English Business Writing Master

Unlocking Success Through English Business Writing Excellence

Course Overview

This 3-day English Business Writing course aims to equip participants with the fundamental skills, advanced techniques, and practical applications required for effective business writing in various professional contexts. Each module is designed to be interactive, incorporating hands- on exercises, real-world examples, and opportunities for participant engagement. Each module can be taught as a stand-alone unit.

To optimize the benefits of an English Business Writing Mastery program a needs analysis needs to be done to make sure that the program focusses on the needs of the participants. This may result in a shorter more focused course that covers all the outcomes required.

Course Objective

Day 1: Foundations of Effective Business Writing Module

Objectives

  • Understanding the importance of effective business writing.
  • Identifying the audience and purpose of your writing.
  • Common challenges in business writing

 

Activity 1: Understanding Your Audience

Participants collaborate in small groups and receive a unique business scenario, like drafting an email to a client or a report for management. They assess the audience’s needs, expectations, and familiarity with the topic. They discuss their findings and highlight essential considerations for audience-focused writing.

Activity 2: Solving Writing Challenges

In teams, participants confront real-world writing hurdles, such as unclear instructions or contradictory emails. They identify these issues within the provided scenarios and devise practical solutions. Teams then present their findings and solutions to the entire group, fostering productive discussion and collective problem-solving.

Objectives

  • Writing clear and concise sentences
  • Avoiding jargon and overly complex language
  • Practicing readability and comprehension

 

Activity 1: Sentence Editing Challenge

Participants receive long and convoluted sentences from business documents.

They work individually to rewrite the sentences, making them clearer and more concise. Participants compare their revisions and discuss the principles of clarity and conciseness in writing.

Activity 2: Jargon or Clarity Game

Participants are given sentences with industry-specific jargon mixed with clear, concise sentences. They identify and discuss which sentences are easier to understand and why. This interactive game highlights the importance of avoiding unnecessary jargon in business writing.

Objectives

  • Crafting effective introductions and conclusions.
  • Organizing content logically.
  • Mastering the art of outlining

 

Activity 1: Introduction and Conclusion Workshop

Participants are given sample business documents (e.g., reports, memos, or emails) with weak or ineffective introductions and conclusions. They work individually or in pairs to rewrite and improve these sections. Participants share their revised introductions and conclusions, explaining their choices and highlighting elements that engage the reader effectively.

Activity 2: Logical Content Sorting

Participants receive a set of disorganized information or data points related to a business topic. Working in small groups, they collaboratively organize and structure the content logically, creating an outline or framework. Each group presents their organized content to the class, discussing their rationale for the chosen structure and its impact on comprehension.

Objectives

  • Essential grammar rules for business writing.
  • Punctuation and sentence structure.
  • Proofreading techniques for error-free writing.

 

Activity 1: Grammar Challenge Quiz

Participants take part in a friendly grammar quiz with questions related to common grammar rules (e.g., subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and sentence structure). The quiz is interactive, and participants can compete individually or in teams. After the quiz, a review session covers correct answers, providing explanations for each grammar rule. 

Activity 2: Proofreading and Editing Exercise

Participants receive a document filled with intentional grammatical and punctuation errors. They work individually to identify and correct these errors, focusing on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Afterward, participants exchange their corrected documents with peers for a second round of proofreading, discussing their findings and learning from one another’s insights.

Day 2: Advanced Business Writing Skills

Objectives

  • Writing concise and effective business emails.
  • Formatting and etiquette for email communication.
  • Responding to different email scenarios

 

Activity 1: Effective Email Practice

Participants practice composing professional emails in response to common workplace scenarios, focusing on etiquette and tone.

Activity 2: Email Formatting Exercise

Teams collaborate to format emails correctly, highlighting the significance of proper email structure.

Objectives

  • Crafting clear and persuasive memos.
  • Structuring comprehensive business reports.
  • Using data and visuals effectively.

 

Activity 1: Memo Redesign Challenge

Participants redesign and rewrite existing memos for clarity and persuasiveness, showcasing their improvement.

Activity 2: Report Analysis

Participants evaluate sample business reports to better understand the elements of effective report writing.

Objectives

  • Composing formal business letters.
  • Creating persuasive business proposals.
  • Requesting and providing recommendations.

 

Activity 1: Letter Writing Challenge

Participants practice composing formal business letters (e.g., inquiry, complaint, introduction) alone or in pairs. They follow the right format, tone, and language. Afterward, they review each other’s letters for clarity and professionalism.

