STI College – Santa RosaBalibago, City of Santa Rosa, Laguna

Summer Program 2011Course Syllabus

Course Title: Technical Writing (with intro to Journalism)

Course Description: This course is designed to prepare students to write and communicate effectively in the rapidly changing and expanding technological and professional worlds. Technical writing prepares students for the writing they will do in their career. Aside from that, this also covers to develop journalistic skills of the students in gathering and analyzing information, writing up a variety of journalistic styles and working together effectively. By preparing students' writing skills and developing their insights, this course aims to help students become confident, flexible, and effective communicators on the job.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, the students should be able to:

Write effective communications for various purposes

Follow processes for developing written communication

Use appropriate formats for resumes, letters, memos, reports, etc.

Understand the relationship between writer, reader, purpose, and text

Apply oral and written techniques when communicating with others,

especially on presentations

Gain understanding of the mass communication process, its impact on

human and social factors and the socio-cultural environment

Develop working skills needed for newspapers, magazines, radio, and web

journalism

Develop a sense of purpose, mission and ethical values in their chosen field

Time Frame Topics

Session 1 Introduction to Communication

Process of Communication and its Barriers

Forms of Communication

Oral and Written

Formal and Informal

Verbal and Nonverbal

Understanding style and evaluating tone

Group Activity: Role-Playing on showing the

communication process and overcoming barriers.

Session 2 Functional Grammar

Subject and verb agreement review

Tenses

Active and passive voice

Direct and reported speech

Group Activity: Prepare for a group quiz bee.

Session 3 Effective Writing and its Process

The Writing Process

Planning and Drafting

Writing Proper

Editing and Revising

Introduction to Paragraph

Characteristics of Effective Paragraph

Unity

Coherence

Emphasis

Individual Activity: Write a paragraph on a given topic. Observe the characteristics of paragraph and practice student’s writing, editing and revising skills.

Session 4 Kinds of Discourse

The Narrative Paragraph

Elements of Narration

Present and Past Narration

The Descriptive Paragraph

Description of a person or place

The Expository paragraph

Patterns for exposition

Support and generalization

Pair Activity: Guided paragraph writing and peer

evaluation on individual output.

Session 5 Focus on Business Letter writing

Parts of a Business letter

Format of Business letters

Types of Business letters

Employment letters

(Resume, application or cover letters)

Favourable letters

(Letters of acceptance, congratulations,

appreciation and invitation)

Unfavourable letters

(Letters of complaint, refusal, adjustment,

credit and collection)

Individual or Pair Activity: Think of a start-up company ready, come up with your own business name, corporate address, contact persons/numbers, as well as the product or services that you offer. Review each scenario and then write letters addressing the following:

1. The president of another company will be visiting your factory next week. Write a letter inviting him and his staff to dinner three days from now. Be sure to specify the time and place of the dinner.

2. You are a sales representative for your company. Write a letter to the other companies expressing appreciation for their support on your successful product launching.

3. The delivery of office supplies by your supplier was late or the goods were damaged. Write to the other company expressing your dissatisfaction with their service or product. Say that you await their prompt response and immediate action.

Session 6 Introduction to Journalism

Concept and development of Journalism

Roles and functions of Mass Communication

Mass media: Advantages and disadvantages

Individual Activity: Go out and write any article you wish

about any specific subject in any journalistic style (news,

feature, editorial).

Session 7 News Writing (Theory and Practice)

Note-taking skills Elements and forms of news Types and tips on writing feature

Individual Activity: Role-play an accident scene. Gather

and analyze information then, write up a news article about

it.

Session 8 Editorial Writing (Theory and Practice)

Analyzing information (facts and opinions) Types of editorial lead

Individual Activity: From editorial clippings, identify effective elements of editorial. Prepare to write one.

Session 9 Creative Journalistic Writing

Elements of Feature Types of Feature article Creative Non-fiction

Individual activity: From straight news published in a newspaper, be able to transform the information to a creative feature article. Make use of feature elements well.

Session 10 Culminating Activity on Journalism

Talk from a journalist (invited guest) News casting activity (by group) Newsletter print of outstanding output (display and

release)

Prepared by:

Ms. Jonna May T. Delgaco

GE Faculty