BUSINESS EMAIL WRITING SYLLABUS DESIGN AND EVALUATION

1. Syllabus design

Course rationale

The course is designed for people who seek to develop their professional email writing

skills. In this course, participants are provided with basic knowledge and skills to write

different types of basic business emails, including enquiries, requesting action,

exchanging information, making and confirming arrangements, etc. Learners have a

chance to immediately employ their skills in solving various email writing’s problems

in real-life based context and develop their professional communicative ability.

Learners interact with authentic materials and other learners’ writing, analyze and

evaluate those emails, learn from them, and improve their own writing.

Participants

The course aims at non-native undergraduate business-majored students who are

inexperienced in writing professional letters in English. The language skills in this

course are targeted for intermediate level. However, other learners may find many items

available in this course beneficial to their professional email communication.

School/Organization

Since the course is designed for pre-experienced learners in the commercial field, it is

best organized at colleges which major in business. Targeted learners, therefore, can

have advantageous access.

Course length

There are 12 face-to-face meeting sessions in the course which lasts for 4 weeks, with

3 classes per week. Classes are scheduled on either Monday-Wednesday-Friday or

Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. There are morning, evening, and night classes available

to fit the various working and studying schedules of students.

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Course goals

The aim of this course is to help learners to

- Appreciate the importance of professional email writing;

- Become more confident when dealing with emails in business settings;

- Write effective business letters;

Course objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to

- Understand well the structure of an email;

- Successfully distinguish between formal and informal emails;

- See clear differences and similarities among different types of business emails;

- Use various key language for different kinds of emails;

- Write a business email whose message is precisely delivered;

- Apply appropriate tone and formality levels in business emails;

- Make accurate grammatical, lexical and functional corrections to a business

email.

Language focus

This 4-week course focuses on language and strategies for composing effective work

emails. Necessary grammar, vocabulary, writing structures, writing styles, and editing

are taught to enhance participants’ learning of email writing skills. Also, various

business writing contexts are set up to meet the needs of different learners.

Course materials

Core textbook is

- Chapman, R. (2015). Express Series English for Emails. Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

Supplementary materials include

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 - (1) Flynn, N., & Flynn, T. (2003). Writing effective e-mail improving your

electronic communication: Crisp Learning.

- (2) Gilling, D. A. (2013). The Essential Handbook of Business Writing:

Communication Excellence in English, the Language of Business Worldwide:

Greenlink Consulting.

- (3) Miller, S. (2001). E-Mail Etiquette: Do's, Don'ts and Disaster Tales from

People Magazine's Internet Manners Expert: Grand Central Publishing.

Note: Students spend the largest amount of their time in the course working with the

core textbook to grasp the basics of email writing. The supplementary materials are

supplied to support and ensure the effectiveness of trainees’ email writing skill. Besides,

students may work with other extra appropriate materials selected by their teachers and

proposed by themselves.

Scope and sequence

Schedule

of Topic Content

classes

- Conducting a questionnaire to know

student needs

- Getting to know elements of an email

screen
Day 1+2 An introduction to emails
- Exploring the general structure of an email.

- Writing appropriate subject lines

- Planning and structuring an email –

supplementary book 1

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 - Distinction between formal and informal

emails

- Use of an appropriate register

- Making use of abbreviations

Formal and informal - Informal and formal writing language

Day 3+4
emails - Composition basics (supplementary book

2)

- Error corrections

- Keys to effective emails (supplementary

book 1)

- Email addresses

- Writing an email to request information

Day 5 Enquires
- Replying to enquires

- Use of polite language

- Writing to colleagues

- Talking about deadlines and taking actions

Day 6 Requesting action - Common language used for requesting

action

- Replying to requests

- Informing and replying

- Colloquial phrases and contractions

Day 7 Exchanging information
- Quoting from previous emails

- Being diplomatic

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 - Typical phrases for making arrangement
Making and confirming
Day 8 - Prepositions of time
arrangements
- Apologizing

