Purpose of this Toolkit - Griffith University

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Why your students need effective written
communication skills
Definition
Written communication is the ability to use the conventions of disciplinary discourse to
communicate effectively in writing with a range of audiences, in a variety of modes (e.g.,
persuasion, argument, exposition), as context requires, using a number of different means
(e.g., graphical, statistical, audio-visual and technological).
The need for written communication skills
Students need to write effectively to communicate with their peers, lecturers, professional
colleagues and employers. They are not always experienced writers when they enter
university and they don’t always receive formal teaching in written communication while
doing their undergraduate degrees.
This Toolkit is intended to provide some useful suggestions, strategies and checklists to
help your students improve their writing skills.
Good communication skills are at the top of the list of what potential employers look for
in graduates. The vast majority of business transactions involve written communication of
some kind. Employers of graduates often express concern that students graduate with
inadequate basic written communication skills. It is generally expected that university
graduates have good literacy skills that can transfer into various work contexts, but
research shows that this is not always the case.
The six ‘C’s of effective writing
“Effective business correspondence yields results because it achieves two basic objectives.
First, it conveys a clear and unambiguous message to the reader and second, it produces
goodwill in that reader. To achieve these two objectives, the writer must write:
• clearly:
• coherently;
• concisely;
• correctly; with
• courtesy; and
• confidence.
These characteristics are the result of careful planning, writing in plain English, and critical
editing.”
Dwyer, J. (1993). The Business Communication Handbook, (3 rd ed.). New York: Prentice Hall, p.186.
Why students need effective communication skills
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