Teaching Business Communication

Theory vs Experience. Again.

This post has appeared before. It’s a different set of students today. And a different university this time. But much remains the same… Many people believe you have to choose between experience and theory when you want to gain knowledge or skills. But the choice represents a false dichotomy. It’s on my mind today as I…

January 2, 2017

The (sub)genre of the executive summary

When a business professional needs to influence other people to do something not obviously beneficial to them, the individual often writes a persuasive document. That’s why we have proposals, business plans, recommendation reports, white papers, etc. Because such documents present complex information, they are usually lengthy. But readers are busy! So writers need to provide their audience with a way…

March 16, 2016

Feds make better grades in 2015

The Center for Plain Language recently released final grades for US federal agencies. After completing a rigorous evaluation process, they concluded that Participation by agencies in the Center for Plain Language Federal Plain Language Report Card reached an all-time high: 23 agencies submitted materials for review, including all 15 Cabinet-level departments. Compliance scores increased overall: Eight…

November 20, 2015

Reaching (and respecting) veterans with plain language

To honor our US veterans today, let me share an example of exemplary writing practice from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). A team working on a form wanted to use the question, “When were you last (gainfully) employed?” They felt that the term “gainfully employed” would gather more legally sufficient and accurate information than just…

November 11, 2015

Readers label you based on your style

I’m in Seattle at the Association for Business Communication conference. Erin Kane and I will present “Reader Perception of Workplace-Writer Attributes” this afternoon. (Our fellow researchers, Nicole Amare and Alan Manning couldn’t make the trip.) We had more than 600 working adults in the US tell us whether they preferred the more plain or less…

October 30, 2015

Does essay writing help you succeed as a writer at work?

Today’s post is in honor of the National Day on Writing. U.S. students spend years writing essays. They believe they know how to write. (And also often believe that writing is meaningless.) What they do not know is that different rhetorical contexts (different goals, audiences, content) give rise to different ways of organizing and presenting information in effective written messages.…

October 20, 2015

Ideas for Teaching Business Communication

Ideas for teaching business communication are abundant in Bovee and Thill’s Business Communication Blog.

Instructional techniques and approaches have taken on new dimensions due to the abundance of new topics now covered in the course, including digital communication, social media, and mobile communication. Bovee and Thill were the first authors to cover these topics in their textbooks, and they have a wealth of ideas to share with their readers on a regular basis about these topics, and many more.

The blog offers origial articles that help instructors focus their teaching to help students learn more efficiently and effective. Articles discuss a wide variety of subjects, including new topics instructors should be teaching their students, resources instructors can use in their classes, solutions to common teaching challenges, and great examples of activities instructors can use in class.

This blog will help instructors keep current with the latest information and trends in the field. It will help with the updating of lecture notes with fresh material. Instructors will be able to enhance their research projects with the newest data. They'll be able to compare best practices from other instructors.

You'll appreciate the abundance of valuable teaching resources for your classes that Bovee and Thill provide. Visit these websites and take advantage of the wonderful classroom resources: Google+, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

To order an examination copy of a Bovee & Thill textbook, visit this page.

September 22, 2015

Teaching Business Writing

Teaching Business Writing with Extensive Discussion of Mobile Communication

Surprisingly, no business writing textbooks currently on the market cover mobile communication, except for textbooks by Bovee and Thill. Take a look at their extensive, current coverage of mobile communication that reflects theeal world in which your students are seeking employment. Here is a summary of their coverage:

▪ The Mobile Revolution
▪ The Rise of Mobile as a Communication Platform
▪ How Mobile Technologies Are Changing Business Communication
▪ Collaboration via Mobile Devices
▪ Business Etiquette Using Mobile Devices
▪ The Unique Challenges of Communication on Mobile Devices
▪ Writing Messages for Mobile Devices
▪ Designing Messages for Mobile Devices
▪ Optimizing Content for Mobile Devices
▪ Visual Media on Mobile Devices
▪ Creating Promotional Messages for Mobile Devices
▪ Research on the Go with Mobile Devices
▪ Integrating Mobile Devices in Presentations
▪ Job Search Strategies: Maximize Your Mobile

In teaching business writing, you'll appreciate the abundance of valuable teaching resources for your business writing course that Bovee and Thill provide. Visit these websites and take advantage of the wonderful classroom resources: Google+, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

To order an examination copy of a Bovee & Thill textbook, visit this page.

Would you like to read more about this topic?

August 12, 2015

“Essentials” Business Communication Textbooks

Are you going to adopt a cutting-edge "Essentials" business communication textbook with extensive integration of mobile communication in every chapter, or are you going to burden your students with a commonly adopted 'Essentials' text that's stuck in the last decade?

Because of complacency or too little knowledge about the topic, most business communication textbook authors are ignoring the mobile revolution. In fact, they’re pretending that it doesn’t even exist. In view of these facts, are your students getting the best education possible?

There is one author team that’s always on the leading edge: Bovee and Thill. Truthfully, they are the only business communication textbook authors currently writing about mobile communication. This should tell you a great deal about which author team conscientiously revises their texts and will always keep them current. Bovee and Thill were also the first authors to discuss social media and digital communication in their textbooks.

The great challenge of teaching a modern business communication course today is helping students develop solid communication skills compatible with today’s business needs.

Writing, speaking, and listening are as critical as they've ever been, but these skills are now going to be put to use in an environment that has been disrupted by waves of game-changing technologies during the past few years.

One of the most disruptive changes to ever affect the field of business communication is occurring right now, and your students are most likely holding it in their hands this minute. That change is mobile communication, and forward-thinking companies are adopting mobile because it enables them to function a great deal more productively and to forge closer bonds with stakeholders.

Many companies need to embrace mobile for the simple reason that their customers and employees already have. You can’t communicate with people if you can’t connect with them, and that connection is increasingly made by way of mobile.

Now you know the truth. Only one "essentials" business communication textbook covers mobile.For a wealth of material you'll find useful for teaching a course in business communication, we suggest you review these websites: Google+, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Make the right decision. When you consider "Essentials" business communication textbooks, choose the text that thoughtfully covers the most disruptive technology affecting the field, mobile communication.

August 11, 2015

Teaching Business Communication Skills

Teaching Business Communication Skills? Be Sure to Teach Mobile Communication, Too!

Smartphones, iPad, tablets, and other mobile devices have been available for more than five years. Therefore, for all the claims about it being to be up to date, wouldn't you expect your textbook to cover mobile communication? As much of a game-changer as social media have been, some experts predict that mobile communication will change the nature of business and business communication even more.

Venture capitalist Joe Schoendorf says that “Mobile is the most disruptive technology that I have seen in 48 years in Silicon Valley.” Researcher Maribel Lopez calls mobile “the biggest technology shift since the Internet.

Only Bovee and Thill cover mobile communication. All other authors are pretending that mobile doesn't even exist. Switch to a Bovee and Thill textbook today.

Check Out These Valuable Resources for Business Communication

In teaching business communication skills, you'll undoubtedly find the materials shown on the following websites useful for teaching a business communication course: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

To order an examination copy of a Bovee & Thill textbook, please visit this page.