Program Overview

Registered with SAQA and the Services Seta
Unit Standard Applicable to this course:
NQF Level 4
Unit Standard ID: 8976 (5 credits)

Lecturer: Mr Rex Drew MBA

Many jobs in commerce and industry depend upon a person's ability to communicate effectively using the written medium.

This workshop explores the necessity of being able to write well, how to write clearly to communicate your message effectively and elicit a positive response from your reader, how to organize your thoughts, edit your own work and avoid the common traps of writing such as "verbosity", "officialese", "jargon", "cliches" etc. The course is an excellent training for those involved in the writing of reports, letters, notices, memos and copy for house journals.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course aims to help the participant:

a) Get better results through writing what they really mean, enabling them to influence the reader;
b) To develop a modern approach to "thinking" about written communication using simple, fresh and short words;
c) To develop skills in two-way communication and practice good public relations skills;
d) To be able to identify common mistakes made in writing; to develop a readable style of writing;
e) To be able to edit a document; to be able to project the "right" image in dealing with people.

COURSE OUTLINE

Module 1 Write What You Mean.
Exploring why we need to write well - How to affect our reader precisely as we wish - The end product

Module 2 Write Clearly
Choosing the best words to express our ideas - How to arrange the words - Using familiar words - Saxon or Romance words - Abstract or concrete words - Short words or long words - Active or passive - Buzz words - Hackneyed expressions
Workshop on the above

Module 3 Write Concisely
Verbiage - Empty phrases - Don't pad - Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly - How to edit and re-write your work

Module 4 Organising Thoughts
Writing to key words - Writing with order Workshop on the above

Module 5 Structure
Paragraphs - Headings - Numbering - How to write according to a set design - Misuse of words/phrases - Commonly misused words or phrases to be eliminated from your Writing Workshop on the above

Module 6 Letters, Memos, Reports
Characteristics of each form of business writing - Formality and informality - Style - Tone
Workshop on the above
Prepare a speech for tomorrow's lecture

Module 7 Specialised Writing
How the professional write - The inverted pyramid
Oral communications
Short presentation by each delegate

Module 8 Clustering
Get started: how to break the ice and immediately start the flow of words - Right brain and left brain stuff
If you've come to the wall; talk it out; shake it up and ruminate
Workshop on the above

Method of Assessment:
1. Two hour examination.
2. Preparation of a portfolio of business reports, business letters, memos, minutes of meetings signed by the relevant manager after the course.