《英語寫作原版影印系列叢書—公司管理寫作策略》是專門為公司經(jīng)理和商務從業(yè)人員編寫的一本商務寫作教科書,2006年出版后在美國十分暢銷,具有以下三個特色:
第一,《英語寫作原版影印系列叢書—公司管理寫作策略》專門系統(tǒng)介紹公司所常用的各種寫作技巧,特別是針對公司和商界的管理層而編寫,每章開篇都列出本章重點內(nèi)容綱目,同時列舉豐富的實例,圖文并茂,并將本章的要點用表格形式突出,各章結(jié)尾都有小結(jié),并配有大量針對性很強的練習。
第二,《英語寫作原版影印系列叢書—公司管理寫作策略》與以往的商務寫作具有很大的區(qū)別,包含了計算機與網(wǎng)絡(luò)商務寫作的內(nèi)容,這是一般寫作教材所不涉及的,作者強調(diào),在信息技術(shù)高度發(fā)達的全球化時代,寫作模式已從傳統(tǒng)方式轉(zhuǎn)向電子方式,寫作策略、技巧、要求和格式都發(fā)生了巨大的改變,國際商務從業(yè)人員一定要掌握電腦寫作的本領(lǐng)。
第三,作者都是大學教授,具有良好的學術(shù)功底和研究能力,《英語寫作原版影印系列叢書—公司管理寫作策略》文字通順易懂,圖文并茂,每章都歸納提煉出各種商務寫作要領(lǐng),以易于記憶的一覽表方式呈現(xiàn)給讀者,這些指導性原則是作者大公司多年實際管理工作經(jīng)驗的親身體驗,是理論與商務實踐緊密結(jié)合的結(jié)晶。
《英語寫作原版影印系列叢書—公司管理寫作策略》的主要使用,對象為跨國公司中層以上的管理人員和辦公室的文秘職員,對這些白領(lǐng)的日常書面交際能力提高具有參考價值,可作為企業(yè)培訓教材,同時對在校大學生,特別是國際貿(mào)易、國際商務管理、商務英語等專業(yè)的學生來說,是學習商務英語寫作的一本不可多得的寫作教材,也可以作為商務英語寫作教師的參考書。
北京大學出版社2008年最新引進了一套國外暢銷的《英語寫作原版影印系列叢書》,并邀請我為這套叢書寫序,談談我對英語寫作教學與研究的一些認識。我仔細翻閱后,覺得這套書特色十分鮮明,其中有幾本再版達十次以上,經(jīng)久不衰,非常樂意在此推薦給我國的廣大讀者。
在經(jīng)濟全球化和網(wǎng)絡(luò)高度發(fā)達的今天,學好英語已變得十分重要,英語口頭與書面語的表達能力已逐漸成為當今的核心競爭力之一,從第二語言學習的社會文化觀看,能否流利地運用外語進行口頭或書面交流已直接關(guān)系到學生的就業(yè)和未來發(fā)展。中國的英語寫作教學有許多問題需要深入探討,引進國外優(yōu)秀的英語寫作教學與研究成果,對于更新我國的英語寫作教學觀念和方法,改革當前的英語寫作教學具有重要意義。
一、國內(nèi)外二語寫作研究概覽
第二語言寫作的教學與研究在國際上一直受到重視,國外的寫作教學研究十分活躍,以美國為例,美國普度(PuRDuE)大學每年定期召開二語寫作學術(shù)研討會,2008年6月6-7日召開的第7屆寫作年會的主題是:外語寫作教學:原理與實踐。二語寫作擁有自己的研究隊伍、研究機構(gòu)、學術(shù)期刊。概括起來,國際二語寫作研究集中在四個領(lǐng)域:(1)寫作過程研究,重點關(guān)注認知操作模型、寫作構(gòu)思策略、學習者的個體差異以及寫作過程的階段性變化;(2)寫作結(jié)果研究,采用文本分析、錯誤分析、對比分析、對比修辭分析、語料分析等方法;(3)寫作社會文化因素研究,影響寫作的社會結(jié)構(gòu)、語域知識、動機和需求等因素;(4)寫作教學研究,如教學過程、學習策略、語言水平發(fā)展、課堂教學環(huán)節(jié)、寫作測試、網(wǎng)絡(luò)寫作課件開發(fā)等。國際二語寫作研究近期關(guān)注四個熱點:(1)批評對比修辭學,(2)母語寫作遷移,(3)寫作教師教育,(4)計算機輔助寫作與研究。
Introduction
1 Strategies .for Effective,Managerial Writing
The Role of Strategy in Successful Managerial Writing
Writing in Context
Reasoning and Argument
Strategic Issues
Understanding the Workplace
Microcuhure, Organizational Culture, and Macrocuhure
Corporate Goals
Formal and Informal Processes
Professional Conduct and Personal Success
Personal Goals
Self-Image and Corporate Image
Communication Ethics
Culture and Ethics
2 Organizing Your Writing Strategy
Defining the Controlling Idea
Outlining : Giving Your Ideas Order
Structural or Ordering Strategies
Practical Style in Outlining
Analytic Tools and Basic Writing Guidelines
Analysis-Tools for Building Ideas
Procedures for Organizing Analysis
Evidence, Logic, and Reason
Using Evidence to Support Logic and Reasoning
Analysis and Logic
Critical Thinking, Lateral Thinking
Part One Classic and
3 Oomposin8 Memos andLetters
The Memorandum
Strategy: Finding the Appropriate Tone
Process : Formatting the Memo
Products : Types of Memos
The Business Letter
Strategy : Finding the Appropriate Tone
Identify the Audience
Process : Formatting the Letter
Products : Types of Letters
4 Preparing the Analytic Report
Analytic Reports: Types and Uses
Problem-Focused Analytic Report
