Programme overview
Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study
Introduction
Emails that bury the request, reports that readers cannot navigate and proposals that fail to persuade cost organisations time, credibility and business. The problem is sharper where English is a working rather than a first language, and where AI tools now produce drafts that still need human judgement. This Core Concept course equips professionals to plan, structure, write and edit English business documents to international plain language principles. Participants rework real documents in clinic-style case work and leave with a Business Writing Toolkit of templates, a personal style sheet and an editing checklist.
Course Objectives
- Diagnose recurring weaknesses in one's own English business writing against CEFR descriptors and a structured error log
- Structure emails, reports and proposals with the Pyramid Principle, BLUF and SCQA so that the main point comes first
- Apply ISO 24495-1 plain language principles so that documents are relevant, findable, understandable and usable
- Adjust register and tone for internal, external, sensitive and persuasive messages
- Edit own and colleagues' drafts, including AI-assisted drafts, for accuracy, concision and correct usage
- Produce a Business Writing Toolkit of templates, a style sheet and an editing checklist for daily use
Target Audience
- Professionals who write English emails, reports and proposals as part of daily work
- Administrative and coordination staff drafting correspondence on behalf of managers
- Technical and specialist staff reporting findings to non-specialist readers
- Customer-facing staff responding in writing to enquiries and complaints
- Project and team coordinators writing status updates, minutes and requests
Course Outline
Day 1: Business Writing Foundations and Diagnosis
- CEFR Writing Descriptors for B2 to C1 Self-Assessment
- Writing Sample Diagnostic: Error Log by Grammar, Vocabulary and Tone
- Reader, Purpose and Context Analysis Grid
- British and American English Convention Sheet: Spelling, Dates and Punctuation
- Readability Baseline Using Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Scores
Day 2: Structure and Plain Language Standards
- ISO 24495-1:2023 Principles: Relevant, Findable, Understandable and Usable
- Minto Pyramid Principle for Top-Down Argument
- BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Message Structure
- SCQA Framework: Situation, Complication, Question and Answer
- Paragraph Cohesion: Topic Sentences, Signposting and Linking Devices
Day 3: Writing Core Business Documents
- Action-Oriented Email Template: Subject Line, Request and Deadline
- Short Report Structure: Executive Summary, Findings and Recommendations
- Business Proposal Layout Using a Problem-Solution-Benefit Structure
- Meeting Minutes and Action Log Conventions
- Formality Register and Tone Scale for Internal and External Readers
Day 4: Precision, Persuasion and Problem Cases
- Common Error Patterns for Non-Native Writers: Articles, Prepositions and Tense
- Hedging and Diplomatic Language for Bad News and Refusals
- Cialdini's Principles of Persuasion in Request Messages
- Editing with Microsoft Word Track Changes and Microsoft Editor
- Generative AI Drafting Checklist: Accuracy, Tone and Confidentiality Review
Day 5: Document Clinics and the Business Writing Toolkit
- Complaint Response Case: Rewriting an Escalated Customer Email
- Project Update Case: Converting Raw Notes into a One-Page Report
- Peer Editing Clinic Using an ISO 24495-1 Review Checklist
- Personal Style Sheet and Template Set Assembly
- Business Writing Toolkit Presentation and Peer Feedback
Skills You Will Gain
- Plain Language Writing
- Top-Down Message Structuring
- Report Writing
- Proposal Drafting
- Tone and Register Control
- Diplomatic Language
- Self-Editing and Proofreading
- AI Output Review
Why Attend This Course
- Return to work with a Business Writing Toolkit that shortens drafting time for recurring documents
- Write messages that readers act on the first time, with fewer follow-up questions and less rework
- Write with confidence in English for senior and external readers, without over-formal or unclear phrasing
- Learn alongside professionals from other sectors and countries who use English as a working language
Conclusion
Clear business writing is a working skill that can be learned, measured and improved rather than a matter of talent. The course moves from diagnosing each participant's writing, through structure and plain language standards, to the emails, reports, proposals and minutes that fill a working week, and on to the precision, tone and editing problems that undermine them. The final day's document clinics turn this into a Business Writing Toolkit that participants apply to their next message.