Teach English in ZhonghuashAn Linchang - Suizhou Shi

INTRODUCTION This paper demonstrates an ESL course syllabus to teach English Written Business Communication for non-native speakers of senior upper secondary students who prepare to attain ESL program in university with completion of English Written Essentials-ENGL 051 and English Reading, Vocabulary, Comprehension-ENGL 003 with a grade of C or higher. The class is content-based, featuring a combination of language-oriented, skills-oriented and learning-oriented approaches (Hutchinson & Waters, 1993) to ESL syllabus design. A variety of teaching and learning activities are applied within the framework of the Whole English Approach, such as lectures organizes around theme, topic, or other units of content. Cooperative learning is encouraged along with team spirit of negotiation and sharing. The syllabus aims at reaching satisfactory outcomes corresponding with preordained learning objectives and learning competencies. The course lasts for 15 weeks with 3 hours per week; it includes written assignments of Memo, Routine/Good-News Letter, Bad-News Letter, Persuasive Letter, Business Report, Resume Portfolios, and Oral Presentation. Students are required to do pre-reading activities, discussion and exercise in class. COURSE DESIGN - Course Description and Syllabus ESL 103-Written Business Communication ENGL 103-119: Written Business Communication, Room 326 Tue, Thu 14:00-15:30 Instructor: Chiang Mei Hu Office: 2628H Office Hours: Tue, Thu 11:00 -13:00 and other times by appointment Cell Phone: +886 983 468 186/Email: [email protected] Required Texts: Business Communication Today 7th ed. Bovee. Courtland L. et al. Prentice-Hall. 2003. Additional Required Materials: College-level dictionary Thesaurus Folders for portfolio assignments Course Prerequisites: This course is designed for non-native speakers of senior upper secondary students who have completed English Written Essentials-ENGL 051 and English Reading, Vocabulary, Comprehension-ENGL 003 with a grade of C or higher. Course Subjects: Academic ESL Program Goals The main goal of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program is to prepare students whose native language is not English to assist students in acquiring English language skills appropriate to their age and grade level as efficiently as possible, and to enable students to reach grade-level scales in their academic subjects by providing them with supplemental materials, instruction and resource assistance. Academic ESL Program Purposes Most non-native speaker students experience frustration and struggle to present their ideas through written text effectively and with confidence. The purpose of ESL Written Business Communication Program is designed to strengthen non-native students’ business writing and reading skills in English. The course will specifically prepare ESL students to develop professional business writing skills, whether in emails, memos, letters, reports, or other formats, that are critical for students to be successful in their academic career. Course Description: Application of the principles of effective communication in writing of emails, memoranda, letters, and short reports. Primarily is designed for non-native students who expand their abilities to produce effective professional business writing skills. Learning Objective and Learning Outcomes: The objective of this course is to assist students develop their business writing skills, to refine students’ ability to communicate more effectively and confidently in professional environments. Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate the ability and should be able to • Familiarize with the principles governing the preparation of several types of written business communication. • Familiarize with letter, memorandum, and report formats. • Write in various types of business communication. • Apply effective writing strategies to business communications, including analysis of audience and purpose. • Complete collaborative projects. • Familiarize with the tools needed to effectively communicate in intercultural situations. Course Guidelines: Reading Assignment The information presented in our textbook offers a unique insight into current business communication. Much or our class discussion will be generated from the reading you are assigned. In order to participate fully in class and complete the written assignments, you have to read the material. Quizzes Remember: whenever you have a reading assignment for homework, it is possible that I will have reading quizzes for you. Preparation and Participation To succeed in the course, you need to do all the assignments and submit on time. Please refer to the syllabus schedule to determine each assignment due date. Participating in class by paying attention to what others say will help you succeed, as well as, to contribute your own thought, comments and questions is another critical way to participate in the learning environment in the class. Written Assignments Assignments will include memos, letters, a report, and a resume portfolio. Please print your essays on a word processor or computer. I will specify format requirements with each