Course Survey (+0.

5)
16
 https://forms.gle/NBDQUyYCYdEgY2u27
Week 4 Lecture
Table of
Contents
Recommendation
Request letters
letters
Structure & Language Structure & Language
Focus Focus

Hand-on practice Hand-on practice

Sample E-mail Messages Learning tasks
19
 Email Requests
20
 An Example of an Email Message Handouts
p.1- p.2
Do Task 2 on p.3

 Text A: Beginning with a compliment before asking

for a favor is a nice, polite strategy. The background
information also reveals that the sender has made a
reasonable attempt to solve her difficulty.
 Another example
21
Dear Professor Kelly,

I have finally gotten around to writing

something. I will put a hard copy in your
mailbox sometime next week. Please pick it
up and let me know what you think. I hope
you like it. 

Akiko
22
 Notes
23
 Consistency in the use of names in both face-to-face
and email communications makes good sense.

 The imperative, please pick it up and let me know

what you think, may be perceived as a bit impolite.

(better) => “I will leave it in your box for you

to pick up. Looking forward to getting your
feedback.”
 Tips for Writing Academic
24
Emails
 Requests & Reminders
25

would
^
 What would
Situation you do?
26
 Despite having sent a polite and professional email
message, Emily has received no response after two
weeks.
 A. Resend the original message again.
 B. Send this message as a test.
 Situation (cont.)
27
 C. Explain to Professor Lee that you have had no
reply, and suggest that it might work better if he sent
a message personally.
 D. Resend the message, adding the following:
 “In the mean time, I’m attaching a working
paper on a similar topic that might be of
interest to you.”
 What would you do? (More than one choice is
possible.)

1. A

2. B

3. C

4. D

28
 Language Focus
29

 Attitudinal or Polite Past

 Hi Professor Jones, I just wanted to
let you know that I got the fellowship I
applied for. Thanks for all your help.
 Real Past
 Hi Professor Jones, I really wanted
to see the movie you recommended,
but by the time I found a free evening
it was no long being shown in town.
 Language Focus
30

 Attitudinal (hope still alive)

 Professor Jones, I was hoping that
we could meet sometime next week.
 Real (hope denied)
 Professor Jones, I was hoping to
meet you in office hours next week,
but now I have to leave town because
of illness in my family.
 Language Focus
31
 The phrases that can take the attitudinal past are
very limited.
 I was just curious about your views on this.
 The two other things I just wanted to mention
are…
 I was just wondering if you have had a chance
to look at the draft.
 I was thinking we might finish early today.
 I was hoping we might meet later this week.
 Let’s Compare!
32

 Dear John, I thought you might be

interested in our new analysis.

 Dear John, I was thinking that you

might be interested in our new
analysis. Expressing
Politeness
 Dear John, I considered you might
be interested in our new analysis.
 Requests & Petitions
33

Handouts p.4
 Please make an exception…
 Please grant my refund request…

Also See Handouts p.5- p.7

 Letter 1: I would appreciate it if the Faculty Senate

would allow me to…
 Letter 2: This letter serves as my formal petition
for…
Thank you for your consideration.
 Requesting Information from
Graduate Schools
34
 Two Kinds of Information; Two Sources of
Information

 Asking the Right Questions of Faculty

 The Importance of Contacting Faculty

Handouts p.8- p.9

 Exercise (Handouts p.10- p.11)
35
 Sample E-mail Messages to a Graduate School
Professor
 More samples and exercises
36
 An email to request time off
 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/b2-writing/email-
request-time
 An email to your professor
 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/b2-writing/email-your-
professor
 Recommendation letters
37
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjsm1OP6t5g
 (2:00- Getting great recommendations)
 推薦信?
38

Recommendation Letters Reference Letters

 more specific/ usually  more general in nature

for the purpose of and refers more to the
obtaining employment overall character of a
or admission to person
advanced education  more related to an
individual’s personality
 more related to skills and character than it is
and abilities than it is to to their skills and
personal characteristics abilities

http://examplereferenceletter.com/what-is-the-difference-between-recommendation-letters-and-reference-letters/
 Don’ts when asking for RLs
39
 Pick an instructor whose class you did not excel in
 Address the instructor as your friend
 Assume the instructor remembers you
 Get off topic and forget to mention the purpose of this
email
 Wait until the last minute to ask for a letter of
recommendation
 End the email in a "text message" sign off
 Email the instructor constantly
 Be rude