- Letter of complaint

- Letters of announcement and invitation

Day Other types of emails
- Letter of refusal
9+10 (negotiable)
- Letter of appreciation

(supplementary book 2)

- Forwarding emails

- Domain names

- Attachments
Email etiquette
Day 11 - Viruses
(negotiable)
- Culture matters

- Managing email overload

(supplementary books 1 and 3)

- Final assignment presentation and

evaluation
Day 12 Course wrap-up
- Students and teacher feedback

- Course wrap-up

Note: During the first 3 weeks from day 1 to day 8, students will follow a fixed sequence

of activities provided by the syllabus. Then, in day 9,10, and 11, the teacher negotiates

with students about the content, activities, and assignments that should be applied in

these last lessons.

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Assessment

A variety of assessment tools are used, including

Assessment Content

In-class attendance and participation Students’ attitude toward the profits of

(15%) participation in the course

Peer assessment Assignments of business email writing

(10%) for each topic. Pair works of writing and

Self-assessment replying an email, presentations, or any

(10%) other kinds of assignments which are

agreed among participants and can

address students’ progress. Assignments

Small assignments
are assessed by the teacher, peers, and
(40%)
Teacher students themselves. Feedback are

assessment provided immediately at the completion

(20%) point of the assignments.

The assessment can be based on email

writing knowledge, writing skills and

styles, language use, and letters’ format.

Students work in groups of 4 to identify

and select a potential simple real-life

problem which can be solved via emails.

Final problem-solving task (45%)
They then create a collection of emails

exchanged between different parties to

solve that problem.

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 The assessment is based on appropriate

use of formality levels, writing skills,

writing styles, language use, and the

letters’ structure and format.

2. Syllabus evaluation

Business English has become popular and has attracted lots of worldwide attention and

interest in the recent decades. Business English distinct itself from other various types

of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in that it is a mix of specific content in the

industry of business and general content including a variety of communicative abilities

(Ellis & Johnson, 1994). In this case, a course focuses only on the ability of email

writing is more specific and intensive.

2.1. Need evaluation

Regarding email writing, it has revolutionized the way individuals and organizations

work since the day of its emergence. Within the trend of time and space reducing

innovations of smartphones, video chatting, instant messaging, email has changed the

means of communication between companies and their employees, customers, partners

and other parties (Argenti, 2006). Non-native English users working in the business

field are required to master, besides other communicative skills, email writing skills.

Therefore, the need for an intensive course of business email writing is high and

emergent.

This course has initially and continuously put great consideration in satisfying student

needs. Content and activities presented in the syllabus are highly related to what

students need to perform in the real-life context. Trainees can directly demonstrate their

skills of business email writing when participating in the course. Hutchinson and Waters
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have stated that the vital requirement of an ESP course is that all decisions on content

and method of language teaching have to be based on the students’ reason for learning

(1987, p. 19). Besides, this course is learner-centered and learning-centered. Content,

assessment, and activities used in the course are partially negotiated with participants

of the course. In this approach of learner focus, both teachers and learners involve

themselves in flexible negotiation about the process of designing learning and

assessment (Wajnryb, 1992, p. 124). Moreover, the target participants of this course are

pre-experienced learners who are about to depart from their graduate course, and their

needs are different from those who are experienced. In addition to language ability, pre-

experienced students need to acquire and implement good practices, responsibility, and

work ethic in business, etc. Thus, a well-design course should allow them to exploit

intercultural factors, business etiquette, and other business skills (Jendrych, 2011). Our

course of business email writing has included such elements in our syllabus content.

2.2. Reflection on relevant curriculum elements

This syllabus design has employed some of the elements presented by Nation and

Macalister (2010) as stages of the curriculum design process, including goal and

objective setting, content and sequencing choice, format and presentation design, and

deciding methods of monitoring and assessment.

Goals and objectives

A course goal can refer to the expected development of cognitive and affective aspects

in learners, what students are hoped to achieve, what teachers hope to achieve in the

class, the real-life communicative tasks students could perform after instruction, etc.

