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HKUSTx: EBA102x English for Doing Business in Asia - Writing

Course objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to

    • use a range of vocabulary and expressions that are commonly used in business English and in business writing,
    • plan, research and structure a piece of writing according to the needs of a specific reader and purpose,
    • write a series of coherent and cohesive paragraphs, in which topic sentences containing controlling ideas are expanded with details, examples and explanations,
    • identify the purpose of a written document to meet the audience’s needs,
    • organize a written document to suit the audience and purpose,
    • write an informative and a persuasive written document relevant to a business context in Asia, and
    • develop an understanding of cross-cultural issues, style, and genre for business communication purposes.

Course outline

Week Release Date Learning Objectives Topics Graded Assessments

0

26 May 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • getting to know each other
  • plan and prepare for learning
  1. Course Outline page
  2. Grading Scheme page
  3. Survey 

none

1

02 June 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • understand the expectations and goals for this course
  • identify elements of different genres
  • identify a type of sentence structure and its rhetorical effect
  • understand challenging English grammar items
  1. Introduction
  2. Business Communications
  3. Sentence Patterns You Should Know
  4. Challenging Grammar

Quiz 1

Due date: 22 June 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

2

09 June 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • understand possible cross-cultural issues and misunderstandings in communication
  • identify a type of sentence structure and its rhetorical effect
  • understand challenging English grammar items
  • use some basic Business English vocabulary
  1. Cross-cultural Understanding
  2. Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
  3. Sentence Patterns You Should Know
  4. Challenging Grammar
  5. Vocabulary Practice

Quiz 2 

Due date: 22 June 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

3

16 June 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • apply reading strategies to a business case
  • analyze and summarize business data
  • use comparison and contrasting in your writing
  • identify a type of sentence structure and its rhetorical effect
  • understand challenging English grammar items
  • use some basic Business English vocabulary
  1. Reading Strategies for a Business Case Study
  2. Case Study
  3. Analyzing and Summarizing Business Data
  4. Comparing and Contrasting 
  5. Sentence Patterns You Should Know
  6. Vocabulary practice

Quiz 3

Due date: 22 June 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

4

23 June 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • understand the basic elements of a formal business report
  • write to inform and persuade
  • use appropriate stress and pausing in your speech
  • understand context and directness in cross-cultural communication issues when writing emails
  • write a basic paragraph
  • write using Plain English
  • identify a type of sentence structure and its rhetorical effect
  • understand challenging English grammar items
  • use basic Business English vocabulary
  1. Formal Business Proposals
  2. Context and Directness
  3. Paragraphing
  4. Plain English
  5. Sentence Patterns You Should Know
  6. Challenging Grammar
  7. Vocabulary Practice

Task 1: Email 

Write a short email to inform management of a problem (about 150 words)

Due date for your work: 29 June 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

Due date for submitting peer feedback: 02 July 2015 23:59(GMT+8)

5

30 June 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • understand a basic organization of an executive summary
  • how to arrange information for different purposes
  • use transitions between paragraphs
  • identify a type of sentence structure and its rhetorical effect
  • understand challenging English grammar items
  • use basic Business English vocabulary
  1. General Organization of an Executive Summary
  2. identifying the Audience and Purpose
  3. Paragraph Transitions
  4. Sentence Patterns You Should Know
  5. Challenging Grammar
  6. Vocabulary Practice

Task 2: Inform and recommend 

Write two paragraphs to inform and make recommendations for a problem (about 300 words).

Due date for your work: 06 July 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

Due date for submitting peer feedback: 09 July 2015 23:59(GMT+8)

6

07 July 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • write an executive summary
  • use discourse markers in organized speech
  • use active and passive voice appropriately
  • use gender-sensitive language
  • understand nominalization
  • be aware of cross-cultural communication issues
  • identify a type of sentence structure and its rhetorical effect
  • understand challenging English grammar items
  • use basic Business English vocabulary
  1. Organizing an executive summary
  2. Writing style
  3. Cross-cultural Communication
  4. Sentence Patterns You Should Know
  5. Challenging Grammar
  6. Vocabulary Practice

Task 3: Executive Summary 

Produce an executive summary for a formal business report (about 650 words).

Due date for your work: 13 July 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

Due date for submitting peer feedback: 16 July 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)

7

14 July 2015 09:00 (GMT+8)
  • Test your knoweldge 

All topics are included in the exam. The vocabulary tested in the Vocabulary Practice will be part of the exam.

Final Exam

Due date: 20 July 2015 23:59 (GMT+8)