PrintCommunication Skills
The final, and maybe most important competency, that we hope you'll master is communication skills. You may be the most knowledgeable person in your department or the smartest person at your company, but if you don’t know how to communicate what you know, what’s the point? All of us can think of a scenario when miscommunication has been an issue at work, home, or otherwise. In this section, we will provide you with resources and practice opportunities that will help you communicate effectively through writing.
In today’s world, being able to communicate effectively through writing is just as important as being able to engage in conversation. The nature of this program is a great example of why writing is so important – your primary way of communicating with your peers, your instructors, the librarian, etc., is through the written word. Nearly all of your assignments revolve around your ability to write well. Additionally, strong communication skills are one of the primary competencies we want our graduates to perfect before graduation. You are expected to graduate with the ability to write effectively and read, interpret and convey relevant policies to a diverse audience.
For the ESP degree, you are required to take 2 specific English courses and one writing intensive course:
- ENGL 015 (GWS) Rhetoric and Composition (3) Instruction and practice in writing expository prose that shows sensitivity to audience and purpose.
- ENGL 202D (GWS) Effective Writing: Business Writing (3) Writing reports and other common forms of business communication.
- GEOG 438W Human Dimensions of Global Warming (3) Human dimensions of climate change: human causes, human consequences, and policy implications of global warming.
It is suggested that you take the English courses as soon as possible because what you learn in those courses can be used throughout all of your other coursework.
What and how well you write are a direct representation of you. Keeping that in mind, writing, as your primary tool for communication, can serve as a double-edged sword. You have the benefit of really being able to think through what you’re trying to convey, so that each word is deliberate and purposeful, unlike when speaking off the cuff. However, poorly written messages, assignments, etc., have the ability to erode your reputation very quickly.