Methods of Teaching Business Communication provides unique insights into how to teach your business communication or business writing course more easily and successfully.

A Large Amount of Mistakes

Today I was reading an article online in Forbes. I expect Forbes to produce error-free articles, but an error popped out in this sentence: When you stop to think about it, the sheer amount of websites can also confuse and…

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Does Humming Attract Birds? A Punctuation Problem

My friend Eric W., a great sign spotter, sent me this photo for your enjoyment. He asks, “What does it hum?” I ask you, “What is the problem with the heading below?” It’s an easy problem for a snowy Monday…

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Business English for Discussing Solutions to a Problem (2)

"Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone just wants to complain about a problem? And maybe they criticize every solution that is suggested? Well, if that’s all you do, the problem will never be solved."

"Discussing solutions is all about figuring out what might actually work. It’s about finding the best solution, even if it’s not the perfect solution. So you need to learn how to agree with people’s ideas, either strongly, or with conditions. In other words, you might agree but only if something else can happen."

Listen to the podcast . . .

Acronyms and SMEs–Help!

Tim wrote today with an acronym situation he would like to resolve. What do you think about his desire to spell out acronyms and initialisms, even when writing for SMEs (subject-matter experts)? Here is his message: I read your blog…

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Want to Sound More Native? Do This! Common Contractions in English Part 1: IS ARE AM

"If you really want to sound more natural and native in your spoken English you have to use contractions. I know it can seem counterintuitive, but contractions are essential in mastering the rhythm and flow of spoken English. In this lesson, part 1 in a 3-part series, we will practice contracting IS, ARE and AM. Stay tuned for the next 2 lessons in this series helping you to become aware of, and practice, the MOST common contractions in English."

Watch the video by Keenyn Rhodes (photo, left) . . .

Over Their Heads and Far From Their Comprehension

Marcia Yudkin’s excellent “Marketing Minute” arrived in my inbox today. It included an important reminder about jargon. Marcia gave me permission to share this guest post with you. ********************************************************* Over Their Heads and Far From Their Comprehension By Marcia Yudkin…

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Cuba Is Complicated, But Writing Should Not Be

Cuba is complicated. That’s what our guides told us when we asked questions about how things work in the country: Es complicado. Salaries, food, ownership, restoration, politics, global relationships–Todo es complicado. But writing about Cuba should not be complicated. Writers…

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14+ Meeting Minutes Examples & Templates in PDF

"The minutes of a meeting, or simply “minutes,” is an instant written record of a meeting or hearing. The minutes describe the events that occurred in a meeting. Sometimes, the minutes include a list of attendees, as well as the responses or decisions being discussed by the attendees. Minutes are the official written record of the meetings of an organization or group but they are not transcripts of those proceedings."

"In this article, we will be helping you create minutes for your own meeting. We have provided examples and templates (in PDF), as well as simple tips to help you create a minutes of the meeting."

Read the full article . . .

5 Secrets That Will Help You Master Conversation Skills

"What are the fundamentals of conversation skills?"

Eric Barker provides some answers in a piece at Time.com.

Read the full article . . .

Five Ways to Clear Up Fuzzy Writing

When writing is fuzzy, perfectly clear ideas come across as vague, illogical, or ambiguous. Don’t let fuzzy writing undermine your brilliant ideas! Great ideas deserve clear expression. Avoid the five don’ts below to communicate clearly with your audience. 1. Don’t…

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