ESL and Composing an Email
Composing an email
Emails are a daunting task when English is not the native language of the person drafting the email. Email is not as frightening as you may think. Primarily, remember this Keep It Simple.
These are the questions I ask when trying to where the issue is in composing an email for my students. (Not in any proper order)
1. Do you understand how to get questions answered?
2. Do you know how to show the urgency?
3. Do you bullet point your email before composing?
4. Do you know the proper greeting and closing for a proper business email?
5. Are your ideas in order so a person can properly decode (understand)?
6. Are you able to summarize properly at the end?
7. Know your audience!
If I get a confused look, I start reassuring the student that we will work thru each question. It is not as hard as it looks. Business emails are not a scary thing. Emails are conversations in written format that take practice and, like any muscle, it needs building.
I remind my students to bullet point their emails as we practice building this muscle because it helps put the ideas in order. This way he or she can then start to form how he or she would like to format the email to get the point across.
Remember, Keep It Simple!
1. Meaningful subject line
2. Proper greeting
3. Bullet point the email (the bullet point will be taken out before sending)
4. Keep to the point and no unnecessary information if you are trying to question answered.
(Meaning keep the note short, Email boxes are already very full, so if you need an answer, keep it concise)
5. Use academic writing, no slang. (Meaning try to use let us do not, etc.
6. Take 5 or 10 minutes, then return to your email and re-read the email. Use an editor.
I will leave you with a bit of advice for a teacher.
English is already hard. I remind my students that I am here to help, encourage, and remind them that they are strong, enough and can do it. They already have the job, and I am here to help them improve the skills they already have. It takes TWO. The best advocate is the one that encourages and understands what it is like to learn.