LESSON 4: SOCIAL MEDIA USE 5.

Instagram (36%)

Social media has undoubtedly altered the world 6. Twitter (23%)

operations. The rapid and vast adoption of new 7. Snapchat (13%)
media platforms has changed the way people relate
and communicate with each other in the social, Countries with most number of Facebook users
economic, and political arenas. Though there are
minor social media platforms available since the 1. India (290 million)
90s, the social media that we know today – the one 2. United States (190 million)
with millions of active and interactive users - started
with Myspace in 2004, when it reached a million 3. Indonesia (140 million)
active users. Since then, other sites started
4. Brazil (130 million)
mushrooming, and people began getting hooked to
these new media. 5. Mexico (89 million)
The exponential rise in the use of social media can 6. Philippines (76 million)
be partly attributed to the emergence of
technologies that enable modern communication 7. Vietnam (64 million)
(that is, FAST, CONVENIENT, INTERACTIVE 8. Thailand (50 million)
communication). These include computers, laptops,
and smart phones, among others. In addition, the 9. Egypt (42 million)
rise of social media is a unique manifestation of
how quickly and drastically patterns of social 10. Bangladesh (38 million)
behaviors change.
STATISTICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USE In a 2017 report by the Global Web Index, around
Global Digital Population 42% of people use social media platforms to stay in
touch with what their friends are doing, while 39%
 Active internet users - 4.57 b said they want to stay up to date with news and
 Unique mobile internet users - 4.17 b current events.
 Active social media users - 3.96 b
The other top reasons for using social media are
 Active mobile social media users - 3.91
filling up spare time, general networking with other
Most popular social networks worldwide, people, looking for entertaining content, sharing
ranked by number of active users. photos or videos, sharing one’s opinion, meeting
new people, and researching or finding out
1. Facebook (2.6 billion) products to buy.
2. YouTube (2.0 billion)
3. WhatsApp (2.0 billion) Responsible use of social media
4. Facebook Messenger (1.3 billion) Social media has grown in popularity over the
5. Weixin/ Wechat (1.2 billion) years, with hundreds of options for sharing your
thoughts, photos, and videos and for interacting
6. Instagram (1.1 billion) with friends and family. The more it grows, the more
we discover about the do's and don'ts of social
7. TikTok (800 million) media. The same rules apply to all social media
playgrounds, regardless of which site is your
favorite. There are some practices for engaging in
Most popular social networks worldwide, responsible social media use and best practices for
ranked by reach/ active usage penetration. social site etiquette.
1. Facebook (63%)
2. YouTube (61%)
3. WhatsApp (48%)
4. Facebook Messenger (38%)

