In today’s digital age, reading and writing emails and memos are a part and parcel of the workplace. It is, therefore, crucial for students to learn how to read and comprehend these business communications. However, the language used in emails and memos is often formal and may seem daunting to many students. To help students overcome this hurdle, teachers can use various activities to teach students how to read workplace emails and memos effectively.
One of the most effective activities to teach students how to read workplace emails and memos is role-playing. In this activity, teachers can provide some sample emails or memos and ask the students to take on the roles of the sender and recipient. This will help them understand the tone, style, and purpose of these documents. Students can also be given a few scenarios, and they can role-play sending and receiving emails that are appropriate for the given situation.
Another activity that can help students read workplace emails and memos is summarizing. In this activity, teachers can provide students with a long email or memo and then ask them to summarize what the document is about. This will help students identify the main points and extract relevant information from the text. This activity will also help students identify the goals of the communication and the intended audience.
Teachers can also use games to help students learn how to read workplace emails and memos. For example, ‘give a word’ is a popular game that can be adapted to teach students how to read workplace emails and memos. In this game, the teacher provides the first word or sentence of an email or memo, and the students have to continue the sentence or paragraph.
Finally, visual aids such as graphs, charts, and diagrams can be used to help students understand complex information in emails and memos. For instance, teachers can display a graph of the sales figures and ask students to read an accompanying email that explains the reasons for the increase or decrease in sales. This activity will help students visualize the information and understand how it is presented in emails and memos.
In conclusion, reading and comprehending emails and memos are essential skills for students as they prepare to enter the workforce. Teachers can use role-playing, summarizing, games, and visual aids to teach students these skills effectively. By using these activities, students can learn how to read and comprehend workplace emails and memos with ease.
