David Porter » Entries tagged with "English lessons to staff"
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG)
SPAG errors cost money. They also look bad if your written communications to the public and customers are badly presented and littered with basic English howlers! A July 2011 report on BBC News Education and Family suggests that businesses trading on the web are losing millions of pounds through bad grammar, poor spelling and misunderstood punctuation. Charles Duncombe, in travel, mobile phones and clothing websites, pointed out how online errors cost sales, because they diminish the credibility of a site. He said that he had been ‘shocked’ by poor written English in many job applications, too. Head of Education and Skills at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), James Fothergill, agreed by stating that many employers invested in remedial English for staff. In autumn 2010 it was reported that the Leeds Building Society … Read entire article »
Filed under: Business English
Troubleshooting From the Hips
You may have seen the TV drama (New Tricks) about retired senior police officers helping current squads unearth cold cases, old evidence from the perspective of their long years of experience? You may have noted in October 2010 that the Leeds Building Society recruited a retired A-level English teacher to give English lessons to their staff in basic and/or business English. There is nothing wrong with tapping into the deep wells of experience. The pushing back of retirement ages means at last that older people are being recognised as sources of knowledge, understanding, people management skills, ideas, energy, left-field thinking and historical perspectives the modern world cannot afford to scrap. I have a pool of people I can call on for troubleshooting, new ways of doing things, thinking outside (without neglecting what’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured