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Courses >
> Effective Business Writing
 Do you have a nagging suspicion that a small improvement in your writing skills might also improve your career prospects? Don't let small gaps in your business writing skills prevent you from reaching your full potential! It doesn't matter whether you're a clerical worker, an engineer, or an executive. If you communicate with others in writing, you need this course to help you identify and eliminate problem areas. By the end of this course, you'll know the secret to developing powerful written documents that immediately draw readers in and keep them motivated to continue until your very last, well-chosen word.
This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Ann Linquist.
 Ann Linquist is a popular continuing education instructor on college campuses, at corporations, and with non-profit organizations. She has helped thousands of adults learn to tackle their writing tasks with enthusiasm. Having written everything from novels to newsletters, articles to ad copy, and poetry to proposals, Linquist is able to address the writing needs of each individual. The breadth of her background ensures a powerful, involving learning experience that builds on the strengths of each participant.
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
In this first lesson, you'll learn a brainstorming technique that will help make writing easier and more fun for you right away. You'll learn how to disentangle the efforts of your creative and critical sides, and you'll come to understand why both sides are important components of good writing. You'll also learn why writing is one of the best problem-solving tools around.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
Here's where you'll learn a helpful system for organizing your writing, whether it's an e-mail, a formal letter, or a companywide memo. You'll start by picking out a document you have to write anyway so you can begin to put your new writing knowledge to use right away. You may as well get some work done while you're learning, right? Next, you'll nail down why you're writing this particular document and who your reader is. A second brainstorming technique will help you have fun thinking through these two questions.
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| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
In this lesson, you'll learn to make your readers do what you want. Your readers will be happy, too, since they'll get what they want in this win/win system. You'll learn the seven basic benefits you can offer your reader and how to write the crucial first sentence of your document. You'll learn one more brainstorming technique that will help you capture good ideas, words, and phrases.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
Master seven strategies for putting your ideas in order and learn how poor sequencing can sabotage your efforts. You'll also discover the best way to end any document. It's an idea that may surprise you!
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| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
Revising, formatting, editing, and proofreading may all sound similar, but they're four distinct activities. In this lesson, you'll learn how revision is a process of exploration and discovery. You'll learn formatting strategies that will invite your reader in. You'll also learn to be a ruthless editor and professional proofreader.
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
In this lesson, you'll learn how to write clearly and concisely. You'll explore three mistaken notions that lead business writers to use lots of convoluted phrasing and needlessly long words. You'll examine the pitfalls of using business clichés, jammed modifiers, trendy words, jargon, foreign words, redundancies, and hedging adjectives.
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| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
In the last lesson you learned what words to remove from your document. In this lesson, you'll learn what words you should include to make your business writing more compelling. You'll learn the four parts of the written communication process. You'll find out why the verbs and nouns you choose make a major difference. You'll also learn more ways to make the task of writing more enjoyable for you.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
Today, we'll look at strategies for good spelling and punctuation. Everyone needs this review! To keep it fun, you'll get to deal with the topics of spelling and punctuation by taking some easy quizzes. It's a chance to learn by doing. See how good your spelling and punctuation skills really are. You'll learn that punctuation is not a tyranny of rules, but an evolving protocol to help you communicate. Finally, you'll capture your weak areas on a Tips Card.
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| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
Why do you have to bother with grammar? You'll find out why in this lesson. Take the Grammar Blitz Quiz to discover your grammar strengths and weaknesses. It will help you fill in the gaps that remain after years of boring grammar classes. You'll learn why using the active instead of the passive voice can be a demonstration of your integrity. You'll also explore the traps pronouns set for those of us sensitive to gender issues.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Getting the tone right in business writing can be tricky, especially in e-mail. In this lesson, you'll get to tackle your worst moods with one more brainstorming technique. You'll learn how to defuse any negative emotions that might get in the way of your problem solving. You'll also learn how your attitude toward your reader, your topic, and your own needs determines your tone. As you go through the lesson, you'll learn two easy ways to eliminate unintentional tone mistakes.
