• Length:
    4 Weeks
  • Effort:
    3–5 hours per week
  • Price:

    FREE
    Add a Verified Certificate for $149 USD

  • Institution
    UWashingtonX
  • Subject:
    Language
  • Level:
    Introductory
  • Language:
    English
  • Video Transcript:
    English
  • Course Type:
    Self-paced on your time

Associated Programs:

Prerequisites

Intermediate level of English language proficiency.

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About this course

Skip About this course

Effective writing is an important business skill, especially for networking, and most communication takes place using email.

In this course, you’ll learnimportant vocabulary and strategies for writing effective emails, starting with the subject line. You'll learn how to write messages for different audiences and understand when tobe formal or direct.You’llalso learn how your choice of words can change the way people view your message.You'll practice writing emails to follow up with people in your network.

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • Create and use email messages, including greetings, body of message, format, and closing
  • Use appropriate tone and formality in your emails
  • Use email to invite a person in your network to meet with you
  • Write follow-up emails

Syllabus

Skip Syllabus

Week 1:Subject Lines & Openings
This week you’ll learn the parts of an effective subject line and know what common mistakes to avoid. You’ll also know how to using greetings like “Dear” and when to use titles or first names.

Week 2: Tone: When to be Formal or Direct
This week introduces the idea of tone. The words you use and the way you say it make your writing more or less formal and more or less direct. You need to make choices about these things depending on who you are writing to.

Week 3:Effective Beginnings and Endings
The first and last lines of an email are super important to success. We’ll point out how to write good openings and closings and provide useful vocabulary for these parts. We’ll also practice the language of making arrangements to meet.

Week 4:Writing Follow Up Emails
In the final week of the course, you’ll lookspecifically at the language of following up. This is an important step in making your network bigger.You’ll practice writing your own email and get feedback from your fellow classmates.

Meet your instructors

University of Washington
Daphne Mackey
Instructor
University of Washington
Richard Moore
Instructor
University of Washington

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Learner testimonials

"The videos were informative and useful to a great extent. Also the vocabulary and summary given on the videos were clear and precise, to understand the important aspects to write a proper and effective email." - Previous Learner

Frequently asked questions

Q: Do I need to take the courses in order?
A: We recommend you take the courses in order. Many of the topics build from one course to the next, but there is no strict requirement.

Q: I don’t know many people, so how can I network?
A: Everyone has a network. The course will help you identify the people that you already know and help you figure out strategies to make your network bigger.

Q: My English isn’t very strong. Is this course right for me?
A: This course is designed for people with an intermediate level or above. That means you should be able to talk about everyday topics. If you are a beginner, some of the activities might be difficult, but you can still learn from them.

Q: I’m quite fluent in English. Is this too basic for me?
This course is designed for people at an intermediate level in English. Some of the vocabulary might be easy for you, but you can probably benefit from the activities.

Q: I’m not studying business. Is this course okay for me?
Yes, networking is all about making connections. You can use networking in any major, career, or location.

Interested in this course for your Business or Team?

Train your employees in the most in-demand topics, with edX for Business.

Purchase now|Request Information