The Language of Email

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The Language of Email

• Xiaofei Lu
• APLNG 083S
• September 25, 2008

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Outline

• This class will be activity-based
• The functions of email
• Components of an email
• The language of email

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Function of email Group activity 1

• Get into groups of 3-4 people
• List 3-5 things you will
• Definitely do by email
• Possibly do by email (and by what else?)
• Definitely not do by email (but by what?)
• In each category, pick 2-3 things and
• Discuss why in terms of media richness, social
  presence, special attributes, and personal
  history/preference

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Group activity 2 Write an email

• You are going to email Jessica Baker for the
  first time because
• You missed a class and wanted to make an
  appointment to ask some questions in her office
• You wanted to enquire about the part-time cashier
  position her store
• She seemed to be a really nice classmate and you
  wanted to ask her out

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Components of an email

• Components
• Header, subject
• Opening, Body, Closing
• Signature
• Interesting tricks
• Decode the header and trace the senders IP at
  Spam Spade.org
• Snipurl
• Nice features of your favorite email account?

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The language of email

• Double attenuated, double enhanced
• Good emails, bad emails Group activity 3
• Exchange your emails with other groups
• List the good and bad things about these emails
• Discuss the use of syntax and vocabulary
• List 3-5 things you definitely should and should
  not do in writing emails
• Example of a bad email

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Danets (2002) seven criteria

• Openings and closings
• Abbreviations and contractions
• Spelling and typography
• Punctuation
• Layout
• Signature
• Syntax and vocabulary

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Group activity 4

• Score the two emails using Danets criteria
• Why do you like or not like these criteria?
• Is there a set template for writing emails?

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Food for thought

• Practical
• How to email your professor
• The effective emailer
• Writing sensible email messages
• Research
• Greetings and closings in workplace email
• Email copies in workplace interaction
• Configurations of relationships in different media

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