BUS106B

Western Nevada College

BUS106B – Business English (Web Version)

Tentative Syllabus based on Fall 2009--subject to modification

Professor: Irena Joanette-Gallio, M.Ed.

Office phone: 423-7988 ext. 2265—Sage Hall 100B

E-mail: igallio@wnc.edu

Home e-mail: igallio@charter.net

Web page: www.wnc.nevada.edu/~igallio

NOTE: This is a document in progress; instructor reserves the right to change or modify it in any way at any time.

TEXTBOOK:

Business English—Writing for the Global Workplace—by Dona J. Young, ISBN 978-0‑07-354542-4, McGraw-Hill Higher Education

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

This course in practical business English includes principles of grammar, punctuation, and word usage, paragraph development and formatting of basic business correspondence. The English language is constantly changing and this course will reflect leading-edge practices in use in the business community.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should/should be able to:

1. Skillfully use the dictionary, thesaurus, and business writing handbooks to determine spelling, meaning, pronunciation, syllabication, accent, word usage, and work history.

2. Correctly format envelopes, memoranda, e-mails, and a variety of business letters styles.

3. Correctly use parts of speech including nouns, verbs, connecting and modifying words in business sentences.

4. Recognize how parts of speech function in business writing.

5. Correctly use capitalization, numbers, periods, commas, semicolons, and other forms of punctuation.

6. Accurately proofread business communication and effectively utilize proofreader’s marks.

7. Correctly format informal and formal business reports.

PARTICIPATION POLICY:

Student is responsible for all assigned readings and written assignments on the days on which they are due and for all material presented in the archives and textbook.

COURSE EVALUATION:

Instructor reserves the right to edit the syllabus to accommodate class needs.

POINTS DISTRIBUTION
Source	Value	% Total
Assignments, Quizzes	1,260 points	55%
Exams (8 chapter exams-100 pts. each)	800 points	45%
TOTAL	2,060 pts .	100%

Instructor reserves the right to a 5% adjustment based on effort and improvement.

Academic Integrity Policies & Procedures as set forth by in the Nevada System of Higher Education Code will be observed in this class. Students at WNC are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors because academic dishonesty disrupts the learning process and threatens the educational environment for all students.

Academic dishonesty is any form of cheating and plagiarism which results in students giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or receiving credit for work which is not their own. Academic dishonesty will result in an “F” grade being issued.

GRADING POLICY:

“W” Grades:

As indicated below, grades are assigned based on the A to F scale. I do not routinely issue “W” grades!

· If unable to complete the class or are not earning the desired grade, withdrawal from the class is possible until the last Friday before finals. Grade would then become a “W.”

o I assign “W” grades ONLY on request. A student may request a “W” grade as an alternative grade.

o For Example: “If I earn lower than a “C,” please issue a “W.”

Final grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

95 - 100 =	A	76 - 78 =	C
91 - 94 =	A-	73 - 75 =	C-
88 - 90 =	B+	70 - 72 =	D+
85 - 87 =	B	67 - 69 =	D
82 - 84 =	B-	64 - 66 =	D-
79 - 81 =	C+	Below 64 =	F

INCOMPLETE POLICY:

Incompletes are given at the discretion of instructor. Student must have completed approximately 75% of the class assignments, have extenuating circumstances, and complete the appropriate form. Incompletes require a written request form and must be completed before finals week.

OVERVIEW OF CLASS PROCEDURES &

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS:

(Specific assignments will be listed in Chapter assignments Icon on the Home Page.)

· A Typical Week:

· A Weekly Icon will appear on the home BUS106B page. Icon for the upcoming week will be available by Saturday, allowing ample time to complete the assignments. Icon will provide chapter procedures for the week which will include:

Assignments: Chapter assignments will each have a “point value,” along with an area to submit your assignment. You will also see a place where you can attach a “Word” document if you prefer an attachment to typing in the assignment box.
Discussions: In addition to written assignments, there may be a few Discussion assignments periodically which will also have a point value.
Archive Lectures and Office Hour: Both weekly archived chapter lectures and your office hour will be available via Wimba. If you ever need to log on to office hour, I highly recommend that you purchase a headset/microphone combination for chat. This will enable you to talk instead of type—which is a huge advantage. The cost is low, the return is high.

· During these Archive chapter lectures I will overview the chapter and expand on the material. This lecture will be similar to a classroom lecture (jokes and all). Horizon may be viewed at any time and typically will be between 1 and 1.5 hours long. You may view the entire lecture at one time or you view parts of it. You will also be able to view any section. In other words, it is not a sequential-type of media.

· Students are required to view the archive, answer the questions that are asked, and submit for grading. As with chapter assignments, there will be an area to respond to archive questions and/or attach a word document.

Office hour: You will have a scheduled on-line office hour. I will be available to answer any questions you may have about chapter material and answer questions. Office hour IS NOT mandatory, but rather an optional feature if you need to talk with me.

