QUICK RESOURCE SHEET #15
Effective e-mail communication
Since Sheet #13
provided resources for establishing e-mail contact with other students and
teachers around the world, this might be an opportune moment to examine our
skill in writing e-mail messages. Even those of us with years of experience
communicating by e-mail often find ourselves misunderstood or our messages
relegated to the recycling bin before being read – all for lack of clarity
or professional presentation. A few extra moments spent on checking our messages
before hitting the SEND button can save a great deal of time by mitigating
the need for a lot of back-and-forth messages requesting clarification after
the initial message.
Take a look at the
following helpful sites.
http://www.eslnetworld.com/email2.html
This well-designed site introduces
the topic with a worthwhile discussion of the difference between e-mail and
other forms of communication. There is a useful exploration of different forms
of emphasis in e-mail, along with an explanation of some of the less familiar
emoticons. See the links at the bottom of the page.
This site focuses on e-mail
etiquette, with a list of tips and brief, easy-to-read explanations.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm
“This document offers 10 tips
to help you write effective professional e-mails. The informal notes you exchange
with your friends don't have to meet any particular standards, of course,
but if you want to be taken seriously by professionals, you should know formal
e-mail etiquette.”