ELIZABETH SMITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE FELLOW English for Professional Purposes: A Linguistic Analysis of Professional Communications in English

Warm Up: Professional English Bingo Introduce yourself to a new friend Ask question from chart New person signs each square

Quick Write What are some of the main differences you have noticed in the styles of writing in English and Spanish? What are some of the conventional differences between the two languages? (mechanics usage) What are some of the challenges that face Spanish speakers who need to write in English?

Linguistic Analysis: Focus on Writing SpanishEnglish more “flowery” and descriptive language Provides backstory and explanation Command forms can be interpreted as “demanding” More “Formal” usages More concise and direct Reveals only necessary information and promptly asks request Commands are usually requested with formalities of politeness and conditional verb forms Difference between “Formal” and “Professional”

The Line of English Thought What would English and Spanish thought patterns look like if put into a physical dimension?

Linguistic Lines of Thought: Organization and Language Kaplan, R. B. "Cultural Thought Patterns in Inter-Cultural Education." Language Learning 16 (1966): 1-20.

Organization Patterns in Spanish: Spanish writers: Begin with a brief introduction Then present one side of an issue Then present another side often with much adornment Finally arrive at the main point in the conclusion * An English speaking reader may respond: "But I don't understand his/her main point; it's never really stated, and it's not clear." *The Spanish writer might respond, "But I would like you to understand all the possibilities and the context so you can get involved in what I have to say."

Organizational Patterns in English: Straight line of development which includes introductions, main ideas, topic sentences, supporting details, conclusions, etc. This pattern can be simply summarized as: "Tell your audience what you are going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them."

Tips for Professional English Writing 1. Determine Your Desired Outcome 2. Quickly Answers, “What’s the Point?” 3. State Benefits Clearly 4. Remember to KISS 5. Save the Whole Story – Stick to the Facts. 6. Pretend Face-to-face Intro 7. Avoid Excessive Compliments 8. Be Personal and Personable 9. Make it Easy to Be Found 10. Use Simple English 11. Font Matters 12. Formatting Matters 13. Minimize Questions 14. Trimming of Words

s in English: Take Home Points Proper greetings  “Hello Elizabeth,” or “Hi Elizabeth,”  “Sincerely, Elizabeth” or “Cheers, Elizabeth” No rambling stories or long intros Get to the point quickly Next action clearly stated Present benefits and/or request needs Fonts and formatting matter Review for conciseness, simplicity and clarity One question per

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Task: Revise Non-Professional What changes would you make to the sample in order to incorporate all the tips we have studied? Work with a group (2-3 people) to re-write the What tips did you include?

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Sources: Kaplan, R. B. "Cultural Thought Patterns in Inter- Cultural Education." Language Learning 16 (1966): writing-effective- /

Questions? Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Thank You! Contact: Elizabeth Smith English Language Fellow Centro Cultural Nicarag üense-Norteamericano English Language Fellow Nicaragua