Quizzes: Chapter quizzes will be part of chapter homework assignment and points earned will be recorded as homework. Five attempts are allowed—all scores will be averaged for the final quiz grade. Quizzes earn 10 points.

· Homework Due Dates: chapter assignments are usually due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night. Late Assignments earn half credit and are accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday night. (Exceptions:

· Chapter 1--Week #1 assignments won’t be due for two weeks.

· Due dates will be noted in the Weekly Assignment Icon chapter procedures and on the calendar.

· Calendar: Your Home Page will have a “Calendar” which will provide valuable tracking information for you. Click on it regularly to see when assignments are due. This is an additional tool for you.

· Exams:

o Exam #1—chapters 1-4 (proctored)

o Exam #2—chapters 5-8 (proctored

· Exams Questions will contain objective questions (multiple choice), grammar, and writing assignments.

· “Why proctored?”—you might ask. As a long-time tenured WNC professor, I value our high standards and credibility in the academic world. With the growth of web classes being offered through many different sources, I must maintain this credibility. I must be able to say, for example, (via my final grade sheets) that I am attesting that JOHN SMITH took BUS106B and earned a B. Without proctored exams which verify identify, I would not be able to verify the information.

· That about covers the basic information you will need to get started. As you get familiar with the class, more information will be provided. You need to explore the Home Page and become familiar with the features. Check out the mail, the calendar, and all the tools. If you have any problems, contact me via BUS106B web mail or regular e-mail addresses I have given above.

TENTATIVE READING & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE:

UNIT I:

LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT

NOTE: Weekly Assignments reflect Fall 2009 semester and are only be used to indicate a tentative time frame.

Week #1

Chapter 1: English for Business Today—Page 5

Assignments: (111 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website-record grade in assignment box

( 3) Page 6—Three goals

(10) DB-10 pts. (discussion board)

(8) Section Concepts:

· A-page 12—3 pts.

· B-page 16—2 pts.

· C-page 21—3 pts.

(30) Activities:

· 1: Process Memo—10 pts.

· 5: E-Writing-p. 24—10 pts.

· 6: Thesaurus Drill-p. 25—5 pts.

· 7: Reference Drill-p. 25—5 pts.

(20) Inbox:

· Composing-p. 27—10 pts.

· IB-Reflecting-p. 27—5 pts.

· IB-Editing-p. 28—5 pts.

(20) Horizon Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 1

Week #2

Chapter 2: Writing Effective Sentences—page 31

Assignments: (111 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

(3) Page 32—Three goals

(9) Section Concepts:

· A-page 38—3 pts.

· B-page 48—3 pts.

· C-page 51—3 pts.

(35) Activity 2: p. 53—Identifying the Core Elements

· A: The Sentence Core—5 pts. (do EVEN only)

· B: The Sentence Core—5 pts (EVEN only)

· C: Verbs—5 pts (EVEN)

· D: Clauses and Phrases—5 pts (EVEN)

· E: Pronouns—5 pts

· F: Conjunctions—5 pts

· G: Pronouns—5 pts

· (4) Activity 5: E-Writing (EVEN)

(5) Activity 6: Thesaurus Drill

(5) Activity 7: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(10) Inbox:

· IB-Editing—p. 61

(20) Wimba Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 2

Weeks #3, 4, 5

Ch. 3-Punctuation

Ch. 4-Verbs at Work

Chapter 3: Punctuation—page 67

Assignments: (131 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

( 4) Page 68—Three goals + Your system for commas

( 9) Section Concepts:

· A-page 81—4 pts.

· B-page 85—4 pts.

(10) Activity 1: p. 87—Process Memo (ex: page 65)

(14) Activity 2: p. 88—Punctuation Worksheets

· A: Comma Rules—Intro, AP, DA, AD—7 pts. EVEN

· B: Comma Rules—Conj and IC; Semicolon Rules—NC and Trans—7 pts. EVEN

(12) Activity 3: p. 90—Comma Rule Review

· A: Comma Conj and Comma Intro—5 pts EVEN

· B: Comma NE, AP, DA, and AD—7 pts EVEN

(14) Activity 5: p. 93—Comma and Semicolon Rule Review

· A: Comma Conj and Comma WO; Semicolon NC—7 pts. EVEN

· B: Comma IC and CEA; Semicolon Trans—7 pts EVEN

(10) Activity 6: p. 95—Cumulative Chapter Review—10 pts

· Commas and Semicolons

(8) Activity 7: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(10) Inbox:

· IB-Editing—p. 99

(20) Horizon Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 3

UNIT II—ENGLISH IN ACTION—Page 64

Chapter 4: Verbs at Work—page 101

Assignments: (183 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website

( 3) Page 102—Three goals

(9) Section Concepts:

· A-page 111—3 pts.

· B-page 114—3 pts.

· C-page 119—3 pts.

· D-page 131—2 pts.

(32) Activity 2: p. 123—Irregular Verbs

· A: —20 pts. (start with the word “be”—then complete every other one.)