assignment, and then collect written assignments at the beginning of class the day they are due, please refer to the syllabus schedule. If you submit a paper after the due date, you will lose 10 point per day. Papers submitted after class will be considered one day late. Please submit each of you portfolios in a folder. Memo Portfolios • Formal Communication: Self-Introduction Write a memo introducing yourself to your instructor and your class. Include your background, interests, achievements, and goals. • Prepare a memo identifying the foreign country you have chosen to research for the report assignment. a. Explain why you chose that particular country, and b. Explain how you’ve identified source material for your research. c. Why you planning on using/not using items among the 10 sources you’ve identified? Consider this memo a progress report on the early stages of your research report. Submit printed copies of your memos, using font no larger than Arial 12 pt font. Margins should be no more than an inch at the top and bottom of the page and 1.25 inches at the left and right sides of the page. You should submit the documents in a folder, preferably one with interior pockets. Routine/Good-News/Goodwill Letter Portfolios: All the case study will be assigned on the date I indicated. • Routine Requests: Request for Information Your task is to write a formal letter to the company and address your specific questions. To make your meeting more productive, list your questions in the letter. • Routine Replies: Letter granting credit from the company Your task is to write a formal letter to inform the client of the good news. • Positive Messages: Thank-you letter Your task is to write a thank-you letter via e-mail to your staff and enclose a gift certificate in each one. You plan to distribute the letters before the company’s party. Bad–News Letter Portfolios: All the case study will be assigned on the date I indicated. • Negative Answers To Routine Requests: Product delay Your task is to break the bad news in an e-mail message notifying customers of the delay, and to offer refund or merchandise credit to them who make such a request. Your message will be reviewed by company CEO before it’s released. Better make it your best work. • Negative Organizational News: Product recall Your task is to send out immediate news releases announcing the product recall to all media, but as customer service supervisor, you must notify retailers with legal requirements mandate a written notification. You need to explain the circumstances behind the recall, and be sure to mention all that your company is doing and use resale information. Persuasive Letter Portfolios: All the case study will be assigned on the date I indicated. • Persuasive Requests For Action 1: To relocate the annual sales event Your task is to write a memo persuading the management to reprint the posters and relocate the incentive weekend to another hotel. Use emotional and logical appeals. • Persuasive Requests For Action 2: Telecommuting Your task is to write a memo to senior partner persuading her to give you a six-month trial as a telecommuter. Business Report Portfolio: • Doing Business Abroad: Report summarizing the social and business customs of a foreign country Your company would like to sell its products overseas. Before they begin negotiating on the international horizon, however, management must have a clear understanding of the social and business customs of the countries where they intend to do business. • Your Task: Choose a foreign country and write a long formal report summarizing the country’s social and business customs. Review chapter 3 and use that chapter’s “Checklist: Doing Business Abroad” as a guide for the types of information you should include in your report. • Report assignment will be evaluated by a. General guidelines b. Prefatory material c. Introduction d. Body of report e. Conclusion f. Supplementary material Important Note 1. You will receive a handout specifying criteria of “Doing Business Abroad” in the class. 2. You will receive detail information of “Editing Questions From The Formal Analytical Report” handout in the class. Requirements for Formal Business Report: • Submit your report (complete with tile page, table of contents, synopsis, bibliography, and any necessary appendices) on the date I indicated in the class. Please type your report, using double spacing for the body of the text. Please use 10 or 12 point font. • The page margins should be as follows: Top: 1 inch Bottom: 1 inch Right side: 1.25 inches Left side: 1.25 inches • Use headings to help your audience identify the major sections of your report and to understand the organization of your information. • Please number the pages of your report, and be sure that your last name appears in the header of all the main section pages after the first page. • The bibliography should include at least 10 sources, 7 of which should be directly cited in the body of the report. Document both sources that specifically mentioned and sources that were consulted but not mentioned. • Your report should be approximately 10 pages in length. Reports that include fewer than 7 pages of text will be