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Who is this for?
This leaflet is for anyone who needs to write letters, memos, reports
etc. within a business setting.
The aim of this leaflet
To introduce you to some learning materials and tips related to
business writing.
Materials in the SAC
Learning magazines
The Language Key
This is a monthly business English publication for HK and Asian
learners. There are exercises on general writing skills, business
writing and common grammatical errors. All answers are provided.
If you want something light and useful, look for this magazine in
the Lobby of the SAC. In each issue, there are writing and grammar
tests for you to evaluate your writing skills.
Books
You’ll find books on business English in the ‘Audio’ Area (because
they come with cassette tapes), ‘Reading & Writing’ Area or
the ‘Video & Multimedia’ Area (because they come with video
tapes). If you have difficulties getting the book you want, please
ask for help from the counter.
| Specially for Hong Kong people |
- Business English and Communication
C
[‘Writing’ Shelf, ‘Reading & Writing’ Area]
This book is specially written for Hong Kong people who want to
polish their business communication skills. The first three chapters
cover the theory of business communication and revision of English
grammar while the other chapters teach different types of business
documents.
- Business Writing for Hong Kong C
C
C
[‘Writing’ Shelf, ‘ Reading & Writing’ Area]
This book introduces you to a wide range of business writing.
There are exercises throughout all chapters, with an answer key
at the back of the book. It also contains a useful reference guide
discussing common weaknesses in Hong Kong people’s written English.
- Errors in Business English C
C
[‘Writing’ Shelf, ‘ Reading & Writing’ Area]
This book concentrates on errors in written commercial English.
Suitable if you want to learn about common errors, and writing
skills for letters, memos and reports. In the Preface of the book
there is a section telling you how to use this book for self-learning.
| Comprehensive Business Writing courses |
- The Complete Book of Contemporary Business Letters
C
[‘Writing’ Shelf, ‘ Reading & Writing’ Area]
This book provides sample letters for almost every category of
business letters and documents. There are also comments and explanations
for each of the sample letters.
- International Business English [‘Business’
Shelf, ‘Audio’ Area]
Covers essential business tasks: writing letters, reports, memos,
and many more. Also provides practice in pronunciation. Consists
of a student book and cassettes.
- Business Studies [ ‘Business’ Shelf,
‘Audio’ Area]
This book is suitable for advanced and serious learners. It mainly
introduces you to different aspects in business studies and offers
examples of authentic texts. There are also exercises for you
to practise your writing skills.
If you want to adopt an integrated approach in learning Business
English, you will find this book very useful. The writing exercises
in this book are all contextualised.
- A Handbook of Commercial Correspondence
C
[‘Writing’ Shelf, ‘ Reading & Writing’ Area]
It takes you through different stages of business transactions.
It contains excellent explanation of styles and a wide range of
business correspondence.
| Materials with video/cassette tapes |
- Business Assignments [‘Video &
Multimedia’ Area]
This is a set of eight international case studies with video for
advanced learners. In each case, there is a challenging business
problem and you are required to solve the problem by employing
different skills such as presentations, negotiation etc. The writing
materials are authentic and challenging. This book comes with
video cassettes and a companion volume, the Information File.
- Right here C
[‘Video & Multimedia’ Area]
This set of materials contains a student book, an answer key and
3 cassettes. It introduces you to all the basics of business writing,
and contains very interactive activities and excellent language
explanations.
- Business English (Linguaphone) [ ‘Business’
Shelf, ‘Audio’ Area]
It may look as if this is a course book for speaking but you will
find it useful as there are a lot of business documents presented
and explained. The cases in the book are interesting and authentic.
Have a look and see if you like this course.
- BBC Business English [‘Video &
Multimedia’ Area]
Thinking of improving your writing skills and other areas such
as vocabulary, grammar and reading? Try this course book, which
was specially developed for self-learning purposes. It offers
various business scenarios and cases. All the writing exercises
are contextualised and integrated.
| Something quick and effective |
- English Works (2) [‘Video & ‘Multimedia’
Area]
Looking for a ‘crash’ course in business English? This might be
the one. It comes with a Students’ Book and a Workbook. While
the Students’ Book integrates core business functions and grammar
with vocabulary (and pronunciation!), the workbook offers writing
exercises for you to consolidate the language covered in the Students’
book. There is also an answer key for the workbook.
- Business English: Homework [‘Video
& ‘Multimedia’ Area]
The writing practice is designed in such a way that there are
complementary oral practice — suitable for you if you are looking
for contextualised writing exercises. There is a key at the back
of the book giving answers and suggesting alternatives.
- Business letters for all [‘Business’
Shelf, ‘Audio’ Area]
This book introduces the basics for business letter and report
writing. You will probably find the first chapter (‘Form of a
business letter’) useful if you are a novice business letter writer.
In each of the chapters, there is a section on expressions and
phrases.
