Course code Valo1023

Credit points 3

Business Correspondence

Total Hours in Course81

Number of hours for seminars and practical classes32

Independent study hours49

Date of course confirmation18.03.2014

Responsible UnitLanguage Centre

Course developer

author Sociālo un humanitāro zinātņu institūts

Ina Gode

Dr. paed.

Course abstract

The study course is aimed at the development of skills in business correspondence with the purpose of extending the students professional qualifications and developing the student’s knowledge about written communication in the English language.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

• Knowledge - Terminology of various types of business correspondence, the knowledge of the language system and its use in the professional area.
• Skills - Students are able to apply the knowledge and writing skills, in their professional activities, creating various types of letters, contracts, forms, documentation, e-mails etc. Students are able to use professional terminology and appropriate writing style in business correspondence, electronic documents, processing documents in the English language.
• Competence - Students have improved the competence of professional foreign language in order to apply the English language creatively in written communication for professional activities.

Compulsory reading

1. Starkman D., Hamilton M.M., Ryan Chittum. The Best Business Writing 2015. Columbia: Columbia University Press; 2015. 400 p. Columbia Journalism Review Books. ISBN-10: 0231170173
2. Emmerson P. Email English. Macmillan, 2010. 95 p. ISBN: 978-1-4050-1294-2
3. Ashley A., Correspondence Workbook. Oxford: Oxford Uneversity Press, 2009. 97 p. ISBN 58232844.
4. Downes C. Cambridge English for Job-hunting. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. 113 p. ISBN: 9780194620086.

Further reading

1. Garner B. A. HBR Guide to Better Business Writing. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2013, 240 p. ISBN-10: 142218403X
2.Jack E. Appleman.10 Steps to Successful Business Writing.USA: ASTD Press, 2008. 192 p. ISBN-10: 1562864815
3. Abell A. Business Grammar, Style & Usage: The Most Used Desk Reference for Articulate and Polished Business Writing and Speaking by Executives Worldwide. Thomson West, Aspatore Books, 2003. 140 p. ISBN-13: 978-1587620263

Periodicals and other sources

1.Newspaper "The Guardian" [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 29.03.2016.]. Pieejams: http://www.theguardian.co.uk
2.Newspaper "The Times" [tiešsaiste][skatīts 29.03.2016.]. Pieejams: http://www.thetimes.co.uk
3.Laikraksts "Diena" [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 29.03.2016.]. Pieejams: http://www.diena.lv