Organizational Analytic Report
Strategies for Analytic Reports
Strategies for Analysis
Internal Versus External Analytic Reports
Organizing the Analytic Report
Identifying the Criteria for Analysis
Establishing Report Protocols
Collecting and Organizing Data
Tools for Analysis
5 Assessment and Recommendation Reports
Strategies for Persuasive Report Writing
Communicator Strategies for Persuasive Writing
Audience Strategies for Persuasive Writing
Message Strategies for Persuasive Writing
The Recommendation Report
The Solicited Recommendation Report
The Unsolicited Recommendation Report
The Evaluation Report
Organizing an Evaluation Report
Feasibility Reports
Establishing the Reports Criteria and Scope
……
6 Formatting the Proposal
Part Two Essential Tools for Managerial Writing
7 Optimizng the Electronically Integrated Workplace
8 Using Graphic Images Feeectively
The human resource approach utilizes knowledge about existingpersonnel to develop a comprehensive analysis of an organization·Information about personnel may be acquired from existing data or byconducting an assessment of personnel.This kind of analytic report can bethe first step in a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the existingworkforce.It should include job and skills analyses.A job analysis is adetailed description of the workplace activities of individual employees.Itcan include a detailed description of the activities required to complete eachtask assigned to an individual or a group responsible for a specific task ortasks.Organizational specialists use a variety of tools to conduct job analyses·Another source that might be drawn upon would be job and positiondescriptions held by the human resources department,which also retains theoriginal application of individual employees.Unfortunately,updatedinformation about the employee may be inconsistent.For instance,if theemployee completes additional training——especially outside of work——thehuman resources department may not place that information in theindividual’S file.
Normally,specialized training provided by the company or contracted bv the company for the individual or team is recorded in employee files.Nonetheless,the initiation of an organizational analytic report iS an excellentopportunity to make employee files current.In effect,the assessment of employee skills provides the material needed for the organizational report.In developing a comprehensive picture of the work and the worker,an organizational analysis based on the human resource approach IS the best method for planning organizational change and for assessmg organizational capabilities.A prospective customer may reqmre a company to provlde a detailed analysis of itS workforce,facilities,and capital to ensure that the company will be able to meet the customer’s needs.Such an analysis may call for the number and educational credentials of managers,engineers’shop floor personnel,and support staff.