- Technical Writing & Professional Communication
[‘Writing’ Shelf , ‘Reading & Writing’ Area]
Part 4 of this book consists of units concentrating on different
types of technical and business reports. Topics include: long
reports, informal reports, proposals, memos and so on.
Materials on the Web
| General and comprehensive |
- Revision in business writing
- Adding emphasis
- Writing positive, negative and neutral messages
- Sales letters: four point action closing
- Business Writing Essentials
http://www.duq.edu/facultyhome/stuartkurland/business/business.html
Tone, word choice, audience analysis and other elements of good
writing are discussed and illustrated. There are examples of letters
and commentary from language teachers.
- Internet resources for business writing
[HKUST]
http://lc.ust.hk/~learn/engbus.html
Selected Internet resources from the Language Centre of HKUST.
- How to Write an Effective Admission Letter
[University of Toronto]
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/admiss.html
An admission letter is a letter or personal statement as part
of applying for graduate or professional school. Visit this website
if you need to write one.
- Grant Proposal Writing [Washington State University]
http://www.ialc.wsu.edu/ialc/faculty_teaching/grants/WtngGrantProposal.html
Writing a proposal to apply for a research grant? This website
will give you useful information.
| Quick review of business writing |
If you want to spend a few hours to brush up on your business writing
skills, these websites might be the ones you are looking for:
- Business Writing Updated
http://www.interlog.com/~flebo/business_update.htm#A
This website gives you brief information in the following aspects:
- Business Language Update Guide
- Guide to Gender-Neutral Writing
- Avoid Business Clichés
- The Ten Commandments of Clarity
- Tips for better business
writing
http://www.writing-help.com/writing%20tips.htm
Offers advice on tone and style, punctuation and ‘problem’ expressions.
MORE tips
Getting started
- Read the Advice Sheet entitled Developing
your own Writing Programme (W2) for information on
writing strategies and tips for creating writing opportunities.
- Come to the Self-Access Centre and look for this monthly language
learning magazine: The Language Key.
If you are always busy and feel that you can’t squeeze any time
to improve your business English regularly and systematically,
you will find this magazine useful. There are different foci in
different issues so even if you don’t have time to devise your
own learning plan, you are still able to do your learning systematically,
with the help of this learning magazine.
- For an introduction to the styles and basic structures of business
writing, read Chapters 1 and 2 of A Handbook of Commercial
Correspondence, Chapters 1-3 of Business
English and Communication, or Part 1 of Business
Writing for Hong Kong.
Where to look for sample business documents?
Looking for samples of different types of business letter? Try
this: The complete book of contemporary business letters.
There are explanations to go with the samples. Highly recommended.
What do you want to improve in your business writing?
- If you want to learn business report-writing from a course
book, we recommend Chapter 14 of Business Writing for
Hong Kong.
- If you want to learn the basics of Business Writing within
a short period, we suggest you visit the websites under the heading
of ‘Quick Review of Business Writing’.
- In writing, do you often feel that you lack the vocabulary
you need? If this is the case, read the Advice Sheet Learning
Vocabulary for Speaking and Writing (V8).
- Do you feel that you want to improve the grammar and sentence
structures in your writing? If so, read the Advice Sheets
Grammar For Writing (G4) and Sentence
Structure and Style (W5).
How can you evaluate your writing?
- Do a Diagnostic test with either AutoLANG
or other materials (please read Writing Advice Sheet W2
and Grammar Advice Sheet G3
for information on this), find out your weaknesses in writing
and then decide what practice you need to improve your writing
skills. You need to identify the areas that need improvement —
simply writing more won’t necessarily improve your writing.
- In each issue of The Language Key,
there are writing and grammar tests for you to evaluate your writing
skills.
- Another effective way to evaluate your writing skills is to
make an appointment with the English Writing Centre (EWC) and
ask an EWC Consultant to comment on your writing. You can ask
in the General Office of the Language Centre (Room 3396, near
lifts 17 & 18) for information about the EWC, or check out
this website: http://lc.ust.hk/~ewc for information about making
an appointment with the EWC.
And Now...
If you would like any help or advice, or just a chat about your
progress, please get in touch — we are here to support your independent
learning! This is how you can contact us:
- see an Adviser,
on duty at the SAC Advice Desk (for details of advisers and their availability, please go to http://lc.ust.hk/~sac/sacadviser.html)
- e-mail lcsac (lcsac@ust.hk) with your query;
- ask at the reception counter of the SAC — if the receptionist cannot help you directly, s/he will pass your query on to one of the SAC advisers
Note
The introductory leaflet in this series is Improving
your writing (W1).
This advice sheet is part of the Writing series of leaflets supporting
independent language learning, produced by the HKUST Language Centre
SAC team. This advice sheet was written by Elza Tsang, Oct 2001.
Version 3. If you copy from this advice sheet, please acknowledge
the source. Thanks.
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