<http://wiu.libguides.com/c.php?g=394881&p=2683267>
 Do’s when asking for RLs
40
 Pick an instructor whose class you did well in
 Address your instructor professionally
 Remind the instructor of who you are and when you
took their course
 Briefly explain what and why you would like for them to
write the letter of recommendation
 Offer that you would like to come their office hours to
discuss the recommendation
Handouts p.12-p.14
 Inform them of the deadline
 End the email with a "Thank you in advance"

<http://wiu.libguides.com/c.php?g=394881&p=2683267>
41 Task 19
(Handouts p.15- p.16)
 Remember to add
Task 19 “winning details”!
Find another good
42
example on COOL.
 7. Consider this:
 “As a very engaged student, Ms. Matthews
took additional opportunities to engage
herself with the course material, for
example, by exploring and testing ideas for
course-related writing during my office
hours. It is through these meetings that I
had ample opportunities to get to know Ms.
Matthews and appreciate her deep interest
in and commitment to public policy…”
 Composing a letter online
43

https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/referenceletter.aspx#Completed%20Letter
 Writing (Your Own)
Recommendations
44

 Content
See the next slide.
 Format
 Possible Structure
45

 1st paragraph – state how long writer

has known applicant, in what context
(employer, instructor, supervisor, etc.),
and general “thesis” statement regarding
applicant’s abilities/suitability for position
 Possible Structure
46

 Body Paragraphs – should have 2-3 well

explained examples or qualities – each
example or quality should have its own
paragraph – must include not only
details, but interpretation (i.e., what
should the reader learn about the
applicant from the example and why
does it matter for the position?)

Handouts p.17 (left part)

 Possible Structure
47

 Conclusion – may begin with brief

additional info (good place for “non-
essentials” such as personality traits),
then states EXPLICITLY level of
recommendation (strongly/highly [my
strongest/highest], recommend,
recommend with reservations [must
provide explanation], do not recommend
[must provide explanation]) with farewell
close and contact info
 Steps
48
 Step One: Consider carefully what the recommender
can truthfully, reasonably say about you. While it is
always possible for any recommender to note qualities
about you, mostly, recommenders stay within their areas
of expertise.

 Step Two: Muse upon your experiences with the

recommender and list the specific examples and
qualities this person can comment on. Write out “little
stories” from your experience with the recommender
than can illustrate the qualities you want them to attest
to.
 Steps
49
 Step Three: Select the strongest items from Step
Two to include in the letter. Write out the whole
paragraph including the “what the reader should
learn” part. Make sure to include the context and
length of the relationship in paragraph one.

 Step Four: Put it all together in the correct format!

 Task 20
50

Task 21

Task 22
Let’s
Practice! Language Focus
Handouts
p.17- p.18
HW1: Individual Assignment
 Write a request letter asking for a
recommendation letter (150~200 words).
Draft your own letter of recommendation
(150~200 words).
 Add another separate short paragraph
analyzing your potential readers (50~100
words). See the next slide for some ideas.
 Reader (Audience) Analysis
52
 Some possible considerations:
 Age, sex, education level, class or annual income
 General beliefs

 Attitude toward you, the writer

 Situation in which audience will probably read the text

 Reaction(s) to the text

 Your relationship to the reader(s)

 Expected or useful organization of document

 Expected or useful tone

www.unbc.ca/asc
 Rubric for Letter Writing
53

Before you write, refer to the grading rubric

on COOL announcement. (見課堂公佈欄)

 Submit your HW1 assignment onto COOL

Assignments (作業區) by 10/4 (Fri) 10 pm!
 References
54
 Coursera "Writing Professional Email and Memos"
 Coursera "Write Professional Emails in English”
 Kolin, P. C. (2010). Successful Writing at Work. (9th ed.).
Boston: Cengage Learning.
 Sorenson, S. (2010). Webster's New World Student Writing
Handbook. (5 ed.). HoBoken: Wiley Publishing.
 Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2011). Navigating academia:
Writing supporting genres. University of Michigan Press.