Expectations in ENGL 175
ENGL 175 enables students in career training programs to think logically and clearly and be effective and convincing in their professional and technical writing. It focuses on development of communication skills essential in a variety of forms of professional writing and technical writing.
Please be aware that many programs at Bates will only require completion of ENGL 175 and may not require completion of ENGL& 101. Please consult the following program list.
Bates Programs for which ENGL 175 satisfies the English General Education requirement for Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees:
| Accounting
Administrative Business Assistant Administrative Medical Assistant Architectural Woodworking/Cabinet Making Technology Auto Body Rebuilding and Refinishing Automation and Mechatronics, TRON Automotive Technology Barber Biomedical Service Technician Broadcasting/Video Production |
Carpentry
Certified Medical Assistant Cloud Computing and Networking Technology Commercial Truck Driving Culinary Arts Cybersecurity
|
Dental Assisting
|
Electrical Construction
Electronic Equipment Service Technician Electronics and Communications Systems Technology Facilities Maintenance Engineer Fire Service Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician Information Technology Specialist |
Machinist
Marketing and Business Management Motorcycle and Marine Technology Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC) Occupational Therapy Assistant Sheet Metal Technology Welding |
If you are seeking a degree in any of the above-listed programs, please speak with your advisor about whether ENGL 175 is the right choice for you.
The following sample passage represents the level of reading comprehension expected in English 175. Please read this passage and consider the questions that follow.
ENGL 175 Sample Reading and Reading Questions
Sample Reading
Sam Houston, Technician
Superfancy Stereo Store
12345 Place Ave, Tacoma, WA
November 14th, 2022
Angry Meanperson, Manager
Superfancy Stereo Store
12345 Place Ave, Tacoma, WA
Dear Mr. Meanperson:
I am writing to inform you of my uncertainty about the new lunch period policies. I believe this will create workflow and schedule issues for myself and other teammates and that it may affect employee output.
I’d like to address the reduction in the allotted lunch-period time from 60 to 30 minutes. Many employees use part of their lunch break to take care of personal errands that they otherwise might not have time for during the day. Reducing the amount of time everyone gets by half will make this harder on them or result in employees returning from lunch late. This will also affect employees with special dietary needs that were met by the cafeteria staff. The vending machines do not provide the required nutrition for everyone.
I respectfully ask you to please reconsider adjusting the lunch period down by 30 minutes or, at the very least, allow longer than 3 days for people to become accustomed to the new schedule. Many people count on this time every day, and losing it will greatly affect either them or the company.
Sincerely,
Sam Houston
Technician
Superfancy Stereo Store
Sample Reading Questions:
- What is the purpose of the message? Is it clear?
- Is the tone of the message professional and appropriate?
- What changes might one make to this letter to increase its effectiveness?
Reflection Questions
If you were given this reading and these questions as an in-class activity, which statement best describes your confidence level with this reading sample and questions.
- I would be very confident in completing the reading and could answer the questions.
- I would be somewhat confident in completing the reading and answering the questions.
- I would be less confident in completing the reading and answering the questions and would ask for some additional help with this activity
- It would be very difficult for me to complete this reading and answer the questions. I would definitely require some extra help with this activity
ENGL 175 Assignment Sample
Job Application Cover Letter
Step 1
Use a current job posting to tailor a cover letter.
Step 2
As you draft your cover letter:
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- Be sure to include all of the formal requirements: Late, name, address, re: position, salutation, etc. in typical business letter format.
- Your cover letter should fit on a single page. Don’t write too much; it’s OK if you do not fill the whole page as long as you address your motivations and why you are a good hit for the job.
- There is always flexibility in how you organize the body of your cover letter, but the simplest is to follow the four-paragraph format:
Opening – introduce yourself and make a connection with the audience with an anecdote or mention how you find out about the position opening
Motivation – explain why you are interested in working in the industry at this company and in this position.
Suitability – explain how you are a good fit for this specific company and position, supporting these ideas with examples from your experience and education
Conclusion – briefly recap your motivation and why you are a good fit for the job
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- After putting the whole letter together, proofread for errors and typos, or better yet ask someone else to proofread it for you.
Submit your cover letter as a file upload.
Reflection Questions
How confident are you that, if given this activity as an assignment, you would be able to write a cover letter of your own that includes each element described in Step 2?
- I would be very confident in completing this writing assignment with little or no help
- I would be somewhat confident in completing this writing assignment but may need some help.
- I would be less confident in completing this writing assignment and would ask for some additional help with parts of this activity.
- It would be very difficult for me to complete this this writing assignment. I would definitely require some extra help with this activity.
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