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  • Berkeley Global

Effective Writing in the Workplace

ENGLISH X456

41089
Delivery Options Online

Whether you are writing a memo to your boss or a letter to the editor, it is crucial to craft your argument clearly and persuasively. Build confidence by improving your writing's organization, logic and style so that whatever kind of writing your work requires, you can get your point across eloquently and quickly. Delve into the details of the writing process: identifying an audience, choosing the best structure and revising early drafts of your work. Enrollment is limited.

Course Outline

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Course Objectives

  • Apply organization and logic to get your point across clearly.
  • Write appropriately for your audience.
  • Edit and revise your own work, as well as suggest edits to others’ work.
  • Write with increased confidence.

What You Learn

  • Common forms of business writing
  • Difference between primary and secondary audiences
  • Determining what you know about your audience and how that information will affect your writing
  • Purpose of a piece of business writing
  • How to critique others' writing
  • Planning and organizing your writing
  • Standard business reports
  • Organizational strategies for business documents or sections of documents
  • Difference between direct and indirect organization
  • Headings and subheadings
  • Writing and revising drafts
  • The revision process: group revision, content and organization, paragraph and sentence structure
  • Selection of active, concrete language
  • Cutting out excess words, buzzwords and jargon
  • Giving your writing the right tone through word choice
  • Formatting, grammar, punctuation and spelling
  • The proofreading process, including checking for correct formatting, identifying and fixing grammar and punctuation errors, and correcting spelling errors

How You Learn

  • Lectures
  • Reading assignments
  • Writing assignments, including drafts of a memo or report, “3 questions” and proofreading
  • Discussion participation and assignments
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Sections

Section 029

Jun 15, 2021 to Jul 27, 2021 Online

Course Fee(s)

Course Fee credit (1 units)

$460.00


Type Online, Fixed Date

Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.

Dates

Jun 15, 2021 to Jul 27, 2021

Delivery Options

Online

Available for Credit

1 semester units

Instructors

  • Margaret Steen

Section Materials

  • Textbook (Mandatory) A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers © 2018 Bedford/St Martin's 9th edition ISBN 1319057446 Textbook ISBN: 978-8925598567
  • Textbook (Mandatory) HBR Guide to Better Business Writing by Bryan A. Garner © 2013 Harvard Business Review Press 1st edition ISBN 142218403X Textbook ISBN: 978-1422184035

This course applies to the following programs:

Interdisciplinary Writing Program

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Individualized Study Plan

  • Effective Writing in the Workplace
  • Writing for Social Media: Prose That Works for Web 2.0
  • Grammar, Mechanics and Usage for Editors
  • Journalism Workshop
  • Science Writing
  • Writing the Feature Story
  • Introduction to Public Relations Writing
  • Writing and Editing Internship Program
  • Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
  • Writing Skills Workshop
  • Writing Creative Nonfiction
  • Creative Nonfiction Workshop
  • Developing the Memoir
  • Developing the Memoir II
  • The Craft of Reading
  • The Craft of Writing
  • Exploring Creative Writing
  • Introduction to Writing Fiction
  • Intermediate Fiction Writing
  • Advanced Fiction Writing
  • Developing the Novel
  • Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
  • Poetry Workshop
  • Poets Studied and in Conversation
  • American Fiction
  • The English Novel
  • Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
  • Mystery Fiction
  • Shakespeare

Learn More About this Program

Professional Writing Program

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Required Courses

  • Effective Writing in the Workplace
  • Introduction to Public Relations Writing
  • Writing for Social Media: Prose That Works for Web 2.0

Electives

  • Writing Skills Workshop
  • Journalism Workshop
  • Writing the Feature Story
  • Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
  • Technical Communication I
  • Writing Creative Nonfiction
  • Creative Nonfiction Workshop
  • Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
  • Science Writing

Capstone Project

  • Professional Writing Program - Final Project

Learn More About this Program

Notes

Departmental contact: extension-letters@berkeley.edu? | (510) 643-1110

Prerequisites

You must be proficient in English and have a solid grasp of English grammar.

In order to succeed in this course, it is recommended that non-native English speakers have achieved a minimum TOEFL score of 90. All other non-native English learners should instead consider COLWRIT X400.1 Academic Writing for ESL or COLWRIT X411 Business English for ESL Students. Please contact the department if you require any additional information.

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Margaret Steen

Margaret Steen, M.J., Extension Honored Instructor, is a Bay Area freelance writer, editor and writing instructor. Her work has been published in the San Jose Mercury News, Christian Science Monitor, Business 2.0, American Journalism Review, Stanford Business and Network World and on HotJobs.com. She teaches online and classroom courses in writing for UC Berkeley Extension.
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