Posted: 11/1/2011 2:31:26 PM EDT
| Is there any good books, or online courses to help one's communication abilities? It's been a long time since high school, and no college degree (which by talking to other people with degrees, I don't know if it helps), but I recently changed jobs from manual labor to sending emails all day. Right now I pretty much communicate just as if I was talking to someone in person, but I'd like to at least refresh myself on proper grammar/English skills to make sure I'm not sounding to ignorant. |
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Quoted: Is there any good books, or online courses to help one's communication abilities? It's been a long time since high school, and no college degree (which by talking to other people with degrees, I don't know if it helps), but I recently changed jobs from manual labor to sending emails all day. Right now I pretty much communicate just as if I was talking to someone in person, but I'd like to at least refresh myself on proper grammar/English skills to make sure I'm not sounding to ignorant. Must...not... Are you just trying to clean up your spelling and grammar? I'd guess that just about any book on the subject would help. Other communicational skills have to be developed in practice. Lawyers learn to speak the way they do by reading legal briefs and texts, and speaking with other lawyers. Administrative officials emulate others. Sentence structure can't really be taught other than what's unacceptable. More vocabulary certainly never hurts. The more you read and the more you communicate with well-spoken individuals, the more you'll advance. What type of emails are you sending? What type of business? |
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Let me get this straight.
You're asking GD for advice how to communicate effectively and politely on the internet? 
EDIT: Ok, an actual answer...I took a course called Writing for the Electronic Medium that covered this stuff. Check to see if it is available at your local college (it was an online class). If you don't want to take the class perhaps just buy whatever text accompanies the course or do some research online. There are plenty of online resources to help you. |
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I wouldn't worry about it too much, for example... It seems like every FFL or gun related email I send gets me a response that looks like this: "OK NO PROBLEM ILL FAX THAT OVER TO HIM AND THEN WELL SHIP MONDAY THANKS BOB BOBS GUNS SHOP" If you just put a little effort into it, and use spell check, you should be fine. |
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Quoted: Let me get this straight. You're asking GD for advice how to communicate effectively and politely on the internet? EDIT: Ok, an actual answer...I took a course called Writing for the Electronic Medium that covered this stuff. Check to see if it is available at your local college (it was an online class). If you don't want to take the class perhaps just buy whatever text accompanies the course or do some research online. There are plenty of online resources to help you. Y Gd Idea Lyk 4 txt + stuff rt?  It's a new era gentlemen, and nobody gives a shit anymore.  |
fewer than 200 pages:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Sentence-Read-One/dp/0061840548/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320189267&sr=8-1 Some appreciate fine art; others appreciate fine wines. Stanley Fish appreciates fine sentences. The New York Times columnist and world-class professor has long been an aficionado of language: “I am always on the lookout for sentences that take your breath away, for sentences that make you say, ‘Isn’t that something?’ or ‘What a sentence!’” Like a seasoned sportscaster, Fish marvels at the adeptness of finely crafted sentences and breaks them down into digestible morsels, giving readers an instant play-by-play. In this entertaining and erudite gem, Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure, skills invaluable to any writer (or reader). His vibrant analysis takes us on a literary tour of great writers throughout history—from William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Henry James to Martin Luther King Jr., Antonin Scalia, and Elmore Leonard. Indeed, How to Write a Sentence is both a spirited love letter to the written word and a key to understanding how great writing works; it is a book that will stand the test of time. However, this is the standard: http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-4th-William-Strunk/dp/0205313426/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320189417&sr=1-1 
It will tell you EVERYTHING about grammar that matters. eta: elements of style is also free online - it's out of copyright: http://www.cs.vu.nl/~jms/doc/elos.pdf If you follow the rules in there, you'll be better off than most college graduates. |
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Quoted:
I used this in my technical communication course. I learned a lot and the things taught were out of this book; they work. I use many of the things I learned every day. http://a4.bing.com/thumb/get?bid=9aYBNDlBVtzbwA&bn=CC&fbid=7wIR63%2bClmj%2b0A&fbn=CC This right here. Markel writes a good book. Look for an older edition - they don't change much from year to year. |
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Most people go 'over the head' of others by trying to impress them with fancy verbiage.
Write at 4th grade level, and talk at 8th grade level. That will allow a larger audience to understand. No joke or sarcasm intended. Most (> 66%) of us write at 8th grade level or below. Be happy to hear rebuttals on my view. |
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I'm not trying to sound condescending or overly smart with anything, I'd just like to make sure I'm effectively communicating without sounding ignorant. I know I receive a lot of emails that sound fucking stupid.
I was looking up some stuff regarding indentation in emails, and it's pretty much accepted practice that you DO NOT indent in an email, only books. Yet I receive some emails from people that indent every other line. Yes it is ironic coming to this forum and asking for grammar advice... but there is a few knowledgeable fish in every barrel. I'll check out the suggested books! |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Is there any good books, or online courses to help one's communication abilities? It's been a long time since high school, and no college degree (which by talking to other people with degrees, I don't know if it helps), but I recently changed jobs from manual labor to sending emails all day. Right now I pretty much communicate just as if I was talking to someone in person, but I'd like to at least refresh myself on proper grammar/English skills to make sure I'm not sounding to ignorant. Must...not... Are you just trying to clean up your spelling and grammar? I'd guess that just about any book on the subject would help. Other communicational skills have to be developed in practice. Lawyers learn to speak the way they do by reading legal briefs and texts, and speaking with other lawyers. Administrative officials emulate others. Sentence structure can't really be taught other than what's unacceptable. More vocabulary certainly never hurts. The more you read and the more you communicate with well-spoken individuals, the more you'll advance. What type of emails are you sending? What type of business? Well with spell check spelling errors are pretty much a thing of the past, and I'm pretty confident in my grammar abilities as far as not using there when I mean their or they're or what not, which a lot of people obviously have trouble with. I'm thinking more along the lines of sentence structure. |
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Quoted:
Is there any good books, or online courses to help one's communication abilities? It's been a long time since high school, and no college degree (which by talking to other people with degrees, I don't know if it helps), but I recently changed jobs from manual labor to sending emails all day. Right now I pretty much communicate just as if I was talking to someone in person, but I'd like to at least refresh myself on proper grammar/English skills to make sure I'm not sounding to ignorant. Home-schooled, eh? 
On a serious note, check your local library. |
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The Little, Brown Handbook is what we used in college. It contains the rules for proper grammar and sentence structure.
I just found out they have video tutorials on the web. http://wps.ablongman.com/long_fowler_lbh_10/ |