YAGONG, REGIN
WE ALL HAVE A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Digital discourse illuminates social and cultural
processes, which is under the domain of
1. You may not agree with everything or everyone sociocultural linguistics.
you encounter on social media networks,
This type of discourse or computer-mediated
but treat each person with dignity and respect. The communication can be described as:
Golden Rule of treating others how you want to be
treated is a good practice. - Vernacular
- Interpersonal
2. Do not turn to social media as a way to harass, - Spontaneous
demean, or bully someone else. Sitting in Front of a - Dialogical
computer screen does not give you license to
embarrass, intimidate, or spread hurtful rumors VERNACULAR
about others.
- CMC is Vernacular, which means it uses language
3. Regardless of your privacy settings, keep in mind that is common to people regardless of age, social
that anything can possibly be seen by anyone at class, gender, or race
any time, even by that person that you did not want
to see it. Pause before you post, think before you Examples:
click.  Acronyms (Lol, yolo, fomo, bae)
4. Whether you're concerned with maintaining good  Initialisms (atm, rotfl, brb, btw, hbd, idk, jk, af,
friendships or future job prospects, be responsible nvm, tmi, tldr, ftw, g!)
in what you post and how it could affect your  Emoticons/ Emojis
reputation. Many employers now check up on job  Expressive Punctuations
candidates' social media accounts for evidence of - Hello? vs Hello?!?!
bad behavior. - No. vs No? vs No?!?
- <3;<
ENGLISH AND THE NEW MEDIA - :-) ;)
 Misspellings/Respellings
New Media - refer to highly interactive digital - Respelling is a resource whose use is
technology. These are very easily processed, subject to a variety of factors, including
stored, transformed, retrieved, hyper-linked, users’ ‘technoliteracy’, their considerations
searched for, and accessed. of audience and purpose, and physical
- blogs constraints of message production (for
- social media economy and text entry reduction). (cu,
- online newspaper 2nyt, tom/2mrw, abt, y? )
- virtual reality - These increase insecurities in spelling, but
- computer games also tolerance towards typographical
“errors”, which are reinterpreted as
Language in new media is sometimes referred to outcomes of speedy text production rather
as Computer-mediated communication (CMC), than indices of lacking competence.
though it may also be called any of the following:
SPONTANEOUS
- Netspeak
- Computer-mediate discourse - CMC is **Spontaneous**. It is usually unplanned,
- Digital discourse unstructured, and sometimes impulsive.
- Electronic discourse - This spontaneity also gave rise to Net Neologisms
- e-communication through Lexical Creativity, such as the use of “b4n”
- Digitally mediated communication and “f2f”, or such terms as trolls, meme, hashtag,
- Keyboard to screen communication and meh. These can be described as mediatized
The Internet is the largest area of language stylization and popular representation.
development we have seen in our lifetimes. DIALOGICAL
**Crystal (2011)** said that only two things are
certain: **it is not going to go away, and it is going - CMC is **Dialogical**. It carries expectation of
to get larger.** Hence, we must be prepared for its continuous exchange.
inevitable expansion.

YAGONG, REGIN
- This is why most media platforms have a “Reply” Steps in Communication Planning
or “Comment” option, while some have a “Leave a
comment” button, to ensure continuous interaction. 1. Research and analyze current situation.

The English language in the New Media is: 2. Establish goals and objectives (short and long
term).
 Brief
3. Identify the target audience (what they know,
 Multimodal
what influences them, communication
- This refers to the layering of different digital
media. We all know that words are only ever impediments, etc.).
part of the picture. All texts, all
communicative events, are always achieved 4. Conceptualize key messages.
by means of multiple semiotic resources, 5. Strategize on communication styles and
even text-based new media like instant- and platform(s).
text-messaging.
- These screenshots are examples of 6. Evaluate and anticipate.
multimodality in language use. Texts alone
might not catch that much attention, so a Communication Strategies in Tech-based
combination of purposively designed text, Communication
photo, and/or video are a staple in new Modern technology did not only usher in new forms
media to make it interactive. of language used in new media, but also paved the
way on how communication takes place and how
 Ideological messages are presented. Part of communication
- New media is inherently ideological, planning is deciding on the platform in which the
especially in terms of their political message will be presented. In some cases, the use
economies of access and control. of technology will do wonders for your presentation.
- They are used to controlling people, and
they are used to resist control. This is quite 1. Keep it simple. Avoiding including too much
apparent, especially through the symbolic information in a graphic or in one slide. The
power of the news and broadcast media. message should be immediate and clear. By
keeping the visual material simple, you also
Language use is not simply a way of maintain maximum personal contact with your
communicating, but a powerful resource for audience.
representing (or manipulating) its users, especially
the young people – so-called “digital natives”. None 2. Use large lettering. Use large text font sizes
of this is especially new; every generation likes to with minimal use of serifs so the audience can read
“complain” about the next generation’s the text easily. In addition, do not flood your
communication practices. presentation with text.

Communication Planning 3. Show what you can’t say. The best use of
visual media is to reveal material you can’t easily
The communication planning process involves describe orally or with written text. Graphics,
defining the types of information you will deliver, photos, charts, and illustrations can accomplish this
who are the intended recipients of that information, objective.
the format for communicating it, and the timing of
its release and distribution. 4. Keep the number of images you present
manageable. Too many images will tire your
The key goal is to make sure everybody gets the audience (so will too much text). Eight to ten
right message at the right time. It serves various images should be the maximum number for most
purposes: presentations.
1. To inform 5. Combine variety with coherence. If you use
several images, vary the design to make them
2. To persuade interesting, but keep them aesthetically consistent.
3. To prevent misunderstanding 6. Use large lettering. Use large text font sizes
4. To present a point of view or reduce barrier with minimal use of serifs so the audience can read
the text easily. In addition, do not flood your
presentation with text.

