229: Professional Writing

English 229 is a rhetorically-grounded argumentative writing course that focuses on the genres typically encountered in professional workplace writing environments. The course focuses on genres such as technical instructions, memos, reports, proposals, correspondence, and application materials, and it addresses ethical issues that arise in professional communication. Students engage in collaborative writing projects, document design, and independent research. English 229 is particularly appropriate for students interested in writing-intensive professions, including government, journalism, law, community advocacy, the non-profit sector, education, corporate communications, finance, and the arts. The course builds upon the skills developed in other writing courses, such as English 125 and 225, by further developing students’ abilities to make effective, creative, well-crafted arguments for specific audiences and specific purposes

Learning Goals for English 229:

1. To understand the purposes, processes, and patterns of professional communication.
2. To develop a shared critical vocabulary for producing and analyzing professional writing.
3. To hone writing craft, style, and mechanics in the genre of professional writing, and to develop skills for conveying complex information to various audiences using both text and images.
4. To develop flexible strategies for creating, revising, and editing writing in various professional genres, including strategies for collaborating and using digital technologies.
5. To develop strategies for self-assessment and reflection on the process of writing.