Location

Community Services & Continuing Education - Alexandria

Objectives

• This Program aims to:1. To understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation2. To understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communication choices3. To understand and appropriately apply modes of expression, i.e., descriptive, expositive, narrative, scientific, and self-expressive, in written, visual, and oral communication4. To participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding5. To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency in the development of exposition and argument.6. To develop the ability to research and write a documented paper and/or to give an oral presentation.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:• Apply business communication strategies and principles to prepare effective communication for domestic and international business situations.• Identify ethical, legal, cultural, and global issues affecting business communication. • Utilize analytical and problem solving skills appropriate to business communication. • Participate in team activities that lead to the development of collaborative work skills. • Select appropriate organizational formats and channels used in developing and presenting business messages. • Compose and revise accurate business documents using computer technology. • Communicate via electronic mail, Internet, and other technologies. • Deliver an effective oral business presentation.

Course Contents

Improving Business Communication & What Makes an Effective Report Barriers and pitfalls of business communication Differences between written and spoken communication and their implications Characteristics of an effective report Understanding the readers’ needs Report layout and design for clarity and impact Structure - the macrostructure and the microstructureReadability, Writing Style and the Writing Process Sentences, paragraphs and readability Generating ideas – Mind mapping and brain storming SOPPADA Sources of information and research techniques Selecting and structuring the content – logical sequencing The Five C’S of quality writing Proofreading, grammar and punctuation Tables, diagrams, figures and graphsE-mails, Letters and Other Business Writing What Makes an Effective Presentation Managing e-mails to be noticed Writing effective business letters Writing professional agendas and minutes Writing instructions and guidelines NETIQUETTE