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| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
In this lesson, you'll learn why being able to say “no” with grace is a crucial business skill. A five-part format will give you a solid strategy for writing documents that say “no” while retaining the goodwill of your reader. You'll learn how to keep bad news letters, memos, and e-mails positive and helpful.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
All about e-mail: Here's an up-to-date review of all the ways e-mail is different from other kinds of business writing. You'll learn tips on how to write e-mail that gets the job done. You'll find out some of pitfalls of using e-mail, including its legal status in court. You'll also discover how to manage the tone of your e-mail so that it doesn't accidentally offend your reader.
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To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Student Reviews:
"After taking several types of business courses, I found the Effective Business Writing course the most beneficial to me! Ms. Linquist was always helpful when commenting on assigments and answering questions. I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to make writing easier and getting results!"
"I am in shock of how much I learned from this course...I have a new outlook on writing. I should have taken this class sooner."
"I am still in disbelief that I can now write letters without the fear that I am sounding dumb. You have been a great inspiration to me. I have ALWAYS avoided writing and have been afraid to correspond in any way because I did not have any confidence in writing. I thank you so much for your great ideas. I really love the clustering and brainstorming and will always use it. Thanks again."
"I enjoyed the grammar section and found it to be helpful. I just get so stuck when writing something important, so it was great for me! I'm thinking of taking the "Grammar Refresher" course now."
"I feel that the course will definitely impact on the business correspondence that I have to generate. It was well written and very helpful. I also felt that Ann had a great interaction with the students. She offered constructive criticism while also encouraging the student to continue forging ahead. She had us use a project that we needed to complete anyway and then gave support and assistance to make it the best possible. I would not hesitate to take any course that she offered."
"Thanks for a well thought out class. The information presented was very useful in my daily business life. This class has made my writing at work seem more professional and worthwhile. I have already started taking trhe next business writing course!"
"This is the best writing class I have ever taken! I had a difficult time writing in college, which has continued into my business career. I recently received a promotion, which requires me to email top-level executives. I would sit for hours just typing and deleting. Writing is not second nature yet, but you have given me valuable information to get me well on my way. I appreciate mostly your timely and honest feedback. I will definitely be recommending this class to others. Thank you for developing a class that works."
"We have a Winner! The class is perfect for folks who want to refresh and enhance their writing skills. The methods are fun, creative, and instructive. There are so many helpful things: Printer friendly versions of the lessons are a convenient study guide and a valuable reference source; Discussion area is great for interaction and feedback; Quizzes and assignments help you evaluate yourself; Supplementary material exposes you to a wealth of additional information. The experience is challenging and fulfilling. This course is a real confidence builder!"
"Your class was fantastic! Your enthusiasm, well-organized approach, caring attitude, and effective teaching style all inspired me to become a better writer. You gave me valuable tools to improve my writing skills and instilled confidence in me that by exercising what you taught and with continued practice, I can communicate effectively. And it was all done in an atmosphere of fun. Perhaps most of all, you made me think. Again, thanks, and may all you give be returned to you a hundred fold."
"Your six week on-line course has provided more valuable information than eight years of higher education. Beyond the information it has provided motivation and confidence. Proceed to enlighten a few more students. (Not too many, as I do not like competition.)"
"You taught me more applicable writing skills and tips than any class I’ve ever attended. The lessons were short, useful, practical, and applicable to my daily written communications both personally and professionally. Your format using short chapters with multiples examples of the tips you provided in each lesson made the lessons powerful. I loved the fact you don’t agree with all the writing rules taught such as one-sentence paragraphs. Instead you’ve given me the tools to enjoy writing. I hope you will continue to share your joy of writing with others. You’re an excellent instructor with a natural talent at putting your students at ease and motivating each to do their best."
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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