Redesigning Professional Writing Courses to Meet the Communication Needs of Writers in Business and Industry

Abstract

During the past decade, the college English curriculum has reflected growing interest in teaching students not only how to write but also how to write on the job. The result has been rapid proliferation of a variety of courses in business, technical, and science writing. At the same time, however, teachers of writing are becoming increasingly interested in the value and relevance of professional writing courses: how useful are the concepts and skills we teach our students? Are communication skills really important? If so, what should we be stressing in professional communication courses? Since the 1970's, nearly two dozen studies have dealt with these questions. While a number of studies show clearly the importance of communication skills for employees who hope to advance, 1 surveys of employees in a wide range of organizations and job categories have defined important communication skills that many courses in business, technical, and science writing are not providing.