Working with Different Personalities in the Business World

Objectives:
Students will be able to
1. peer review their memos.
2. learn about giving and receiving feedback in the workplace.
3. experience a personality test.

I. Mini-Presentation:  Giving and Receiving Feedback in the Workplace

II. Peer Review - Memo
Use rubric here.

III. Personality Test (day 1)
Today we will be doing the color personality test. This experience will help you know more about yourself and others. There are three steps to this test:
1. First, students will rank images that best describe them.
2. Second, they will rank the text that is closest to their character.
3. Students will fill out a survey.

Sources:
Adapted from Min-Kyung Kim, and HeeJeoung Jeong ESL 505 summer 2010

Memo Writing (3)

Objectives:
Students will be able to
a. finish the first draft of their memos in class.
b. use what they learn about tone to revise their memo in that area.
c. use the rubric provided to revise their memo.

I. Please finish your memo. [15 min]
   If you already have, please use the rubric provided to start revising this first draft.

II. Revise your first draft. Use the rubric provided. [15 min]

II. A lesson on TONE
Tone in writing is not really any different than the tone of your voice. You know that sometimes it is not “what” you say, but “how” you say it.

Ask students to say this phrase using the different tones of voice indicated in parenthesis:

It’s a beautiful day.     (happy)

It’s a beautiful day.     (exciting)

It’s a beautiful day.     (serious)

It’s a beautiful day.     (sad)

It’s a beautiful day.     (sarcastic)

What determines tone?  a. vocabulary      b. sentence structure     
                                              c. level of formality

Tone: What is it? Why is it important?

  PPP

Take a look at this memorandum. Discuss with a partner:

a. What's the problem?

b. What kind of reaction this memorandum will trigger in the readers. 

c. How would you improve it. 

Here is an improved copy.

Cultural Preferences: Culture may have a role to play in the tone that is used for memoranda. While some cultures prefer a conversational, more reader-friendly tone, other cultures opt for a more business-like, formal approach, and yet others would prefer the authoritarian tone of "I'm the boss, you do as I say."  Discuss the following:

a. What is the tone generally used in memos in the company, or companies, you have worked for in your country?  Do you now if it is different from the tone used in memos in American companies?

b) Have you ever felt angry, disappointed, or intimidated by a memo you received?  

c) Have you ever had to write a memo you didn't feel comfortable sending because of what it said?

Recomendations for U.S. business environments

PPP

Revise your memo for tone. 

Homework:  Write a second draft of your memo and have it ready for next class. We will do peer review next class.

Sources:

Ahmed, S. Course Overview. UIUC ESL TA Writing Resources.

Britt Roebuck, D. Improving Business Communication Skills. 4^th ed. P. 484.

Author Stream. Writing Business Messages (PPP). Retrieved from http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/aSGuest31215-270698-PPT68-Entertainment-ppt-powerpoint/

George Mason University. The Writing Center. Adapted from the following SOM 301 materials:

Scott, N. (2010, Spring). Business Writing Basics, SOM 301.

Owl Writing Lab. Tone in Business Writing. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/652/1/

Memo Writing (2)-Workshop

Objectives
Students will be able to
1. analyze the purpose and audience for their memo.
2. Write the first draft of their memos.

You have the choice of writing this memo individually or in pairs. Please, review all the materials we discussed last class (especially the article on business casual dress code) and go over the resources below before you start writing your memo.

Goal: By the end of the class, you should be able to present a rough first draft of you memo.

Resources:
For audience analysis, purpose, establishing common ground, and you orientation:

here

Source

http://www.educationplanner.org/education_planner/deciding_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Admissions_and_Acceptance_Letters

“Establishing common ground” and “You orientation” materials were adapted from Young-Kyung Min in ESL 505 TA Archives 
 Article on new dress code policy:

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2007/bs20070828_027119.htm

Writing a Memo (1)

Objectives: Students will be able to

• identify the structure and requirements of memo.
• identify different types and purposes of memos.
• analyze a sample memo in terms of its purpose, intended audience, content, and format.   