YAGONG, REGIN
LESSON 5: COMMUNICATION FOR Worse is that feedback is not valued or valuable at
all.
WORK PURPOSE
To Avoid or solve the issue, Branham suggested.
Oral Communication in the Workplace
1. Improving coaching and feedback especially
Your activity in the company or organization that
among the new recruits
you will be part of in the future involves a lot of oral
2. Setting up mentoring programs with
communication. More often than not, your daily
experienced employees
tasks require effective communication. Hence, your
3. Requiring managers to provide feedback.
good communication skills are important because
they help you and your company meet desired TOP COMMUNICATION ISSUES
goals for personal and business productivity.
1. Failure to listen.
The importance of oral communication skills at the a. Ineffective listening is a big problem in
workplace is evident in various research conducted communication. Good communication fails
among organization executives, managers, when one doesn’t pay much attention or plan
employees, and trainees. This research have what to say before one ends his statement.
revealed that effective oral communication skills b. Many distractions affect effective listening.
take the top place among the business skills Team members are distracted by the thoughts
needed in the company for its quality performance. bothering his mind. They have a short attention
span. Other distractions like noise and other
To improve yourself, you also need communication
physical barriers present in the environment
skill to help you.
take a toll resulting to communication failure. To
 initiate personal plans, avoid it, speakers must emphasize the
 lead project undertakings, importance of active listening in the discussion.
 and solve pressing problems. Also point out that inattentiveness results to
different understanding of the topic being
Executives and managers need good discussed. Speakers also must maintain eye
communication skills to demonstrate effective contact during the conversation or discussion.
leadership, efficient transaction, quality
performance, and excellent productivity.
Pressing Challenges in Workplace Communication 2. Culture differences
a. The diversity of backgrounds and cultural
Business communicators have always encountered customs creates communication issues among
communication problems. Some of these problems team members and leaders. People would just
are sometimes hard to avoid or deal with. Andrea love to stay along with people of the same
Campbell, author of top 10 Team Communication background.
Issues and how to avoid them, believe that poor b. Hence, leaders face challenges of grouping and
communication skills create business problems. team communication hurdles. To avoid it, try to
promote "unity in diversity" wherein team
Team communication issues and problems members have to be assigned to different
among people at work. Common cases being groups to break the usual grouping.
encountered are those with coworkers (1) losing
trust with others, (2) poor cooperation among team
members, and sometimes (3) the disapproval or
disrespect from colleagues or immediate superior. 3. Locale or distance to office
a. The office location or its distance to its
Communication challenges refer to the problem employees or contributors entails problem in
when the manager does not provide feedback or the communication. The company usually
coaching. If there is no feedback, it means there is resorts to email, phone or video conferencing.
no communication. b. The very low level of interaction in electronic
communication poses a communication barrier.
Campbell echoed the idea of Leigh Branham, the It causes misunderstandings and failures. To
author of 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. solve it, meetings should be held at the nearest
She said, as quoted, that the root problems of this venue and on a regular schedule. Important
issue are managers' inattention to people they issues and solutions can be posted or sent to
supervise. They provide irregular or nonexistent all for further knowledge and verification.
feedback. People get criticisms instead of praise.

