistakes
and pinpoint
editing problems)

Write minutes of a
meeting

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

6
Course Title: Writing for Business Communication
Module Number and Name: 5 Report writing
Objective
1 identify the crucial
reference documents that
provide information about
style and structure of a
report
2 plan and organize your
report by clearly stating
your purpose as the writer,
assessing the readers
needs and identity as well
as formulating the main
message of your report
3 develop an outline of the
report

Assessment Ideas
1. Discussion
2. Quiz

Absorb
Read how to
guides on
several university
websites

Do

Connect
Write a report

Quiz
Discussion
(guided analysis)

1.Write the first

paragraph of a
report
2.Write a report
Discussion

Read 2-3 real life

reports

Discussion
(guided analysis)

1.Write a report
outline
2.Quiz

Read 2-3 real life

reports

Quiz

Write a report

4 use the appropriate verb

forms (passive voice) and
impersonal and formal
style throughout the report

1.Write a report
2. Discussion

Watch a video

Discussion:
guided analysis

Write a report

5 apply methods of
referencing information in
the text, style and
formatting (MLA etc.)

1. Discussion
2. Write a report
3.Quiz

Read stylesheet
guides on
university
websites

Quiz

Write a report

6 effectively use graphs

and figures to provide
information

1. Discussion
2. Write a report
3. Describe a
graph

Watch a video on
describing graphs

Case studies:
discussion

Write a report
Describe a graph

Write a report
Write the first
paragraph of a
report

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.