COURSE

Code
Semester
Number of Credit
Lecturers

: BUSINESS WRITING
:
:3
:2
: Yusuf Hidayat, M.Pd

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In Business writing, the course provides students with the basic terms and understanding with the
emphasis on point of how to plan to write business writing in terms of writing business letters such
sales, marketing, and public relations letters, customer service letters, credit and collection letters,
letters to vendors and suppliers, and so forth. This course will be a basic skill for acquiring
comprehension on business English writing.
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Students are hoped to:
acquire basic understanding of technical terms in writing business letters;
master basic comprehension on planning how to write business letters;
explore the structure, grammar, and appearance of business letters;
explore practical applications on writing business letters.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. A midterm test
2. A final test
3. Home assignments
4. Class attendance and participation
GRADES:
85 100 %
71 85 %
60 70 %
41 59 %
0 40%

20 points
50 points
20 points
10 points

= A;
= B;
= C;
= D;
=E

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students are required to attend at least 12 of the whole 16 sessions. Students who miss class
frequently will lose opportunities to practice their skill in class and therefore they will have their
points for class attendance and participation lowered. Students with up to 3 unexcused absences
will automatically have their scores lowered by 10 %. Students with more than 4 absence will not
be eligible for the final examination.
ASSIGNMENT POLICY
Students are assigned to actively read the suggested reference books and to do weekly assignment.
Missing any single required assignment will result in delaying students score.

English Education Program,

The Syllabus is revised in September 2015

Page | 1

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Session
Topics
Sources
Session 1:

An introduction to business writing
Seglin, J.L. (2012)
Session 2:

How to plan to write business letters;
Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 3-6; 29-40)

Understanding and exploring the
appearance of business letter;
Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 17-28; 43-51)

Session 5:

Understanding and exploring the

structure of the parts of a business
letter;

Understanding
and
exploring
grammar on writing business letter;

Sales, marketing, and public relation
letters

Customers service letters

Session 6:

Credit and collection letters

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 189-226)

Session 7:
Session 8:
Session 9:

Letters to vendors and suppliers

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 227-245)

Transmittal letters

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 325-338)

Session 10:

Confirmation letters

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 339-346)

Session 11:
Session 12:
Session 13:
Session 14-15:

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 349-361)

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 363-373)
Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 375-387)
Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 389-452)

Session 3:

Session 4:

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 55-112)

Seglin, J.L. (2012, p. 123-188)

MID-TERM TEST

Request letters
Replies letters
Permissions letters
Social, personal, and miscellaneous
letters.

Session 16:

FINAL TEST

REFERENCES
Barnar, R., & Meehan, A. (2005). An Introduction to Business Writing. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Mohamed Al-Maskari, K. (2013). A Practical Guide to Business Writing: Writing in English for
Non-Native Speakers. UK: Wiley.
Seglin, J.L. (2012). The AMA Handbook of Business Letters, 4th edition. United States of America:
American Management Association (AMACOM).

English Education Program,

The Syllabus is revised in September 2015

Page | 2