Key Competences at Work: Trainer's book and Learner's book

Writing in workplaces is to communicate in written form to different target groups. Writing competence indicate to communicate with different purposes, to different target groups, in different style and genres. Writing requires competences in text structure, in sentence formulation, in use of appropriate words and expressions and competences in correct formal and generic use of language as grammar, spelling and punctuation. 

Self-assessment: Carry out self-assessment to target learners about writing competences.

Aims of writing competences:

• adjust and be aware of writing to different target groups
  
• master different writing style and text genres
  
• use words and expressions suitable for text purpose
  
• write complete and understandable sentences
  
• write without mistakes in punctuation and spelling
  
• can express in written form one’s own opinions and express personal experiences
  
• can argue (for and against) and give reasons for one´s own professional standpoints in written form 
  
• can reflect and assess one´s own learning in written form
  

Model text: Pick a text from your workplace and use this as a model of how to write a coherent text (an example for healthcare or catering). Pay attention to different levels of text and let learner answer these questions:

a) What type or genre is it? (report, minutes, instruction)

b) What is the purpose or main idea of the text and how do you find it? 

c) Who are the target group(s) of the text?

d) How many paragraph are there in the text?

e) Where in the text do you find important information?

f)  Identify subject and verb in some sentences.

g) What is the first word/opening word in sentences?

h) How do the text use punctuation marks?

Ask learners to compare their own awareness of text formation with fellow-workers.

Genre/text-type: When writing, awareness of type of text or genre is important. Choose a genre that correspond to a certain intention or purpose of communication. For instance, a minutes which is an extract of a longer original text (oral – from a meeting, or written from an article/information letter) has a different structure than an invitation to a meeting. The structure of a text is very much decided by genre. 

Activity: 

Get learners to compare two different texts from the workplace and ask them to describe the differences in structure.  

Purpose: When writing a text, it is important to have the specific purpose in mind. Make sure that learners articulate this purpose clearly in the beginning of the text. Different purposes can for instance be to inform, to summarize, to describe (a working process), to invite (to a meeting, celebration), to make a working plan, to make a reference or certificate.    

Activity: 

Ask learners to write a summary/minutes of their last attendance in a meeting at job. Where do they put the purpose of the meeting?

Target group: The style of writing must correspond to receiver, audience or target group of text. To write a note to a good colleague is something different from to write a letter to a top leader in community. The challenge is to write a formal text to a more or less unknown recipient. This demands a clear purpose and content, a correct use of language and grammar, correct sentence formulations and appropriate expressions and words. In sum, the text and use of language must be as correct as possible without any errors, failure or incorrectness.  

Activity: 

Ask learners to write a short text to two different target groups; a colleague (formal) and a very good friend (informal). Identify the differences in expressions and use of language, related to the recipients.  

Text organizing: To organize the content of a text, is very much depended of the genre. A minutes from a job meeting, is organized different from a report of a patient in a healthcare institution or a report form a challenging situation in catering. We will present some principles of organizing a report. A report must contain and answer three issues: What happened? How did it happened? Why did it happened? Furthermore, we also have to answer: What did we do with it? 

The most important issues is the coherence and logical structure in text. To emphasize this, use features, words and expressions that underline the coherence, such as first of all, at first/firstly,  therefor, in addition, second, in sum, over all, to conclude, in spite of, thereby… 

Information  structure is about where in text you put the most important information, and less important information. A basic rule is to put the most important information first in text, in a paragraph and in sentence. 

Paragraph: A text is organized in paragraphs. A paragraph contain a separate issue, a theme, an argument. When starting a new thematic issue, this is marked with a new paragraph. 

Sentence:  What makes a text good and coherent, is very much depended on how sentences are formulated. Some basic rules are to be followed: Variation in opening (first word/s) of sentences. Variation between short and long sentences. Variation in complete sentences with and without subordinate clauses included. Variation in use of included subordinate clauses. 

And at last: A sentence is connected to the former sentence. This can be done by using words like: Therefore, on hand, on the other hand, thereby, when, because, That, This, …

Punctuation: How we use punctuation gives meaning to a text. In formal work-based texts, avoid exclamation mark and many full stop marks after each other. These marks express feelings and personal attitudes, which is not quite appropriate in formal texts. However, ro use punctuation correct is important in work based text communicating with different target groups.

Activity: 

Ask learners to write a report from a situation, an experience at work (catering or healthcare). Follow the notes above. Get learners to make a draft and encourage them to ask for feedback. Let them make a final text.