Workplace Writing: Is it Here to Stay?
The issue of teaching workplace writing has been quite the discussion among scholars. Yet, I was not aware of this issue until less than a year ago. My mother complained about a new employee who had recently graduated from college; he had difficulty writing effectively. She described his writing as terrible, and she could not understand why someone with a bachelor’s degree had such difficulty writing concise, coherent, and clear letters. I readily dismissed her complaints and concluded that this particular employee probably did the bare minimum to get through school. But, I was too quick to judge him; I too, the English major, had difficulty composing memos, proposals, complaint letters, and cover letters. I discovered this weakness when I took Business
Writing (ENGL 3130) in the fall of 2004 at Georgia State University. Through my discussions with classmates and professors, it is evident that other students have difficulty writing workplace documents because we have been taught to write academic papers. In this paper, I will discuss how five scholars have answered the problem of workplace literacy, and how teachers can better prepare students for workplace writing.
The issue is not whether workplace writing should be taught in the classroom, but what is the best way to prepare students for workplace writing. Bruce Robbins believes that the best way for students to become familiar with professional writing is “simply … doing it” (Robbins). In his essay, “Weaving Workplace Writing into the English
Classroom,” Robbins “… suggest[s] some ways that teachers might weave workplace literacy into the already existing curriculum” (Robbins). His suggestions include memorandums, status reports, and proposals. For instance, he writes that teachers could ask students to write memos to explain excused absences or they could write status

reports that provide information about their process and progress (Robbins). Furthermore, the author points out that teachers “… would show students the fundamentals of memos,
… which includes a clearly stated purpose, any necessary background information, and a recommendation or action plan” (Robbins). In addition, he reveals that these lessons can be taught in one to two days; yet he admits that the real test starts when students begin to compose on their own (Robbins). Robbins’ suggestions are adequate; and yet, these suggestions are simply not enough to be successful in the working environment.
In a quote from Harold Stealey, a plant manager, he declares, “’ I don’t want people who always have to be told what to do.’ He boldly states, ’I need people who can think, people who can solve problems. In fact, I need people who can find problems ‘”
(Fennick). Ruth Fennick et al. also agree that English teachers must incorporate workplace reading and writing into the curriculum. The authors add that in order “… to meet the needs of the workplace writer in the twenty first century and beyond, students need to expand their concept of writing to include all of the main activities and resources supporting the production of a text” (Fennick). In particular, Fennick et al address four skills that need to be emphasized:
Writers need to be able to complete whole, complex projects, the final product representing only one part of the larger project; Writers need to see collaboration as a resource …; Writers need to be able to adapt both text products and text- production processes for specific audiences and purposes; Writers need to understand not only the operation of electronic tools but also their role and scope in shading communication and social relationships. (Fennick)

Not only does Fennick et al. point out the four particular skills, they also demonstrate these principles by providing detailed examples of real workplace projects.
These projects include brochures, newspapers and newsletters, press releases, and letters.
Specifically, the Police Officers’ Investigative Reports project is a great idea to be used in the classroom. The student writer must be creative; but at the same time, he or she must also be concise, clear, and accurate in writing the field notes.
Unlike Bruce Robbins’ examples, Fennick’s proposed projects cannot be completed in one or two days because they are complex and time consuming. However, assigning these projects are useful ways to incorporate real workplace writing in the classroom. On the contrary, Bruce Robbins believes that students will have difficulty relating to these projects because they are written for arbitrary purposes (Robbins).
Completing these projects, would help to increase students’ knowledge that workplace writing is not only about “selecting proper form for already obvious content,” but it incorporates critical thinking, research, interpretation, reading, and speaking skills
(Fennick).
Because these projects are complex and time consuming, many educators believe projects such as the Police Officers’ Investigative Reports project should only be assigned in Business and Technical Writing Courses. Conversely, Mark Sidey proves this is not a wise decision:
In a study that examined the relevancy of freshman composition to writing, four professionals in middle management who had been out of college for a number of years were surveyed by email about their writing in the workplace, college education, freshman writing classes, and importance of seven skills employers

want employees to have. Findings suggest that the participants could not relate what they did in their freshman writing class to writing they did in the workplace
(Sidey).
Hence, these particular workers were not prepared for workplace writing because they are use to writing in the academia. Because most students do not take English courses beyond ENGL 1101 and 1102, Sidey asserts that it is important for teachers to relate freshman writing to that of workplace writing (Sidey). Those workers surveyed “ … strongly suggested [that] students must see a relevancy to freshman writing classes and their post academic careers if they are to take the class seriously” (Sidey). In other words, teachers must realize the importance freshman composition plays in preparing students for workplace writing. Sidey insists that “teaching students how to successfully write in the workplace [must be] part of the responsibility teachers assume when they teach freshman writing” (Sidey). Furthermore, he boldly states, “students are in college to get ahead, and it is unconscionable for writing teachers to ignore this goal and to not help students become effective workplace writers” (Sidey). Therefore, freshman composition should not only be a service course for learning how to write papers for other courses, but it should also be a service course for writing professionally.
Mark Sidey also proposes ideas for improving this situation. These suggestions
“include bringing in professionals to talk to students and to help design assignments, examining with students the kinds of writing required in jobs that interest them, encouraging students to reflect on their writing to develop metacognitive awareness of their writing process and analyzing the usefulness of typical assignments …” (Sidey). In contrast to Fennick et al. and Robbins, Mark Sidey does not supply detailed examples of