YAGONG, REGIN
 4. Ego and Attitude. that connote gender. For example, use
a. Self-image or ego often affects a team’s effort chairperson for chairman or chairwoman.
to execute plans. One's arrogance causes
trouble, and more often, teamwork ends 8. Focus or Listening Problems.
because one's defiance. Arrogant team a. Inability of employees to focus on the issue is
members could not accept the fact that he equivalent to listening problems. The
contributes to team's problem. generation gap is often the cause of
b. The presence of conflict is evident when communication barrier that affects the
someone displays inequality or bias and doesn't achievement of department goals.
want to take responsibility. To solve it, the team b. To help avoid it, leaders or managers have to
leader or manager should promote better initiate mutual understanding regardless of age.
understanding as the group discusses the Encourage teamwork and unity despite
issue. He has to re-direct the group to be able differences of age, sex, social status, and family
to meet the goals. Calmness and tactfulness background. Understand one's weaknesses
help reduce tension and friction between or and capitalize on one's strength.
among team members.
9. Inadequate Knowledge
5. Authority or Hierarchy Problems a. Little knowledge is dangerous. Hence, team
a. The authority that the team leader or manager performance is affected due to ineffective
demonstrates more often creates intimidation or education or lack of understanding or other
gaps with team members. They become shy inadequate knowledge foundation.
and hesitant to approach or talk to their b. To resolve it, leaders or managers encourage
manager because authority being shown team members to upgrade their knowledge by
doesn’t create a friendly atmosphere. To resolve pursuing higher degree programs. Include in
this problem, managers or team leaders should the annual target plan the participation of
promote harmonious relations among the team members to seminars, training, or conferences.
members. Promote reading culture in the department and
b. Communicate to the members about the productive focus group discussion.
intention of helping and letting them feel they
are important. And they can approach the 10. Cliques, Groups and Friendships
managers for consultation or discussion on a. Group membership or group affiliation or
personal or work-related issues. exclusive grouping of team members can
sometimes create segregation.
6. Poorly Written Communication. b. To avoid it, promote teamwork spirit in the
a. The confusion or misunderstanding of in department. Conduct team building activities to
interoffice business communication is due to promote objectivity, teamwork, cooperation, and
poor content of written documents, substandard unity in diversity.
organization, fractured grammar, among other
flaws in written interoffice materials. Preparing the Cover/Application Letter
b. To avoid it, ensure that documents are well-  A few years from now, you will enter the world
edited and proofread by best editor in the of professional work. But before you land in any
department. Allow other eyes to check for job, one of the first steps that you have to do is
mistakes in punctuating, punctuation, and prepare a cover or application letter. When you
organizations. are applying for a new position, a cover letter is
extremely important as your resumé or
7. Gender Bias curriculum vitae (CV).
a. The choice of which gender makes a more
 The purpose of the cover letter is to persuade
effective leader in the department is an issue of
your reader to consider reading your resumé.
gender bias. This gender discrimination creates
This contains little information of the job which
problem in the organization.
you are applying, as well as your strongest
b. To avoid this, team leaders or managers should
qualities and qualifications.
ensure that the issue on gender choice is set
 Your main goal is to market yourself.
aside in tackling issues or taking course of
action for the department. Speak about  Think about competition; your judges are your
concerns without engaging in demeaning readers. They are professionals who select and
oneself. Avoid gender-bias language or terms hire you.

YAGONG, REGIN
 With hundreds or thousands of applicants, The Content of the Cover Letter
make sure that your application letter must
stand out. 1. The Introductory Paragraph
 Your final goal is to get an interview. a. Your first paragraph must be very
convincing. It tells your reader that you are
When you are writing the application letter, bear the best person for the job. It also
in mind to achieve the four important tasks: emphasizes that you have the set of skills
and experience that make you the ideal
 Catch the reader's attention purposively. candidate for the post.
 Tailor it to the company, to the employer, b. If someone from the company refers you,
and to the job. include it in the opening before stating your
 Persuade the reader that you are a qualified main objective.
applicant for the job. c. In the succeeding paragraphs, expand on
 Request an interview. the qualifications you mentioned in your
opening. Add any appropriate details,
After writing the application letter, use the
highlighting experience listed on your
checklist below to make sure your letter has
resume that is especially pertinent to the job
already met the needed information.
you are seeking.
 The title of the job, source of your information 2. The Main Section
and the statement of your objective have to be a. The main section of your cover letter should
clear. show the summary of your qualification,
 There should be a summary of your organized around the job description and
qualifications for the job. This includes work person specification. Describe in this section
experience, educational background, and what you have accomplished, your expertise,
summary of relevant skills such as leadership and your special skills needed for the job.
skills, skills, organizational skills, and b. In this section, you also have to present how
intercultural communication skills. you performed your duty and demonstrated
 Indicate that you enclosed your CV or resumé. the requirement of your previous job.
 Request for an interview. This includes the Specific work of action and its effective
place and time you will be available and the results should also be indicated to show that
contact information such as phone numbers you did it successfully. In short, you have to
and email addresses. show the clear description of the situation
and more on what you did as proof of results
 Identify the job. Include any information that is
or outcomes.
not included in your CV or resumé.
c. The main section of your cover letter can be
General guidelines for the overall structure structured to show the sub-section or sub-
of your cover letter: headings. The sub-section guides the human
resource manager how each requirement is
 Format your cover letter for post, mail or email. met.
It should consist of one page only. d. You may want to structure the main section
 Include your complete address, email address, of your cover letter into sub-sections, with
phone numbers. headings, to make it easier for the recruiter
 Use the tile of the person when you address to see how you meet each requirement.
him/her in the letter. If you can't find a name, 3. The Closing Paragraph
write 'Dear Sir/Madamme.' a. Your closing paragraph should be written
 Use standard, easy to read font. Make it concisely and neatly. It should make clear
readable. Times New Roman or Arial is what action the reader will be taking after
preferred; it should be no smaller than 11 for reading your cover letter. But don't sound
readability on screen arrogant.
b. Close with a request for an interview
c. For a letter, end it with "Yours sincerely" if
you have addressed it to someone by name,
and "Yours faithfully" if you started it with
"Dear Sir/Madam".
d. Remember: Before you submit your
application letter or cover letter, proofread or
polish it carefully.

YAGONG, REGIN
DESIGNING THE CURRICULUM In writing your CV, you have to consider the
following information
VITAE
 Areas of interest
What is a CV or Résumé? Basically, your CV or
resumé describes your education, competence,  Education
and experience. It defines what kind of applicant  Grants, honors, and awards
you are for the job. It determines if you are the right  Publications and presentations
person for the job.  Employment and experience
 Academic membership
Basic Rules of CV Writing  Character references
 Write with the recruiter or human resource Guidelines for Writing Effective CV
manager in mind. Assume that you are the
recruiter. Think about what he needs to know  Include your contact details at the top.
about you. Consider the job description.  Decide whether you want to start with a
 Present your CV or resumé to inform them well personal statement or career objective.
about what they need to know. Show it in a way  Include sections on Key Skills, Knowledge
that reveals very professional and credible and Achievements, Work Experience, and
information. Education.
 A well-written CV or resumé limits the chance of  When discussing achievements, focus on
not selecting you. It easily puts you in the what you have actually done and the end
shortlist. result achieved.
 CV or resumés are the most important  Include everything relevant in the 'Work
documents needed in job screening. They Experience' and 'Education' sections.
provide the highlights of your qualifications,  Make sure that your spelling and grammar
work experience, competence, professional and are all correct.
educational history.  Work on your presentation.
 In some academic institutions, the CV or
resumé is the standard for job applications. The CV Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid
objective of both CV and resumé remain. • Do not be tempted to lie just to 'look good'.
However, the appearance of the document is • Avoid leaving gaps in your career history.
noticeably different. • Do not start your CV with the dull bits.
Resume vs Curriculum Vitae • Do not include your hobbies and interests.
• Don't make your CV too long.
There are three major differences between CVs • Do not use an unprofessional email
and resumés: the length, the purpose, and the address.
layout.
Online Interviews
1. A resumé is a brief summary of skills and skills
over one or two pages. Online interviews require technology which has
a. It is short with no particular format rule become mainstream in business. The use of
and highly customizable. computers and other gadgets makes
b. The goal of a resumé is to make an communication between the interviewer and
individual stand out from the candidates simple and effective.
competition.
c. A resumé does not have to be ordered Here are some preparation tips that Alison
chronologically; it does not have to Doyle has suggested for a successful online
cover the whole career. The resume interview.
contains three simple sections: name
and contact information, education, and • Download the software required by the
work experience. company ahead of time so that you'll have the
2. A CV, on the other hand, is more detailed and opportunity to get used to it.
can be more than two pages. • Create a professional username, such as a
a. It covers your entire career history. It variation on your real name, as it appears on
has a clear chronological order listing your resume, if it's available.
the whole career of the individual. • Dress professionally even if you are sitting
down. Wear nice pants and shoes, as you

YAGONG, REGIN
 never know when you will have to stand up. meetings and discuss business concerns
Plus, dressing the part will help you get your without having to travel all the way.
head in the game.
• Clear your workspace and any clutter that is Face to Face Meeting and its Benefits
behind you so that it doesn't show up on the - Face-to-face meetings are the usual meetings
screen. You don't want your interviewer to be that are conducted by people in the same
distracted by visual noise in the room or to venue and in person. The place can be in the
assume that your disorganized space is a sign office, at a restaurant, a conference room, or at
of how you'd perform as a worker. the coffee shop. Like virtual meetings, face to
• Make sure that you are in a quiet room where face meeting has its benefits.
you will not be disturbed by people, pets, etc. - Meeting people face to face is freer than it is
Turn off your ringer, any alarms, and electronics held online. People can express their thoughts
that are likely to interrupt. and feelings using their body language, hand
• Have a piece of paper and a pen ready so that gestures, and facial expressions. Hence, they
you are not scrambling to find them later. can communicate better, and
• Have a copy of your resume in your sightline in misunderstandings are less likely to happen.
case you have to refer to dates, job titles, or - When meeting face to face, people must be at
numbers. the venue at the given time. They will be
• Smile and focus as much as possible and try to attending the meeting, and nobody should
behave as if you're in a regular, in-person waste their time. All should observe
interview. Look into the camera, listen professionalism and should not be distracted by
attentively, and engage with your interviewer. other things like phone calls, messages, or
Don't just wait for your turn to speak. other personal or family concerns. They must
• Practice using your webcam equipment before observe discipline and keep a serious
the interview, so you are sure everything is in environment to be able to give the best for the
working order and that you're comfortable meeting.
interviewing on video. - Feedback is an important aspect of face-to-face
Physical and Virtual Meetings meetings. Getting feedback from the attendees
provides input in the development of something
- The outset of technology and the advancement that requires cooperation and teamwork. Face-
of internet connectivity give favors to many to-face is the best for brainstorming and
businesses. Business meetings and contract planning. It can establish stronger relationships
deals have been eased using computers and and create better teamwork; people can
smartphones. understand each other very well.
- More often, these meetings are now conducted
virtually. Workmates can meet over telephone Face-to-Face Communication Defined
conference using cellphone features and state In in its instructional manual, IT & Business
of the art software applications, which are Process Association Philippines (IBAP) presents
commonly known now as Apps. two definitions of face-to-face communication:
Virtual meeting and its Benefits  Face-to-face communication is the exchanging
- Virtual meetings can be done using of information, thoughts, and feelings between
technological innovations like computers and the sender and the recipient.
software applications.  Face-to-face communication takes place during
- Doyle (2019) explains that people attending one-on-one discussions, informal groups,
virtual meetings do not need to leave their meetings, and more.
home or workstation. The meeting can be held IBPAP quoted Thill and Bovee's definition stating
over the phone or computer using virtual that "face to face communication is the richest
meeting software like Google Meet, Zoom medium because it is personal, it provides
Cloud, and Skype. immediate feedback, it transmits information from
- With these applications, virtual meetings can be both verbal and non-verbal case, and it conveys the
done any time, hence the distance is no longer emotion behind the message."
a problem. Doyle further shares that people can
take part in the meeting regardless of where
they are. In other words, they can hold

YAGONG, REGIN
Face-to-face experience minimized when you do face-to-face
communication.
Because face-to-face communication is the richest
medium, it offers better understanding of the Face-to-Face and Online Meetings Etiquette
meaning of information. It also develops the
confidence you need to convey the message during 1. Know your surroundings
one-on-one discussions, informal meetings, and 2. Dress Appropriately
many more. You can easily provide feedback 3. Listen Carefully
because face-to-face communication involves the 4. Unmute your Microphone when you wish to
elements of effective communication such as the talk.
spoken words, tone of voice, and body language. 5. Speak Clearly
6. No food, Please
When you speak, you immediately relate the 7. Remain sated and stay present.
message easily using facial, expression, hand
gestures, body language, and other non-verbal Writing Correspondence via Print or Email
language. It means that you can easily understand Business letters are formal letters used for
what people say when you see and hear them. The business-to-business, business-to-client, or client-
idea has been validated by the research conducted to-business correspondence. There are a number
by Emeritus Albert Mehrabian, a UCLA psychology of elements to a business letter. These are date
Professor who revealed the following findings: That and sender's address, recipient's address,
when we converse, salutation, body of the letter, and closing paragraph
 Seven (7) percent of meaning is conveyed (Gamble, 2017).
through the spoken words; A business letter uses a formal language. The style
 Thirty-eight (38) percent of communication is of the letter depends on the relationship between
credited to how one speaks like tone of voice; the parties concerned. A business letter is written
and for many reasons. It is used to...
 Fifty-five (55) percent of communication occurs
through facial expression. • request direct information or action from
another party.
Face-to-Face Communication in the Digital Age • identify a mistake that was committed.
• order supplies from a supplier
Megan Baker and Jelena Milutinovic of the
• reply directly to a request.
Australian Institute of Business suggest the top
• apologize for a wrong or simply to convey
benefits of face-to-face communication, and
goodwill.
scenarios where digital should be the last choice.
A business letter is also very useful because it...
 Stronger working relationships. Your
presence at the workplace signifies your • produces a permanent record.
interest and cooperation with your fellow • is confidential and formal.
employees. • delivers persuasive and well-considered
 Perception of thoughts and feelings. messages.
Through face-to-face communication you will be
able to express exactly your personal thoughts In writing a business letter, the most important
and feelings. Non-verbal cues or body language element that you need is to ensure its accuracy.
are equally important as the words you say. The Writing Center of the University of North
 Engagement and innovation. Face-to-face Carolina explained that business writing should be
communication enriches the sense of clear and concise. Hence, in writing you take care
belongingness and collaboration. It creates a that the documents will not turn out to be an
healthy environment that inspires and motivates endless series of short, choppy sentences.
employees to be more innovative and
productive. Uychoco and Santos (2018) of Communication for
 Addressing sensitive issues. Face-to-face Society Purposive Communication, explained that
communication is necessary when discussing business letters should be clear, concise, and
pressing issues or addressing sensitive organized.
concerns in the company.
 Clear and concise communication.
Miscommunication or misunderstanding is often

YAGONG, REGIN
Preparing Endorsement and Follow- (including accomplishments and abilities), etc.
Be as specific as possible.
up Letters
Write a Follow-up Letter
Request an Endorsement
A follow-up letter is as important as other forms of
1. State who you are, the name of your company or
communication. It is an effective means of
organization, and your position or role. Remind the
establishing a good relationship between you and
reader of your relationship to him/her, if necessary.
the recipient.
2. Use clear, specific language to request the
A follow-up letter is best written after a business
endorsement (clearly describe what it is that you
meeting, or a job interview, or after making a great
would like endorsed).
business contract. It provides an avenue for
3. Explain why you are requesting the continued communication and connects the points
endorsement, what it will be used for, why you feel discussed and agreed during the previous meeting.
that the endorsement is necessary or why you merit
Let's consider some tips from Learn English to help
receiving the endorsement, and so forth.
you write a better follow-up letter:
4. Include guidelines for the format, length, or
Here are what you need to include:
content of the endorsement letter. Also, indicate
anything else that the reader needs to do to provide • Start with your name, address, city and zip
the endorsement, such as filling out attached forms code, telephone number. Include next the
and the like. recipient's details. Note that in a follow-up letter
you are going to write to the same person you
5. Indicate by when you need the letter of
had originally written to or contacted with.
endorsement.
• Add the salutation.
6. Consider providing a preaddressed, stamped • In the first line, mention that you had written
envelope with your request letter if the earlier and haven't received a response yet.
endorsement letter is to be mailed. • You can mention it here if you called. You’ll let
him know that you're re-writing in this line.
7. If you plan to make a follow-up call to the reader, • State your request or interest. If you are writing
indicate in your letter when you intend to do so. inquiring about a job vacancy for which you had
sent a job application, reiterate your key skills
8. Thank the reader for considering the
and experiences and state why you think you
endorsement.
are a great potential.
Give an Endorsement • Invite for contact and thank for their attention.
• Close with signature.
1. Indicate what or who it is that you are
endorsing. Writing Netiquette
2. Substantiate (or give reasons for) your
endorsement. - The term refers to the Right manner or protocol
3. If you are endorsing a person for a particular for communication.
position, role, job, etc., include how long you
Texting
have known the person, in what capacity, the
positive qualities of the person that make Always consider your audience and your company,
him/her a suitable candidate for endorsement and choose words, terms, or abbreviations that will
(including accomplishments and abilities), etc. deliver your message appropriately and effectively.
Be as specific as possible.
4. Indicate what or who it is that you are  Know your recipient.
endorsing.  Use appropriate symbols and codes.
5. Substantiate (or give reasons for) your  Never abuse text messaging.
endorsement.  Don't text while driving.
6. If you are endorsing a person for a particular
position, role, job, etc., include how long you Email
have known the person, in what capacity, the Email is very useful for messages for personal or
positive qualities of the person that make business purposes. It contains slightly more content
him/her a suitable candidate for endorsement than a text message. In more established
companies, they prefer to use with fairly brief

YAGONG, REGIN
messages for efficient and effective Letters
communication.
Letters are written communications usually sent to
 Start with proper salutation. intended recipients that are outside the
 Use clear, short and specific subject lines. organization. They are usually printed on letterhead
 End with your name, company information paper bearing the business name, address and
and contact numbers.
 signature. Along with emails and memos, the company still
 Avoid abbreviations. uses letters to communicate formally with a
 Observe conciseness and good format. potential employer (application/cover letter) or
 Reread, revise and review before sending to introduce a product or service or other purposes
intended. (Transmittal letters, Recommendation letters,
 recipients. Complaint letters, Petition letters etc.)
 Reply promptly and use "Reply All"
sparingly. There are many types of letters and carry different
 Avoid using all caps. forms and contents. In this lesson, the fifteen
 Give feedback or follow up. elements of a traditional block-style letter are
considered.
 Test provided links.
 Avoid sending emails with large files. In writing letters, observe the seven (7) main
Memos parts:

As "in house" or company's documents, 1. Letterhead/logo: Sender's name and return

memoranda, or memos, are one of the most address
adaptable document forms used in professional
2. The heading names the recipient, often
settings.
including address and date _" use the recipient's
 Follow strictly the institutional memo format. name, if known.
 Complete the memo header block. It appears at
3. Salutation: "Dear
the top left side of the memo, immediately
under the word Memo or Memorandum. It is 4. The introduction: establishes the overall
always in large, bold and capitalized letters. purpose of the letter
Place a horizontal line under your header block
and place your message below. 5. The body: provdies the details of the message
TO: (Provide the recipient's full name, and position 6. The conclusion: restates the main point and
or title within the organization) may include a call to action
FROM: (Include the sender's full name and position 7. The signature line: often includes the contact
or title information
DATE: (Indicate the full date on which the memo is
sent)
SUBJECT or RE: (A brief phrase that concisely
describes the main content of your memo)
 Organize the memo message very well.
Regardless of the length, memo messages
should follow an organization principle.
Organize the content of your memo so that it
answers the following questions for the reader:
1. Opening: Do I have to read this? Why do I have
to read this?
2. Details: What do I need to know?
3. Closing: What am I expected to do now?

YAGONG, REGIN