Spanish-American Institute

404 Business Communications 72 Classes

Prerequisite(s): None

Textbooks: Laurie G. Kirszner et al, Writing First With Readings: Practice in Context, Bedford St. Martin's, 2006 (or comparable text).

Course Description: While developing English language skills, this course emphasizes the application of correct grammar and punctuation to letters, memos, reports, and other forms of personal and business communication.

Objectives: By the end of the course, students should be able:

• to recognize and solve common sentence problems in English;
• to understand how context affects meaning and to correct grammar and other writing choices;
• to recognize and use correct English in context with an emphasis upon grammar and usage issues for ESL writers;
• to understand and use correct punctuation, mechanics, and spelling in business writing; and
• to use English language skills to develop letters, memos, and other common forms of personal-business and business communication.

Instructional Methods: Students review English grammar and usage and apply what they have learned to recognizing and editing common errors in paragraph and longer passages that require understanding of context and meaning as well as of correctness. Students also compose short documents based on models.

Grading: The final grade will be based on an average of grades for class participation, assignments, and tests. Students create a learning portfolio that includes assignment and test results.

Course Outline: Grading: The final grade is based on the following:

Class Participation	25%
Assignments	50%
Exams	25%
Total	100%

The grading scale is: A=90-100%, B+=85-89%, B=80-84%, C+=75-79%, C=70-74%, D=65-69%, F=60-64%

Contents:

Week	Topics	Assignments and Tests
1	Exploring the text, including learning aids. Run-ons and comma splices.	Read Unit 21 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices. Complete all Unit practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question.
2	Sentence fragments. Writing business letters.	Read Unit 22 directions for recognizing sentence fragments. Complete unit practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a business letter in response to an assigned topic.
3	Subject-verb agreement. Writing memos.	Read Unit 23 directions for recognizing correct and incorrect subject-verb agreement Complete unit practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a memo in response to an assigned topic.
4	Illogical shifts. Writing resumes.	Read Unit 24 directions for recognizing run-ons and comma splices.. Complete practice exercises 24-1 to 24-4, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Develop a current resume, as assigned.
5	Dangling and misplaced modifiers. Writing job application cover letters.	Read Unit 25 directions for recognizing dangling and misplaced modifiers. Complete unit practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice. Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Copy and correct the entire passage. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a job application cover letter, in response to an actual ad. Attach the ad to your cover letter.
6	Verbs: past tense. Career planning self-assessment memo.	Read Unit 26 directions for recognizing past tense correct use. Complete unit practice, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a career-planning memo in which you describe your career goals, what you need to reach them, and your plans for the next five years to work towards those goals. .
7	Verbs: past participles. Complaint letters.	Read Unit 27 directions for recognizing past participles and their correct use. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Draft a complaint letter for your boss on an assigned topic.
8	Nouns and pronouns. Review for exam.	Read Unit 28 directions for recognizing nouns and pronouns and their correct use. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Bi-monthly exam.
9	Adjectives and adverbs. “Bad news” letters.	Read Unit 29 directions for recognizing adjectives and adverbs and their correct use. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Draft a “bad news” letter for your boss to job candidates who did not get the job.
10	Grammar and usage issues for ESL writers. Letters of recommendation.	Read Unit 30 directions for recognizing common grammar and usage issues for ESL writers. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a letter of recommendation for someone with good credentials.
11	Using commas. Letters of recommendation.	Read Unit 31 directions for recognizing correct and incorrect comma use. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a letter of recommendation for someone with weak credentials.
12	Using apostrophes. Summarizing survey results.	Read Unit 32 directions for recognizing correct use of apostrophes. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a memo in which you summarize the results of the survey described on the handout.
13	Understanding other writing mechanics (e.g., capitalizing proper nouns, punctuating direct quotations, using minor punctuation marks, etc.) Writing self-assessment writing evaluation memo.	Read Unit 33 directions for recognizing correct writing mechanics. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question. Write a memo in the assigned format in which you summarize your writing strengths and weaknesses and the steps you plan to take to improve.
14	Understanding spelling. Summary memos or reports.	Read Unit 34 directions for recognizing common spelling errors. Complete practice exercises, copying the entire passages and inserting correct answers where needed. Unit editing practice: Rewrite the entire passage correctly. Write an original paragraph or more in response to the unit’s "writing first" question Write a memo or short report to your instructor summarizing an assigned reading
15	Review for exam	Exam

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