English for Workers: Business Writing

Dear Sir or Madam, I wish to inform you of this excellent opportunity to learn advanced business writing skills from an expert instructor.

Hi there, I just wanted keep you in the loop about my business writing seminar. It’s going to be a real game-changer for the team members in attendance.

Hi, just thought you’d be interested in this business writing seminar.

How do we define business writing? Is it closer to the first, second, or third sentences above?

Business writing usually has a clear aim: to achieve results. That could mean gaining a new client or even a new job for yourself. The best business writing is therefore clear, concise, well-argued, and error-free. Only then can it hope to persuade!

So why is so much business writing infused with nonsensical jargon or elementary mistakes? Is it time pressure or professional anxiety that causes the worst excesses?

The rules of formality present another headache as expectations can differ by generation, culture, and profession.

Yet there’s one rule that hardly ever fails: as early as possible in a business relationship, try to steer your writing away from its formal tendencies and start engaging in plain but respectful communication.

In this seminar, you’ll learn:
- Why it’s best to write with only one purpose
- Why simple sentences are better than complex sentences
- Which word will always get the attention of your reader
- How to avoid a cliched writing style
- Why good writers remove words, sentences, and even whole paragraphs after writing

To benefit from this seminar, you’ll need to have at least an intermediate level of English, preferably with actual business experience. Native English speakers are also welcome to join.

This seminar is for you if:
- You write a lot of emails in English at work
- You want to develop a more persuasive writing style
- You want to eliminate business jargon from your writing and become a clear communicator instead

Format: Interactive Seminar (90 mins)
Language: English
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Speaker: David Willoughby has taught English for over ten years in Japan and has been an English communication instructor at Azabu, Otsuma, and Nihon Universities. He is an expert in preparing students for the Speaking and Writing sections of IELTS and TOEFL.

Organiser: Workers University is Tokyo’s pop-up university. During Summer 2016, we’re open on Saturday afternoons at our secret classroom in Dogenzaka, Shibuya. If you see an event you like, please join us. There’s no registration process – just pay a small charge for each seminar.