· B: —6 pts

· C: —6 pts

(12) Activity 3: p. 125—Regular Verbs

· A: —6 pts.

· B: —6 pts

(11) Activity 5: p. 126—Subjective Mood

· A: —6 pts.

· B: —5 pts

(8) Activity 6: p. 127—Verb Consistency

· A: —3 pts.--EVEN

· B: —5 pts

(8) Activity 7: p. 127—Active Voice

· A: —5 pts.

· B: —3 pts

( 6) Activity 8: p. 128—Parallel Structure--EVEN

( 5) Activity 9: p. 129—Punctuation Review--EVEN

( 5) Activity 10: p. 130—Parallel Structure--EVEN

(17) Activity 11: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(25) Inbox:

· Editing—p. 134

(20) Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 4

Week #6

Exam #1—Chapters 1-4

Week #7 & #8

Chapter 5: Pronouns—Page 137

Assignments: (111 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

( 3) Page 138—Three goals

(11) Section Concepts:

· A-page 142—3 pts.

· B-page 145—3 pts.

· C-page 151—2 pts.

· D-page 153—3 pts.

(15) Activity 2: p. 155—Pronoun Worksheets

· A: Using Case Correctly—7 pts. EVEN

· B: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement—8 pts. EVEN

(7) Activity 3: Pronoun Practice--EVEN

(5) Activity 5: Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

· A: —5 pts.—EVEN

(5) Activity 6: Cumulative Program Review--EVEN

(25) Inbox:

· Editing—p. 166

(20) Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 5

Ch 6: Modifiers—page 169

Assignments: (144)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

( 3) Page 170—Three goals

(12) Section Concepts:

· A-page 176—3 pts.

· B-page 179—3 pts.

· C-page 182—3 pts.

· D-page 185—3 pts.

(17) Activity 2: p. 187—Adverbs & Adjectives—The Basics

· A: —12 pts.

· B: —5 pts

(17) Activity 3: p. 189—Placing Modifiers Correctly

· A: —12 pts.

· B: —5 pts

(17) Activity 5: p. 191—Other Modifiers—Pronouns & Compound Adjectives

· A: —12 pts.

· B: —5 pts

(5) Activity 6: Misplaced Modifiers

(10) Activity 7: Editing and Revising

(15) Activity 8: Cumulative Chapter Review

(5) Activity 9: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(15) Inbox:

· Editing—p. 197—15 pts.

(20) Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 6

UNIT III

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: page 198

Week #10

Nov. 2-8

Ch 7: Writing Traps—page 201

Assignments: (146 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

( 3) Page 202—Three goals

(12) Section Concepts:

· A-page 207—3 pts.

· B-page 212—3 pts.

· C-page 217—3 pts.

· D-page 221—3 pts.

(15) Activity 2: p. 223—Review of Plurals & Possessives

· A: Plurals—5 pts.

· B: Possessives—10 pts

(22) Activity 3: p. 225—Review of Capitalization & Numbers

· A: Capitalization—10 pts.

· B: Numbers—12 pts.

(5) Activity 5: p. 227—Review of Colons, Dashes, & Ellipses

(25) Activity 7: Cumulative Review

(4) Activity 9: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(20) Inbox:

· Editing—p. 233—20 pts.

(20) Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 7

Week #11

Ch 8: Writing Powerful Sentences—pg 237

Assignments: (146 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

( 3) Page 238—Three goals

( 6) Section Concepts:

· A-page 247—3 pts.

· B-page 254—3 pts.

( 4) Activity 3: More Malapropisms (even numbers)

( 4) Activity 4: Speaking Business (complete 2, 4, 6, 7)

(25) Activity 5: Being Concise (correct first column only)

(16) Activity 7: Active and Passive Voice

· A: —6 pts. (odd numbers)

· B:—10 pts

(5) Activity 8: Eliminate Redundancy & Outdated Expressions (even numbers)

( 5) Activity 9: Editing Strategy

( 5) Activity 10: Parallel Structure (even numbers)

( 8) Activity 11: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(25) Inbox:

· Editing—p. 268

(20) Horizon Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 8

Weeks #13-14

Chapters 9 & 10

Chapter 9: Building Paragraphs—page 271

Assignments: (82 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record in assignment box

( 6) Section Concepts:

· D-page 292—6 pts.

( 5) Activity 2: Editing

(10) Activity 3: p. 294—Editing

· 1: —5 pts

· 2: —5 pts

(10) Activity 5: Topic Sentences and Topic Strings

( 5) Activity 6: Eliminating Empty Information

(13) Activity 10: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(13) Exercises from textbook

(40) Horizon Archive Questions

(10) Quiz 9

Chapter 10: Professional Communication—page 305

Assignments: (35 points)

(10) Pretest-Author website: record grade in assignment box

( 5) Activity 2: Editing

(10) Activity 7: Writer’s Reference Manual Drill

(10) Quiz 10

Final Week

NO EXCEPTIONS

Exam #2—Chapters 5-8

(no exam on chapters 9 & 10)