1st Edition

English for Business Communication

By Mable Chan Copyright 2020
    246 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    246 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction for students and professionals who are studying English for business or workplace communication and covers both spoken and written English. 

    Based on up-to-date research in business communication and incorporating an international range of real-world authentic texts, this book deals with the realities of communication in business today. Key features of this book include:

    • use of English in social media that reflects recent trends in business communication;
    • coverage of the concept of communicative competence;
    • analysis of email communication;
    • introduction to informal English and English for socialisation as well as goodwill messages, such as thank you or appreciation messages, which are a part of everyday interaction in the workplace;
    • examination of persuasive messages and ways to understand such messages;
    • an e-resources website that includes authentic examples of different workplace genres and a reference section covering relevant research studies and weblinks for readers to better understand the topics covered in each chapter.

    This book goes beyond the traditional coverage of business English to provide a broad and practical textbook for those studying English in a workplace setting.

    Table of Contents

    Acknowledgements

    Ch.1 Written and Spoken Communication in the Workplace

    Ch.2 Features of Business Communication

    Ch.3 Email and Emerging Social Media for Different Communicative Purposes

    Ch.4 Conveying Negative and Goodwill Messages

    Ch.5 Persuasive Messages: Sales Correspondence and Job Applications

    Ch.6 Persuasive Messages: Enquiry and Invitation Messages

    Ch.7 Formal Business Reports/Proposals

    Ch.8 Making Oral Presentations

    Ch.9 Socialisation

    Ch.10 Business Meetings and Negotiations

    Ch.11 Employment and Appraisal Interviews

    Index

     

    Biography

    Mable Chan works in the Department of English at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University as a research assistant professor. She obtained her BA (Hons) in English and Translation, MPhil in English (General/Applied Linguistics), and Postgraduate Diploma in Education (The Chinese University of Hong Kong), as well as a PhD in Language and Linguistics (University of Essex, UK). Her research interests are second language acquisition using the generative grammar framework, applied linguistics and professional and business communication.

    A comprehensive guide to business English by a highly experienced practitioner. Based on research studies and the author's own experience, this excellent book will help readers learn everything they need to know about communicating in English, from negotiating and running successful meetings to email etiquette and small-talk in the workplace.

    Roger Hawkins, University of Essex, UK

    An exciting book which provides an excellent introduction to business English. Chan has produced a volume that has both breadth and depth and it will offer a wide range of readers the main tools for communicating in English appropriately and effectively.

    Alessandro Benati, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    A textbook with state-of-the-art and research-based learning materials for developing discourse, generic and social competence in English for business or workplace communication, with communication media ranging from traditional emails to social media. 

    Winnie Cheng, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

    Drawing on state-of-the-art research in business communication, "English for Business Communication" addresses a wide range of topics such as communicative competence, English in social media, English for socialization, and everyday interaction in the workplace. It is a must-read book for those teaching and researching English for business or workplace communication. 

    Icy Lee,The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    The book provides workers with an updated guide to compose their email messages and day-to-day correspondences with confidence. It was thoroughly written with the author’s insights, experiences, and research expertise, further complemented by authentic examples and a powerful data bank. The volume is definitely a much-needed manual for undergraduate and postgraduate students in EAP, and for employees and employers who need effective communications in their workplaces.

    Dr. Ricky Lam, Hong Kong Baptist University