penalized. • Please submit your outline with your report. • Submit the report in a folder with pockets. Resume Portfolio: • Prepare a cover letter to send to a company that interests you. Use a letter format demonstrated in Appendix I of your text. a. If you know of a current job opportunity available with the company, target your cover letter toward obtaining an interview for that position. b. If you don’t know of current opportunities available at the company, target your cover letter toward the position you want to fill for the company. • Prepare a resume targeted toward obtaining an interview with the company for the indicated position. Make sure your resume relates your skills, abilities, and experience to the position for which you are applying. • Prepare a follow-up letter to thank the company’s interviewer, assuming you have been invited to an interview. Imagine some of your key characteristics that you would mention in an interview to “sell” yourself as the best candidate for the position and be sure to reinforce those ideas in your letter. • Please use standard computer printer paper for this assignment, and submit these documents in a folder. Oral Presentation: You will be given “Peer Evaluating Oral Presentation” handout and feedback from the student and instructor in the class • For this assignment, you will modify a portion of your report for presentation to the class. a. Choose one area of your report, i.e. appropriate attire, etiquette for meals, proper forms of greeting and address, etc., and prepare a 7-10 minutes oral presentation. b. Create or obtain appropriate visual aids to accompany your presentation, and be sure to practice your delivery. c. Remember to compose a one sentence that can link your subject and purpose to your audience’s attention, and to determine whether you want to use a direct or indirect approach and the style of your presentation. d. You need to prepare an outline of your oral presentation. This outline will be the basis for your presentation notes. Important Note When you summit your Memo, Routine/Good-News Letter, Bad-News Letter, Persuasive Letter, Report, and Resume Portfolios, please make sure the following: 1. Is the letter in an appropriate format? (personal address, inside address, date, salutation, complimentary close) 2. Are there spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors? 3. Is the tone of letter appropriate? Is the language positive? 4. Does the introductory paragraph introduce the topic of the letter? 5. If written using a direct approach: a. Does the introductory paragraph state the main point? b. Does the body of the letter explain the key reasons that support the main point? c. Does the conclusion sum up the important information of the letter? Include a positive close? Indicate the next actions? 6. If written using an indirect approach: a. Does the introductory paragraph include an appropriate buffer? b. Does the body of the letter explain the key reasons that support the main point? c. Does the conclusion state the main point? Include a positive close? Indicate the next actions? 7. Does the letter answer questions that the target audience may reasonably have? 8. Is any key information missing? 9. Does the message make an appeal to the audience? a. Does the letter appeal to logic/reason? b. Does the letter appeal to emotion? Grading: • Final grades for the course will be calculated according to the following: Memo Portfolio 100 points Routine/Good-News Letter 100 points Bad-News Letter 100 points Persuasive Letter 100 points Report Portfolio 200 points Resume Portfolio 100 points Oral Presentation 100 points Reading Quizzes, Homework 100 points Class Participation 100 points Total: 1000 points • Letter grades are assigned: A 930-1000 A- 900-929 B+ 870-899 B 830-869 B- 800-829 C+ 770-799 C 730-769 C- 700-729 D+ 670-699 D 630-669 D- 600-629 F 0-599 Important Note If your portfolio fails, you will automatically receive a C- or lower in the course depending on the other components of your overall grade. Attendance: Please make every effort to attend all class meeting and arrive on time. If you arrive late, you may disrupt the rest of the class. You must be present in order to participate in discussions, receive feedback from and offer feedback to your classmates, and complete in-class assignments. Your grade will be reduced if you have four or more unexcused absences. I may require a student to present documentation (i.e., a doctor’s note) to substantiate an excused absence. If you must miss a class, please speak with me when you return to class. It is your responsibility to request information regarding class discussions or assignments you have missed. Definitions Excused absence – an absence that occurred for reasons that were a. Beyond the student’s control prevent, and b. Significant enough to reasonably prohibit attendance in class Unexcused absence – an absence that occurred for reasons that were a. Within the student’s control to prevent, or b. Not significant enough to reasonably prohibit attendance in class, even if uncontrollable. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: • Cell phones are disruptive to class. As a courtesy to your classmates and your instructor, please turn them off during the class period. • Electronic dictionaries, tablets, iPads, and laptops also need to be turned off during the class, unless I invite you to use them for a specific activity. Academic Dishonesty: In order to benefit from this class, you need to complete the assignments. Do not submit work that is not your own. If you submit work created (in whole or in part) by another person, you will be committing an act of academic dishonesty and will be penalized. Your grade may be lowered for a particular assignment or for the course, or you may receive a failing grade for an assignment or the course. The division administrator responsible for your curriculum may impose harsher measures, i.e., disciplinary probation, suspension from a curriculum, or suspension from a curriculum, etc. Class Schedule: The following schedule is offered to provide a general overview of the course. Dates for reading and writing assignment are flexible. The instructor will confirm assignments in class. Week 1 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Introduction and distribution of syllabus • Class Discussions: Introduction, understanding the Foundations of Business Communication • Reading Assignment: Chapter 1 and 2 Exercise: 1.3, and 1.5 Week 2 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication (cont’d); Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information • Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 and 10 Thursday: Library Presentation (Meet in Room 628) Week 3 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Planning Business Communication • Reading Assignment: Chapter 4 and 5 Tuesday: Research Day Week 4 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Writing Business Messages, Completing Business Messages • Reading Assignment: Chapter 6 Tuesday: Memo Portfolio Due Week 5 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Writing Routine, Good-News, and Goodwill Messages • Reading Assignment: Chapter 7 Chapter 7: case study 3, 9, and 14 Thursday Quiz: Chapter 7 Week 6 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Writing Bad-News Messages • Reading Assignment: Chapter 8 Chapter 8: case study 3, and 13 Thursday: Routine/Good-News/Goodwill Letter Portfolio Due (chapter 7: case study 3, 9, and 14) Week 7 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Writing Persuasive Messages • Reading Assignment: Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Choose two case studies 3, 5, or 9 Thursday Quiz: chapter 9 Thursday: Bad-News Letter Portfolio Due (chapter 8: case study 3, and 13) Week 8 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Documenting Sources; Fundamentals of Grammar Usage • Tuesday: Fall Break Thursday: Persuasive Letter Portfolio Due (chapter 9: choose two case studies 3, 5, or 9 ) Week 9 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Planning Business Reports and Proposals • Reading Assignment: Chapter 12 Thursday Quiz: Chapter 12 Business Report on Thursday: Develop a problem statement, SOP, and work plan Week 10 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Writing Business Reports and Proposals • Reading Assignment: Chapter 13 Thursday: Create outline for the business report Week 11 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Completing Business Reports and Proposals • Reading Assignment: Chapter 14 Thursday: Bring the draft of the business report Week 12 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Writing Employment Messages and Interviewing for Jobs • Reading Assignment: Chapter 17 and 18 Tuesday: Business Report Due Week 13 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Planning, Writing, and Completing Oral Presentations • Reading Assignment: Chapter 15 Tuesday: Resume Portfolio Due Thursday: Holiday Break Week 14 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Communicating Through Visuals, Enhancing Your Oral Presentation with Electronic Slide Shows and Overhead Transparencies • Reading Assignment: Chapter 16 Thursday: Oral Presentations Week 15 (Tuesday, Thursday): • Class Discussion: Review Session/Finials Week Tuesday: Oral Presentations Thursday: Oral Presentations USEFUL LINKS AND REFERENCES British Council, Younger learns Terminology https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/young-learner-terminology British Council, Are you using the correct terms for your young learner? https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/2739_BC_YLT_no crops_AW 2.pdf British Council, Content-based instruction https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/content-based-instruction Content based syllabi https://www.slideshare.net/NiushasadatHosseinan/content-based-syllabi Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1993). English for Specific Purpose: A Learning-centred Approach (8th ed). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Su, Shao-Wen. (2011). A Content-based English Listening and Speaking Class for Hospitality Purposes. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 1. 10.4304/tpls.1.8.935-940. Retrieved on August 31, 2019, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7a5c/39f52301ae6bf077ab5aaedde19cb91095d4.pdf