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Master Key Business Writing Skills in 6 Weeks
Section One: Business Writing Myths, Principles, Purposes
Lecture 1: Video Introducing Business Writing Course (11:56)
Lecture 2: Introduction: Business Writing Definition, Skills, Course Aims
Lecture 3: Causes of Poor Written Business Communications
Lecture 4: An Insider’s View of Business Writing Mistakes
Lecture 5: Video Myths and Misconceptions (11:18)
Lecture 6: Contractions, POV, Grammar, Nuance, and Formal Register
Lecture 7: Business vs Academic Writing, Words Big and Small
Lecture 8: What Good Business Writing Requires
Quiz: Introduction to Written Business Communications
Instructions for Exercises: Your Responses, Peer Feedback, My Analyses
Exercise 1: Example of a Cover Letter and Register Issues
Exercise 1: Cover Letter Formality, Instructor’s Analysis
Exercise 2: Correcting Principal's Email for Formal Register
Exercise 2: Principal's Email, Instructor's Analysis
Exercise 3: Edit Estate Agent Brochure for Conciseness and Clarity
Exercise 3: Estate Agent, Instructor's Response
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION for instructor or the class
Reading: Karl Popper, Against Big Words
Section Two: Jargon,Terminology, and Buzzwords Versus Plain Language
Lecture 1: Video on Jargon and Why Avoid It in Communications (10:11)
Lecture 2: Jargon, Terminology, and Big Words in Business Writing
Quiz A: Jargon in Writing for the Workplace
Lecture 3: Examples of Jargon in Poor Communications
Lecture 4: Video on Plain Language (9:49)
Lecture 5: Why Plain Language is Important to Improve Business Writing
Lecture 6: Jargon to Plain Language—Example
Lecture 7: Why Buzzwords Do Not Belong in Business Communications
Quiz B: Plain Language and Written Communications
Lecture 6: Translating Jargon Into Plain Language
Reading and Discussion: "Weasel Words"
Exercise 1: The International Dyslexia Association®
Exercise 1: Dyslexia, Instructor’s Response
Exercise 2: Terminology in Report on Energy Insurance Market
Exercise 2: Terminology in Energy Insurance Market Report, Instructor’s Analysis
Exercise 3: Another Insurance Market Report With Jargon
Exercise 3: Another Insurance Market Report, Instructor’s Analysis
Exercise 4: Analyse and Rewrite a Consultancy Extract
Exercise 4: Rewrite a Consultancy Extract, Instructor’s Analysis
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION for the instructor or the class
Section Three: Word Clutter
Lecture 1: Video Introducing Word Clutter (8:38)
Lecture 2: Word Clutter—Pompous, Ugly, Inaccurate
Quiz A: Zinsser and Orwell on Writing
Lecture 3: Vandals at the Gates of Finchley Road Underground Station
Lecture 4: Types of Word Clutter in Business Writing
Lecture 5: How Word Clutter Undermines Communications
Quiz B: Cluttered Business Writing
Lecture 6: How to Declutter Business Writing for Persuasive Communications
Exercise1: United Airlines
Exercise 1: United Airlines, Instructor's Response
Exercise 2: Tillman Trust
Exercise 2: Tillman Trust, Instructor's Analysis
Exercise 3: Vocare
Question 3: Vocare, Instructor's Response
Reading and Discussion: Jargon in the Time of Pandemic
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION for the instructor or the class
Section Four: The Power of Concrete Language
Lecture 1: Video Introducing Concrete versus Abstract Language (11:00)
Lecture 2: Abstract, Generalised Language--An Exercise
Lecture 3: Nouns and Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs
Lecture 4: Nominalisations
Lecture 5: Active and Passive Voice
Quiz A: Adjectives, Nouns, Spencer, Hemingway on Writing
Lecture 6: When to Use Passive Voice
Quiz B: Uses of Passive Voice
Exercise 1: Robert Champion, Personal Trainer
Exercise 1: Robert Champion, Instructor’s Analysis
Exercise 2: Bet365
Exercise 2: Bet365, Instructor's Analysis
Exercise 3: Investor Engagement
Exercise 3: Investor Engagement, Instructor’s Analysis
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION for the instructor or the class
Section Five: Writing Process
Lecture 1: Why Process is More Reliable Than Muses
Lecture 2: Planning
Quiz A: Business Writing Process
Lecture 3: Outlining, Research
Quiz B: Planning a Project
Lecture 4: Writing in Drafts
Lecture 5: Editing
Quiz C: Drafts
Exercise 1: Your Process
Exercise 2: Applying Your Process
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION for the instructor or the class
Section Six: Structure
Lecture 1: Writing the Introduction
Lecture 2: Approaches to Structuring the Body
Lecture 3: Options, Recommendations, Conclusions, Appendixes
Section Quiz: Structuring Business Writing
Exercise 1: China
Exercise 2: Restructuring an Article
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION for the instructor or the class
Lecture 4: Video on Plain Language
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