workplace projects. He suggests that teachers need “… to encourage students to reflect on their own writing by developing metacognitive awareness of their writing” (Sidey).
Metacognitive awareness ”is the self-awareness of the steps one is performing and the strategies one is using as one writes” (Sidey). When students develop a metacognitive awareness of their writing process, students must use critical thinking and interpretive skills; this helps to bring ideas together.
In her essay, “The Writing Workshop and the Adult Learner,” Carolyn A. Peelen endorses writing workshops. If teachers use this method, they must restructure the traditional classroom setting and transform it into a writing workshop. She reports that
“Experience and research have shown that the writing workshops are an excellent tool for improving workers’ writing skills” (Peelen). Many of the skills learned from writing “… can contribute not only to the enrichment of a workforce, but to its competitiveness, creativity, independence and problem solving abilities …” (Peelen). Moreover, the workshop environment focuses on students’ needs and interests (Peelen). Furthermore,
Peelen, like Fennick et al., Robbins, and Sidey, suggest ways teachers can prepare students to fit the mold of the “new kind of worker”. The “new kind of worker,” as described by former Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole, “will be one ’with a broad set of basic workplace skills including creative thinking and problem solving abilities, as well as reading, communication, and computation’”(Peelen). Therefore, students that possess these skills will easily adapt to the workplace environment.
Carolyn A. Peelen includes a guide to conducting a six week workplace writing workshop. This guide “… features a variety of exercises in which students gain practice in open and directed freewriting, and in descriptive, creative, academic, and technical

writing and in developing portfolios of their own writing” (Peelen). Although this seminar is non traditional, similar to Robbins, she does not want to displace the existing curriculum, but expand on the ”… associations of writing and school or writing and work, and exploration writing as it fits into all aspects of life. According to the participants mentioned in Mark Sidey’s essay, the employees state that if students are to take freshman composition seriously, they must be able to associate writing to other aspects of writing, work, and life (Sidey).
Because this is a writing workshop, students still experience expressive and free writing. In particular, one exercise focuses on freewriting. In this exercise, the student must write down whatever thoughts come to mind (Peelen). The six week guide starts off by teaching freewriting, then creative writing, afterwards academic writing, and finally moves into technical writing exercises. Moreover, she clarifies “that these exercises will emphasize the development of the writing process rather than the completion of a specific task” (Peelen).
But most importantly, Peelen’s writing workshops incorporate all the ideas of the other essayists mentioned previously. Similar to Bruce Robbins, Carolyn Peelen “does not replace valuable content and learning experience already in the English curriculum, rather [she] draw[s] on the functions of workplace document to support the work routines done in class” (Robbins). Of equal importance, in her writing workshop she expands the concepts of writing to include reading, speaking, listening, thinking and researching, both issued addressed in the essays of Mark Sidey and Ruth Fennick et al. (Fennicks). In summary, she offers a fresh outlook on traditional curriculums by developing workshops

which prove to be an excellent tool for improving students or workers writing skills
(Peelen).
Because I can relate to this subject, I would be interested in creating a committee at my future workplace, where we (the business) develop a partnership with a local college or university; we would help teachers design assignments oriented for workplace writing. I also would enjoy teaching a writing workshop in which I help employees become better workers. Carolyn A. Peelen’s guide would be useful in teaching this workshop.
In conclusion, workplace literacy is an issue for English teachers in high school, colleges, and universities to study and carry out as more employers search for the new age worker. All essayists, Bruce Robbins, Ruth Fennick et al, Mark Sidey, and Carolyn
A. Peelen, agree that if teachers are going to help prepare student to succeed in the business world, they should not only be concerned with teaching students the proper form to composing workplace documents, but they also must be concerned with reading, writing, speaking, and thinking abilities.
As employers look for the new age worker, workplace literacy and how teachers can better prepare students for the workplace will continue to remain a hot topic. Thus,
English educators, particularly those teaching ENGL 1101 and 1102, “must supply students with a broad set of workplace skills in order to adapt to the ever-increasing tide of new technology engulfing the workplace” (Peelen).

Works Cited
Fennick, Ruth., et al. "Solving Problems in Twenty-First Century Academic and
Workplace Writing." English Journal 82.3 (Mar. 1993): 46-53. 21 Mar. 2005
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=309&VName=PQD>.
Peelen, Carolyn A. “The Writing Workshop and the Adult Learner.” 1993. Wisconsin.
<http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&an =ED369975>.
Robbins, Bruce. “Weaving Workplace Writing into the English Classroom.” English
Journal 91.2 (2001): 41-46. 23 Mar. 2005
<http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=88291436&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientld=1935
6&RQT=3098VName=PQD>.
Sidey, Mark. “Writing in the Workplace and Freshman Writing Classes: An Imperative for Relevancy.” 1999. Indiana. 23 Mar. 2005
<http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&an=ED429315>.