Writing English That's Fit to Print

Getting your message across effectively

These days, the ability to communicate effectively in English – also in writing – is an essential skill for anyone who wants to work in an international environment. This is especially true for journalists and other communication professionals. It is no longer enough to ‘make do’ with the English you learned at secondary school or that you may have picked up along the way since then.

Conveying your ideas may be easy enough in spoken English, but it is harder to put them down in writing. Even native speakers often find it difficult to write truly readable texts.

Learning aspects
This course is designed to help you increase your proficiency in written English. There will be a strong emphasis on structure, clarity and style. We will start each session by reviewing the most important pitfalls in English for those who grew up speaking a different language. Using examples from quality English-language sources (newspapers, magazines, websites, brochures, etc.), we will consider a number of techniques that professional writers use to structure and formulate their message effectively. In the process, you will be expanding your active vocabulary and experimenting with different ways of expressing your ideas.

Course components
Each week you will be asked to write and submit a brief text (max. 400 words) prior to the next session. We will consider the entire writing process (including finding and clarifying your ideas, focusing on your readers, sequencing the presentation of your material, and formulating and reformulating your message). We will be looking at different examples from a variety of genres (e.g. basic news, opinion pieces, travel articles, corporate brochures). You will have a chance to try your hand at each kind of text. The weekly review of grammatical issues and the reference materials provided by the instructor throughout the course should help you overcome any technical problems you might have.

Participants
Those wishing to take this course will be expected to be moderately proficient (but not perfect!) in English. Participants are typically journalists, Communications / PR officers at multinational companies or international organisations, or academics. The instructor will adapt the course to the specific needs of the group and their stated reasons for taking the class.       

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