GISDepartment of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies

Communication is one of the key skills employers look for in potential employees. The rapid diversification of global communications and the collapse of traditional professional working practices in the first two decades of the 21st century have made these skills even more salient; modern employers increasingly demand transferrable skills, interdisciplinary knowledge and an ability to address a diverse audience. At their very heart, these competencies are enhanced by an ability to understand, construct and manipulate written information in order to use them in a variety of situations.

Graduates with a good command of English are likely to end up in the global job market, so this course aims at giving students a competitive edge in their chosen career path. This course will help students prepare for the English-language job hunting process and provide an overview of the key professional communication styles, as well as a chance to see how these have a real application in the professional world.

Will be able to gain “DP 2” and “DP 4”.

英語 / English

The first half of the course will look at the English-language job hunting process, from analysing a job advertisement to creating a CV (résumé) and cover letter. Students will learn how to make their application documents stand out from the crowd and then participate in a mock interview for the job. These documents and skills can be used in a real-life job, or internship, application. The second half of the course then aims to build familiarity in some of the key forms of professional communication, such as press releases, emails and business documents. Submission of assignments and feedback will be via the Learning Management System.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[オンライン/online]：Introduction

Course overview

2[対面/face to face]：Job Hunting: Writing a CV I

Explanation of the features of a good CV (résumé)

3[対面/face to face]：Job Hunting: Writing a CV II

Producing an English language CV (résumé)

4[対面/face to face]：Job Hunting: The Cover Letter I

Explanation of the features of a good cover letter

5[対面/face to face]：Job Hunting: The Cover Letter II

Writing an original cover letter

6[対面/face to face]：Professional Writing: Style and Tone

Putting ideas into words quickly and concisely

7[対面/face to face]：Job Hunting: Preparing for an Interview

What will they ask?

8[対面/face to face]：Mock Job Interviews

Students will participate in a mock job interview with the instructor

9[対面/face to face]：Formal Emails

Striking the right tone in communication

10[対面/face to face]：Editing

Common errors and ways to improve written English

11[対面/face to face]：Press Releases

The basics of how to prepare information for publication

12[対面/face to face]：Reports

Communicating business information

13[対面/face to face]：Agendas and Minutes

Outlining standard layouts of everyday documents

14[対面/face to face]：Final Exam and Wrap Up

Written examination and summary

Preparatory study and review time for this class are 2 hours each.

No single textbook will be used; the instructor will provide materials.

Anderson, J. & Dean, D. (2014). Revision decisions: talking through sentences and beyond. Portland, US: Stenhouse Publishers.
Garner, B. (2012). Harvard Business Review guide to better business writing. Boston, US: Harvard Business Review Press.
Marsen, S. (2020). Professional writing (fourth edition). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Strunk, W & White, E. (1999). The elements of style (fourth edition). Boston, US: Allyn & Bacon.

Class participation (10%), assignments (25%), CV and cover letter (20%), mock interview (20%), final exam (25%).

Past students have commented that they prefer a face-to-face job interview as it gives them a more realistic experience. The instructor will try to organise face-to-face interviews but in the case of a large class, the interviews may need to be done online because of time constraints.

A laptop will be required in many sessions. If access to a laptop computer is difficult, please inform the instructor.

None.