I. Prompt and article for Assignment # 2 here
    The rubric here

II. Writing a Memo
 video on how to write a memo

Here are some tips when writing memoranda:

• Write short but specific subject lines that accurately describe the content of the memo. For example, "Tips to Use the New E-mail System" is better subject line than the too vague, "Recommendations" or "E-mail System."
•  It is desirable to break information into smaller rather than larger paragraphs; aim for paragraphs 3-6 sentences long.   
• More sample memos 

III. Types of Memos 
handout

IV. Parts of a Memo
handout

Sources
This class is an adaptation of Young-Kyung Min and Jin Kim's lesson plan Memo 1 ESL 505 TA Resources. 
UpWrite Press (2009, March 9). The Key Forms of Business Writing: Basic Memo [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Zyn9y_MDs
Sample Memos, types of memo, parts of memo were adapted from ESL 505 TA Resources Archives

Peer Review Workshop and Memo Writing

Objectives:
students will be able to
a) peer review and offer feedback on the second drafts of their diagnostic essays.
b) identify the structure and requirements of memo
c) identify different types and purposes of memo

I

I. Peer Review [40 min]
1. First, read the essay entirely to have a general idea of its content.
2. Second, use the Peer Review Handout and go over the different points listed.

II. Writing a Memo
PPP

Writing Workshop: Integrating Source Material into my Essay Text

Objectives
Students will be able to
a. listen to and discuss a presentation on Searching for a Job: Preparing for Oral Interviews.
b. prepare paraphrases, summaries, and quotations from the chosen sources and incorporate them in the text of the diagnostic essay.

I. Mini-Presentation:  Searching for a Job:  Preparing for Oral Interviews

II. Writing Workshop

Our goal today:  To finish the second draft of the diagnostic test.

a. Check your essay for points you are making (introduction (hook, background info), thesis statement) and body paragraphs (supporting points presented in each of the paragraphs).
You may write a rough outline to guide you.

b. By this time you should have read your two articles thoroughly; if you haven't yet,  start by doing that.
If you have, go ahead and look for information you can use as evidence to support your points in the essay.

c. Make sure you have all three types of citations (paraphrase, summary, quotation). If you need a fourth, fifth, or more citations, try to use paraphrases as much as possible.

Homework:
Finish the second draft of your diagnostic test. Use double space and Times New Romans as your font, size 12.
Include a title page APA Style (another view) and a Reference Page at the end of the essay.
Please bring a hard copy (printed) of your finished second draft next Tuesday, Oct. 9, when will do Peer Reviewing.

Sources:
Hacker, D. and Fister, B. (2010). APA Style. Research and Documentation. hackerhandbooks.com. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch09_s1-0002.html

The Purdue OnlineWriting Lab. APA Formatting and Style Guide. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Citing Sources

Objectives: 
Students will be able to
a. Define plagiarism and become aware of the consequences of committing plagiarism intentionally or unintentionally.
b. Use summary, paraphrase, and quotation as means of citing sources properly.

1. Library Day Survey 

2. Avoiding Plagiarism 
What is Plagiarism?
What are the consequences of Plagiarism?
What is common knowledge?
What is cited? What is not?
Part 1
What are the three ways in which you can cite a source?
 Part 2

3. Summary, Paraphrase, Quotation
   Chart
Flowchart
Paraphrase
PPP1
Video
Video 2
Summary
Quote

4. The APA Style

Homework: Here is the next step in the writing process:

1. Use avoiding plagiarism strategies (paraphrase, quote and summary) to integrate your illustrations (PIE) into your body paragraphs.
2. Add Explanations (PIE) to your body paragraphs.

Sources:

Bulkes, N. (2012). Video: Avoiding Plagiarism, Part 1 and Part 2. UIUC ESL TA Resources. Retrieved from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6cYhpeDouE&feature=youtu.be

Faivre, S. (2012). Video on Paraphrase, Part 1 and Part 2. UIUC ESL TA Resources. Retrieved
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAH2UA_GsA0

Purdue Online Writing Lab. Chart and Flowchart on Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing.