On this page, I present a collection of my best works from English 301. The writing pieces have been refined with feedbacks from my peers and instructor.
The Definitions Assignment
The definitions assignment marked the beginning of my journey in learning technical communications. For this assignment, we wrote parenthetical, sentence, and expanded definitions for a technical term in our field of interest. As a current computer science student, I chose the term “Integrated Development Environment” (IDE), which is a software tool for programmers to write and create their program. The purpose of this assignment is to practice writing for an audience outside of the field by presenting the definitions in a way that is easily understood and free of jargons. With reviews by my peer and my instructor, the definitions are now well-tailored to the general audience. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to learn about the tools used in computer programming!
Find it here: Definitions for Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
The Formal Report Proposal
The purpose of the formal report is to investigate, analyze, and recommend a course of action for a current issue in our workplace, volunteer or community organization. As a current employee at Fido, my Formal Report aims to solve a problem we are currently facing in the Fido store: the growing customer volume and long wait times for our customers. The formal report examines the feasibility of implementing the appointment system to the Fido store, and explores other ways to improve our customers’ waiting experience in the store. The proposal was written for the vice president of Fido to summarize the intentions, methods, and scope of investigation of the Formal Report.
Find it here: Formal Report Proposal
The Complaint Letter and Bad News Letter
The complaint and bad news letters provided excellent practice in writing business correspondences as well as writing to persuade the reader towards a desired action. In the complaint letter, I wrote as a customer of a cell phone company to discuss a billing error and to request a refund for the error. The success of my complaint letter lies in providing strong evidence and information to support the complaint, and maintaining a firm, polite tone. In the bad news letter, I acted as an employee of the cell phone company to deliver the bad news that the refund cannot be made. My bad news letter was successful in presenting valid reasons for rejecting the request, emphasizing the positives, and offering alternatives to resolve the issue. These letters are great reads for those looking to write an effective complaint letter and those who want to learn to deliver bad news in a professional, polite manner.
Find it here: Complaint and Bad News Letters
Peer Review
We have written numerous peer review reports throughout the term. The purpose of the peer review reports is to learn to proofread writing pieces, as well as offering critiques and suggestions in a way that is acceptable to the peers. The ‘You Attitude’ plays a very important role in writing peer reviews by focusing on the peer whose work we are reviewing, and expressing appreciation for their work. The ‘You Attitude’ was also essential to critiquing their work without being offensive. Attached below is my most successful peer review written for Helen Yu regarding her application package. This particular peer review was chosen because I believe I had effectively used the “You Attitude” in my critiques. This peer review report is an interesting read for those who want to learn how to write an effective peer review.
Find it here: Peer Review Report for Helen Yu’s Application Package