Email Conventions Part 2

【Writing Series📝】

[Email Conventions: Is There a Proper Email Format?]

Writing email messages has turned into a common daily task for any student. Email has replaced phone calls, face-to-face interactions, and various forms of written communication. It has become an integral part of academic communication. 

In this week’s writing series, we’ll continue to focus on a few considerations when you write an email to individuals you are not familiar with or with individuals of higher status, like advisors or instructors to consider when sending or writing an email. 

1. Do Not Overuse Conversational Openings and Closings 

Email language is a combination of spoken and written forms, as illustrated by the provided examples. Due to its oral characteristics, many foreign students tend to incorporate conversational openings and closings from telephone conversations. It is common to come across messages structured in this informal manner. For example:

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Hi Chris! How are you? This is Fatima from your 321 class. Can I change our appointment to Friday at 9:30? I have a test on Wednesday. Have a good day. 

Got to run. Bye, bye. Fatima

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Some students like to adopt a more conversational approach. Nevertheless, there is a risk of misinterpreting this casual tone as unprofessional and potentially somewhat naive.

Moreover, it is important to note that e-mail communication often eliminates the need to determine the appropriate salutation when addressing someone. This eliminates the necessity of selecting from various forms of greetings.

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Dear Dr. Higgies,

Dr. Ryan Higgies, 

Dear Ryan Higgies,

Dear Ryan, 

Dear Advisor,

[Body] I'm afraid I will be ten minutes late for our appointment.

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2. Express "Business" Requests Politely 

Although e-mail language is generally casual, this trait proves to be beneficial for individuals who are not native speakers. It facilitates the establishment of connections and enables users to navigate the system efficiently without excessive concern about errors in spelling or sentence structure. However, there is one scenario where this casual approach can pose challenges. When a student communicates with a faculty member or administrator, informal language might come across as overly blunt and lacking in politeness.

The subsequent examples highlight this issue. While the first example may be mildly offensive, the second one is considerably more so. It is essential to acknowledge that neither writer intended to cause offense.

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Subject: Pages

To: Joan Robinson

From: Keiko Ichiko

Dear Professor Robinson,

Finally, I have something for you to read. I will leave the draft of my paper in your mailbox soon, so please pick it up when you stop by.

Keiko

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The first message presents two main issues. Firstly, the ambiguity regarding the timeframe specified as "soon". (How many attempts must Professor Robinson go to her mailbox to check whether she received Keiko’s papers? Secondly, the concluding part of the message serves no purpose. The situation can be easily changed with a straightforward "repair".

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Dear Professor Robinson,

Finally, I have something for you to read. I will put the draft of my paper in your mailbox by noon tomorrow.

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Here is the second example.

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Subject: Paper

To: Henry Rabkin

From: Kumar Bhatia

I am currently working on a paper approximately 8 to 9 pages. I should be done on Mon. evening. Could you please go through it & give your comments by Wednesday?

Kumar

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Studies of politeness suggest three elements for polite requests. 

1.     Do not impose

2.     Give options

3.     Make the receiver feel good

Notice how Kumar breaks all three rules. Here is what he might have written instead.

I am currently working on a paper approximately 8 to 9 pages. I should be done on Mon. evening. If you are not too busy, I would appreciate any comments you might have to make before I submit it. Unfortunately, it is due on Wed., so there isn't much time. If you can help, I'll bring you my draft as soon as it's done. If you can't, that's quite OK too.

This draft looks better in terms of the three elements, but what do you think of this message? Think about this on your own.

In contrast, here is a student request that John received.

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Subject: Article review

To: John Swales 

From: JP Park 

I was wondering if you have an article that you want me to review yet. If you have something appropriate, next week would be a good time for me to get started on it. Don't want to sound anxious to get going on this, but I'll be around, so let me know. Thanks.

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In this message, JP is eager to get started on this task and possibly perceives John as being slightly slow to start. Nevertheless, he portrays himself as quite composed about the situation, as seen in his specific use of the past continuous tense ("I was wondering") to create a sense of detachment from the request. This communication serves as a notable illustration of how to maintain informality and politeness simultaneously. (It achieved immediate success as well.)

3. Keep Your Messages as Brief as Possible 

I propose that you refrain from burdening your recipients with excessively lengthy messages (exceeding one screen's length) or including irrelevant details. For instance, if you must cancel an appointment or miss a class due to illness, there is no necessity to elaborate on the specific illness. A simple notification of your unwell condition and inability to attend the class or appointment suffices. In certain scenarios, such as requesting an extension for a homework assignment, some clarification may be essential.

4. Learn Common Abbreviations 

Numerous terms and phrases are commonly abbreviated in email communication, such as ‘ASAP’ and ‘Mon.’ Take note of others as you type them.

5. Do Not Worry Too Much about Capitalization 

Certain senders choose to entirely disregard the conventional rules of capitalization. Here is an extreme example.

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here's what i know about the next tesol conference. it's in atlanta from march 16 to 20-the hq hotel is the hilton. 

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Do not try your email like this. In addition, avoid composing your messages entirely in uppercase letters as MOST INDIVIDUALS PERCEIVE MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS as rather intimidating and forceful. It adds a sense of shouting. 

6. Use Deletions Carefully 

The omission of certain articles, pronouns, and various components of English grammar in email correspondence is becoming increasingly common.

[Standard English] 

I got your message about the manuscript. I will return it along with my comments to your mailbox on Friday. 

[Message with Deletions] 

Got your message about the manuscript. Will return it along with comments to your mailbox Friday. 

Unless you possess a strong command of English grammar, I advise against incorporating these omissions. Engaging in such practices may lead to the development of bad habits.

7. Avoid Conventions for Communicating Emotions (emojis)

Email serves as a written form of communication while exhibiting many speech-like characteristics. In verbal communication, we use intonation and gestures to convey our emotions. Some email users opt to employ special symbols to indicate their emotional state: :-) = pleased, ^0^ = concerned, :- = unhappy. These symbols are suitable for informal exchanges but are more prevalent among undergraduates than graduates. It is better to leave them out in "professional" messages.

Overall, the tips you read from these two weeks show you that there is much to consider when you write your next email. Although it’s a conscious process that undergoes, these tips are mainly to increase your confidence and bridge any communication gaps you may have with any individual.

Reference: Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2004). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills (2nd edition). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

Your favorite EMI friend,

JJ