(Nunan, 1988). The goal in this course demonstrates the expectation of students’

achievement in business email writing skills, their cognitive and affective development

which are their critical thinking, awareness, and attitude toward the business email
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writing. Besides, it is broken into smaller and more specific objectives, which has been

clarified by Nation and Macalister as a way to make monitoring and assessment easier

to proceed (2010, p. 71).

Content and sequencing

The principles of content and sequencing presented by Nation and Macalister (2010)

included in this syllabus design are the frequency and coverage of appropriate language

use – students have access to a huge source of email writing materials, and they work

with the required language repeatedly and all the time. Besides, there is a training of

learning strategies and autonomy – peer and self-assessment allow learners to monitor

their progress continuously, use of essential language items, skills and strategies.

Furthermore, the course employs an appropriate sequence – the language and activities

are organized according to their level of difficulties, an ease of learning burden –

previous knowledge is reviewed frequently and employed in preceding activities, and

no interference between language items.

Format and presentation

This syllabus also satisfies elements of ideal format and presentation by Nation and

Macalister (2010). Since the content and activities available in this course are highly

relevant to their immediate needs, learners should feel eager to participate in classes.

The course balances four strands of meaning-focused input, language-focused output,

meaning-focused output and fluency which are identified by Nation (1996, p. 7).

Learners read and listen to authentic materials related to emails, do activities to enhance

their language use of vocabulary, grammar, and discourse, write business emails to

convey their ideas to others, and practice fluent writing skills. As this course is mainly

task-based, students spend most of their time dealing with tasks of business email

writing. Also, students must demonstrate critical thinking and apply the language items
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they have learned precisely. Moreover, the course provides students with a variety and

flexibility of activities and materials that suit their various learning styles.

Monitoring and assessment

Needs and environment analysis are carried out thoroughly throughout the course. At

the beginning of the course, participants take a questionnaire to identify their prior

knowledge, their ability in business email writing, and their attitude toward the

importance of email writing. During the course, trainees’ progress is assessed by the

teacher, their peers, and themselves through a series of assignments. Evidence from

these sources and reviews on the materials and environment is continuously analyzed

by the teacher to identify student and environment needs and adjust future instruction.

Students receiving frequent feedback from many sources allow them to make changes

in their learning.

3. Conclusion

This syllabus of business email writing is practical and necessary in the current

situation. The course serves the ambition of partially preparing business-majored

students in their future career. It is a learner-centered course which is designed based

on the immediate needs of students, business schools, and the society. The essence of

curriculum design is well-considered. However, the effectiveness of such course can

only be guaranteed if further investigation is conducted and the course is implemented

in the real world.

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 References

Argenti, P. A. (2006). How technology has influenced the field of corporate

communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 20, 357–

370.

Chapman, R. (2015). Express Series English for Emails. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

Ellis, M., & Johnson, C. (1994). Teaching Business English: An Introduction to

Business English for Language Teachers, Trainers, and Course Organizers.

Oxford: OUP.

Flynn, N., & Flynn, T. (2003). Writing effective e-mail improving your electronic

communication: Crisp Learning.

Gilling, D. A. (2013). The Essential Handbook of Business Writing: Communication

Excellence in English, the Language of Business Worldwide: Greenlink

Consulting.

Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Jendrych, E. (2011). New approach to teaching English for business communication.

Sino-US English Teaching, 8(10), 665-671.

Miller, S. (2001). E-Mail Etiquette: Do's, Don'ts and Disaster Tales from People

Magazine's Internet Manners Expert: Grand Central Publishing.

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Nation, I. S. P. (1996). The Four Strands of a Language Course. TESOL in Context,

6(2), 7.

Nation, I. S. P., & Macalister, J. (2010). Language Curriculum Design. New York:

Routledge.

Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroom Observation Tasks : A resource book for language

teachers and trainers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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