Includes glossary, bibliographical references and index.

"Drawing on the success of our popular Essentials of Business Communication text, Essentials of Business Communication for English Language Learners is designed to meet the needs of intermediate and advanced ESL business communication students.

Essentials of Business Communication for English Language Learners maintains the streamlined, efficient approach to communication that has equipped past learners with the skills needed to be successful in their work. It is ESL-friendly and has been modified to help post-secondary and adult second-language learners prepare themselves for new careers, plan a change in their current careers, or upgrade their writing and speaking skills.

The author, Ausra Karka, is leading the charge for an Essential of Business Communication text that truly caters to English Language Learners. Her 25 years of teaching experience at the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning have been rewarded with many teaching awards; most recently she was the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Leadership in Faculty Teaching award by the Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities.

She has been coordinator of Humber's Writing Centre as well as the ESL department and was instrumental in developing the post-secondary ESL programs for the department of English in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Division. The revisions she has incorporated in this text are based on her own class-testing and student feedback" (Book Cover).

UNIT 1: Communication Foundations

1. Today's Communication Challenges
Becoming an Effective Business Communicator
Succeeding in the Changing World of Work
Examining the Communication Process
Developing Better Listening Skills
Improving You Nonverbal Communication Skills
Understanding How Culture Affects Communication
Capitalizing on Workforce Diversity
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Technology

UNIT 2: Writing and Revising Skills

2. Writing for Business Audiences
Basics of Business Writing
Writing Process for Business Messages and Oral Presentations
Analyzing the Purpose for Writing and the Audience
Adapting to the Task and Audience
Technology Improves Your Business Writing
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Career Skills

3. Improving Writing Techniques
Researching
Organizing Data
Effective Sentences
Emphasis
Active and Passive Voice
Parallelism
Paragraph Coherence
Composing the First Draft
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Ethics

4. Revising and Proofreading Business Messages
Understanding the Process of Revision
Concise Wording
Long Lead-Ins
Redundant Words
Jargon
Slang
Clichés
Precise Verbs
Concrete Nouns
Vivid Adjectives
The Process of Proofreading
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Technology

UNIT 3: Corresponding at Work

5. E-Mails and Memos
The Importance of Internal Communication
The Writing Process
Developing a Writing Plan for E-Mails and Memos
Formatting E-Mails
Smart E-Mail Practices
Improving E-Mail and Memo Readability with Listing Techniques
Writing E-Mails and Memos for Specific Situations
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge Communication Workshop: Ethics

6. Routine Letters and Goodwill Messages
Writing Everyday Business Letters
Information and Action Requests
Simple Claim Requests
Information Response Letters
Customer Claim Responses
Letter of Recommendation
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Technology

7. Persuasive Messages
Using the Indirect Pattern in Persuasive Requests
Persuasive Claims and Complaint Messages
Persuasive Suggestions
Sales Letters
Online Sale Letters
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Career Skills

8. Negative Messages
Strategies for Breaking Bad News
Resolving Business Problems
Using the Indirect Pattern to Prepare the Reader
Refusing Requests
Refusing Claims
Announcing Bad News to Customers and Employees
When to Use the Direct Pattern
Ethics and the Indirect Pattern
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Critical Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Career Skills

UNIT 4: Reporting Data

9. Informal Reports
Functions of Reports
Report Formats and Organization
Guidelines for Writing Informal Reports
Four Kinds of Informal Reports
Information Reports
Progress Reports
Justification/Recommendation Reports
Minutes of Meetings
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Collaboration

UNIT 5: Developing Speaking Skills

10. Communicating in Person and by Telephone
Improving Face-to-Face Workplace Communication
Polishing Your Professional Telephone and Voice-Mail Skills
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercise
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Career Skills

UNIT 6: Communication for Employment

11. The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters
Preparing for Employment
The Persuasive Résumé
The Persuasive Cover Letter
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Career Skills

12. Employment Interviews and Follow-Up Messages
Hiring/Placement Interview
Investigating the Company
Preparing and Practicing
Sending Positive Nonverbal Messages
Fighting Fear
Answering Questions
All-Time Favourite Questions with Selected Answers
Closing the Interview
Follow-Up Letters and Other Employment Documents
Summing Up and Looking Forward
Critical Thinking
Chapter Review
Writing Improvement Exercises
Activities and Cases
Grammar/Mechanics Review
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
Communication Workshop: Career Skills

APPENDICES:
Appendix A: Reference Guide to Document Formats
Appendix B: Proofreading Marks
Appendix C: Documentation Formats

Grammar/Mechanics Handbook

Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups

Notes

Index

Intended for post-secondary and adult second-language learners.