TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC VĂN LANG

KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ

 BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE
Working schedule: Week 1  12

Day Lesson At home

1
 Introduction to business
correspondence
Read TLTK1: Unit 6
Read TLTK2: Unit 1, 2, 3, 4
Unit 1: Making Enquiries
2 Unit 1: Making Enquiries Read TLTK1: Unit 6
(cont) Read TLTK2: Unit 1, 2, 3, 4

3 Unit 2: Business Prospects Read TLTK2: Unit 6, 8

4
Unit 3: Contacting customers Read TLTK1: Unit 1
(Elearning)
5 Unit 4: When things go Read TLTK1: unit 7
Working schedule: Week 1  12

Day Lesson At home

6 Unit 5: Getting things done Read TLTK1: unit 7
(Elearning) Read TLTK2: unit 24
7 Unit 6: Maintaining contact Read TLTK1: unit 3
Read TLTK2: unit 10
8 Unit 7: Customer service Read TLTK1: unit 7
Read TLTK2: unit 24
9 Revision and Midterm Review Unit 1-7
10 Unit 8: Product promotion Read TLTK2: unit 19, 20
(Elearning)
Working schedule: Week 1  12

Day Lesson At home

12 Unit 9: Report – part 1 (Use Read TLTK1: unit 4, 5
TLTK 1)
13 Unit 9: Report – part 2 (Use Read TLTK1: unit 4, 5
TLTK 1)
14 Unit 9: Report – part 3 (Use Read TLTK1: unit 10, 12
TLTK 1)
15 REVISION
 GRADING
Điểm thành
Phương pháp đánh giá (gợi ý) Tỷ trọng
phần
Chuyên cần 10%
Quá trình Bài viết nhóm 20%
Kiểm tra giữa kỳ tại lớp 20%
Cuối kỳ Thi cuối kỳ (tự luận, trắc nghiệm, đề đóng) 50%

  TỔNG 100%
 Attendance 10%

Sinh viên bị trừ điểm trong các trường hợp sau:

- Trừ 2 điểm: Vắng 1 buổi không phép
- Trừ 1 điểm: Vắng học có lý do hoặc vào lớp trễ 15
phút
 Group Writing 20%

WHAT: as required
WHEN: every unit
HOW: group of 5(6) students, E-learning
 Midterm test 20%

WHAT: to be mentioned later

WHEN: week 9
HOW: e-learning
LENGTH (max): 45 mins
 Bonus

WHAT: any contribution to the lesson recorded

WHEN: every lesson
HOW: earning a plus (+)
2+ = 1 point
 An Introduction to
Business Letters & Emails
 Contents

04 Message 01
styles and
tones
Writing
headings /
subjects Samples
Layout
03 02
 Discussion:
LETTERS vs EMAILS
1. Samples
 1. Samples
Mr. Basuki sent:
- what in the post?
- what with the email?
 1. Samples
How different from the
previous?
Sender 2. Layout
Receiver
Heading/Subject

Attachment

Salutations
Body of the email

Complimentary close
Typed signature

Position
Company address &
information
 1. Letter head
-
-
Sender’s company name, address, phone number, trademark, telex, fax, etc.
Middle or right corner 2. Layout
2. Inside address 3. References:
- (receiver’s name, positions) - Your ref: receiver’s reference for the
- Receiver’s company name, earlier letter
address (street, district, area, - Our ref: sender’s reference for this
province/city, country) 4. Dates:
5. Attention line: Receiver’s Full name, position/status of the letter (Important/urgent,
etc.)
6. Salutation:
7. Heading/Subject line: a brief content of the letter (may be omitted)
8. Letter body:
- Opening + main + ending parts
- Line space between paragraphs

9. Complimentary Close
10. For: on behalf of an employer; For: + name of the sender’s company
11. Signature: hand written signature of the writer
12. Typed signature: Full name, title should be in brackets (1st time): John Smith (Mr.)
13. Position/Title:
14. Enclosure: Attachment be sent along with the letter
SALUTATION:
- Not know receiver’s name: Dear Sir(s), Madam(s), Sir or Madam
- Know receiver’s name:
• Not know them well: Dear + title + Sur name
Dear Mr. Smith Dear Mr. John
Dear Mr. J. Smith Dear Mr. John Smith
• Know them well: Dear + first name
Dear John
- Do not use job titles (Dear HR Manager).
- Begin emails to a group with Dear All or Ladies and gentlemen or
nothing.
bac 20
k
COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

bac 21
k
Salutation and Complimentary close

Match the greetings from the above extracts to R AC TICE

P
the situations when they are usually used.

1. d
2. a
3. e
4. b
5. c
 Salutation and Complimentary close

C TIC E3. Choose from the greetings in exercise 2

PRA and match them to the endings. You can use
the greetings more than once.

Dear Sir / Dear Sir or Madam

Jill
Dear Ms Potts / Dear Paul
Dear Paul
Dear Ms Potts
Dear Ms Potts / Dear Paul
Jill
Jill
 3. Writing headings/Subjects

Short and clear Main idea

Eye-catching

24
Subject headings

What subject headings can you put for these messages?