Activity 2: Proposal Pitch Presentation

Participants form teams to craft persuasive business proposals for fictional projects. Each team creates a brief pitch to present their proposal to “investors.” The focus is on key points, benefits, and persuasion. Teams get feedback for peer learning.

Activity 3: Recommendation Exchange

Participants partner up to practice requesting and providing recommendation letters. They take turns as requesters and providers, creating professional letters based on provided information. Afterward, they discuss best practices for this valuable skill.

Objectives

  • Formatting documents professionally.
  • Developing a style guide for consistent writing.
  • Effective use of templates and tools.

 

Activity 1: Document Makeover Challenge

Participants get unformatted business documents (like reports and memos) to format professionally. They work alone or in pairs, adjusting fonts, margins, headings, and layout. They then share their polished documents with the group for discussion on formatting best practices.

Activity 2: Style Guide Creation Workshop

Participants work together to build a style guide for a fictional organization. They cover tone, vocabulary, formatting, and structure. Each team focuses on a part, and together they create a complete guide. Teams present their sections and ensure it’s consistent. It reinforces writing consistency in a fun, collaborative way.

Activity 3: Tools & Templates Demo

Participants explore popular business writing tools and templates like Microsoft Word features and grammar checkers. They get hands-on practice guided by the instructor. They choose a document type (like a project proposal) and create a polished version using these tools. The session ends with participants sharing their experiences and insights on how these tools simplify writing and maintain consistency

Day 3: Practical Business Writing Applications

Objectives

  • Writing cover letters and job applications.
  • Responding to inquiries and requests.
  • Handling complaints and resolving issues.

 

Activity 1: Inquiry Response Simulation

Participants are provided with a set of inquiry emails from potential clients or customers.

They assume the role of a company representative and respond to these inquiries, addressing questions, providing information, and maintaining a professional tone. After composing their responses, participants exchange their emails for peer review, assessing clarity, completeness, and customer-focused communication. This exercise enhances participants’ ability to effectively respond to inquiries and provide relevant information.

Activity 2: Responding to Customer Inquiries

Participants receive a customer inquiry scenario. They draft a response, providing relevant information and maintaining a professional tone. Participants exchange their responses for peer feedback and discuss strategies for effective customer communication

Objectives

  • Understanding cultural considerations in international business writing.

  • Dealing with sensitive topics and delivering negative news professionally.

  • Using inclusive language and avoiding bias.

 

Activity 1: Cross-Cultural Communication Simulation

Participants engage in a role-play exercise simulating communication with international clients. They navigate cultural differences in communication styles and etiquette. After the role-play, participants reflect on cultural sensitivity and effective cross-cultural communication.

Activity 2: Writing Sensitive Messages

Participants discuss scenarios involving delivering negative news or addressing sensitive issues. They practice crafting messages that maintain professionalism and minimize potential conflicts. Peer feedback helps participants refine their communication skills in handling delicate situations.

Objectives

  • Resolving misunderstandings and conflicts Offering constructive feedback.

 

Activity 1: Misunderstanding Resolution

Participants are paired up. Each pair receives a written scenario involving a workplace misunderstanding. They work together to draft a written response, clarifying the issue and proposing a solution. Pairs exchange their responses and provide feedback. Participants discuss key insights and strategies for resolving misunderstandings in written communication.

Activity 2: Constructive Feedback Exchange

Participants pair up and take turns providing each other with written feedback on a recent piece of their course work, such as a writing assignment or presentation. The feedback should be specific, actionable, and focused on improvement. Afterward, participants discuss the feedback they received, emphasizing how constructive feedback can enhance their writing and communication skills.

Objectives

  • Recap of key learnings and progress.
  • Resources for further self-study and improvement.

 

Activity 1: Reflect and Plan for Growth

Participants engage in a reflective session where they identify and share the most significant insights and skills they’ve gained throughout the course. They discuss how they plan to apply these learnings in their professional roles. Participants then set personal goals related to their future writing and communication development.

Activity 2: Resource Sharing

The instructor provides a curated list of resources, including recommended books, websites, and online courses, for participants to continue their self-study and improvement in business writing and communication. Participants are encouraged to share additional resources or tips they may have discovered during the course.

Get In Touch

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American University in the Emirates

P.O. Box: 503000, Dubai, UAE | Phone: + 971 4 4499 000
Fax: + 971 4 4291 205 | Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aue.ae | Toll free 800AUE (283)