Vietnam holiday Spirit ZX98: prices

ICE
PRACT

Charges for a transfer to Japan Woshiba Radios spare parts

 ICE
PRACT
 4A. Message styles

Formal Informal

Standard/Neutral
 4A. Message styles
An informal email
 Heading From: Lan Nguyen ( or hidden by account provider)
To: Richard Lim
Re: Re-confirmation

 Salutation Hi Richard,
 Body Regarding XYZ products, we would like to thank you for
your prompt reply on prices and terms of payment. Please
kindly re-confirm the prices as quoted in your previous
email dated July 25, 20XX so that we can proceed with
placing the order soon.

 Close Best Regards,

 Writer’s name Lan
Standard email
4A. Message styles
 4A. Message styles
Formal business email
 4A. Message styles
=> Depending on the situation and recipients:
Informal: most common style for emails between friends
• Sometimes very short or could include personal news,
funny comments etc.
• closest to speech: everyday words and conversational
expressions
• more tolerant of bad grammar
 4A. Message styles
=> Depending on the situation and recipients:
Standard/neutral: for almost every transaction, the most popular
styles
• Natural style, not old-fashioned or very formal style
• The writer and reader are both busy: simple, clear and direct
language
• Short Sentences and use of contractions (I’ve for I have etc.).
• More personal language, but not informal
• No text-message abbreviations, no slang or ‘emoticons’
 4A. Message styles

=> Depending on the situation and recipients:

Formal: for serious situations and respectful recipients
• old-fashioned letter
• Ideas presented politely & carefully
• much use of fixed expressions & long words
• impersonal language
• Grammar & punctuation are important

Informal
1. What do you need?.....
2. Thanks for the email of 12
Feb. .....
3. Sorry, I can’t make it. .....
4. l’m sorry to tell you that... .....
5. I promise ... .....
6. Could you ...? .....
7. You haven’t
8. Don’t forget... .....
9. I need to ... .....
10. Shall I ...? .....
11. But... / Also .../So ... .....
12. Please could you ...
13. l’m sorry for ...
14. Re ... .....
15. See you next week. .....
4A. Message styles PRACT
ICE
Formal
a) With regard to ….(or With reference to)
b) I can assure you that….
c) We note from our records that you have not….
d) Please let us know your requirements.
e) I was wondering if you could ...
f) We would like to remind you that...
g) I look forward to meeting you next week.
h) Thank you for your email received 12 February.
i) I am afraid I will not be able to attend.
j) Would you like me to ... ?
k) I would be grateful if you could ...
l) Please accept our apologies for ...
m) It is necessary for me to ..
n) We regret to advise you that...
o) However... / In addition ... / Therefore ...

Informal English in
Speaking
1. I'm sorry I can't come.
2. Please call back.
3. Can you give me a hand
with this?
4A. Message styles
Formal English in Writing
1. I regret that I will be
unable to attend.
2. I look forward to your
reply.
3. I would appreciate your
assistance in this matter.
 4A. Message styles
A spoken excerpt from a staff meeting
There aren't enough parking spaces for everyone going to the
party at the hotel on Wednesday night, so they're arranging a
shuttle bus to pick us up and drop us off there. Please use the bus
so that the hotel has enough room for their own guests.

A written communication from a hotel

Because the hotel does not have sufficient parking spaces for
everyone attending the reception on Wednesday evening, we have
arranged a shuttle bus to bring guests to the hotel entrance. We
request that you take advantage of this service so that we may
accommodate our overnight guests.
 4A. Message styles
COMMON INFORMAL / FORMAL WORDS
INFORMAL FORMAL INFORMAL FORMAL
try endeavor home residence
set up establish give provide
check verify to sum up to summarize
look at examine in a nutshell in conclusion
put off postpone tell inform
find out discover point out indicate
get in touch with contact think about consider
deal with handle totally completely
be sorry regret I think In my opinion
seem appear right correct
 I CE
4A. Message styles
PRACT
 4A. Message tones

=> Business emails/letters should:

-Be businesslike
-Be brief, long enough to explain
-Include relevant information
-Avoid being wordy
-Be simple and easy to understand
-Be polite and diplomatic
 4A. Message tones
Being Polite and Diplomatic
Read 2 email versions
Version 1:
Dear Mr. Rohn
I've already written to you concerning your debt of
1,994. This should have been cleared three months ago.
You seem unwilling to co-operate in paying us We'll sue
you if you do not clear your debt within the next ten
days.
Yours,
=> Seem rude and aggressive
 4A. Message tones
Being Polite and Diplomatic
Read 2 email versions
Version 2:
Dear Mr. Rohn
I refer to our previous letter sent on 10 October in which you
were asked to clear the balance of f 1,994 on your account,
which has been outstanding since July. As there has been no
reply, I shall have to consider handing over the matter to our
solicitors.
However, I am reluctant to do this and am offering a further
ten days for the account to be settled.
Yours sincerely => Polite, courteous and diplomatic
 4A. Message tones
Being Polite and Diplomatic

HOW?
 4A. Message tones
I CE
PRACT
Being Polite and Diplomatic