Clear workplace writing in english: Emails, messages and plain wording
A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 5 details that are specific to your organisation.
- Length
- 35 min
- Lessons
- 6 lessons
- Frequency
- At onboarding, as a monthly writing clinic
- Last reviewed
- 21 Oct 2026
A 40-word sentence has three ideas
Try it: this is one of 17 interactive activities in the course.
What's included
Three pieces that work together
Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.
Self-paced course
Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.
- 6 lessons, about 35 minutes
- Tabs, process, sorting activity, scenario and quizzes
Live session deck
An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.
- 10 slides
- Poll, quiz, word cloud, scale slides
- A closing slide for your contacts
Two surveys
Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.
- Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
- 30-day check-in
- Anonymous by default
- Results feed your next refresher
Learning objectives
At the end of this course, learners can
Each objective and the lesson that covers it.
| ID | Objective | Source | Where it's covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| TO 211.0 | Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment | - | Whole course |
| SO 211.1 | Write the subject, opening, ask and close of an email | ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language, governing principles [source: report anchor, unverified] | Whole course |
| SO 211.2 | Match formal, neutral and informal tone to the reader | CEFR Companion Volume (2020) [source: report anchor, unverified] | Whole course |
| SO 211.3 | Use shorter sentences and clear linking words | ISO 24495-1:2023 [source: report anchor, unverified] | Whole course |
| SO 211.4 | Handle urgent requests, bad news and reminders politely | Writing and presentation skill (none) | Whole course |
| SO 211.5 | Build a personal template bank + your info | Employer's style guide your company style guide link | Whole course |
Your part: what a template can't do for you
- Your workplace details: fill in the 5 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
- Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.
Course outline
6 lessons, about 35 minutes
Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.
1The email that caused a misunderstanding
3 pages
8 min
The email that caused a misunderstanding
3 pages
2Subject, opening, ask and close: a five-part email
2 pages
5 min
Subject, opening, ask and close: a five-part email
2 pages
3Formal, neutral and informal: matching tone to reader
2 pages
5 min
Formal, neutral and informal: matching tone to reader
2 pages
4Plain wording: shorter sentences, clearer links
2 pages
5 min
Plain wording: shorter sentences, clearer links
2 pages
5Grey areas: urgent requests, bad news and reminders
2 pages
5 min
Grey areas: urgent requests, bad news and reminders
2 pages
6Final assessment and your own template bank
3 pages
7 min
Final assessment and your own template bank
3 pages
Live deck and surveys
10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop
Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
- Overall rating 5 stars
- Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
- What was most useful? multi-select
- Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
- Which part is still unclear? multiple choice
- How confident are you writing a clear email? 1-5 scale
- Which message is still hard to write? open text
- I feel confident that my emails sound polite and clear. 1-5 scale
- One thing we should change or add open text
- Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
- Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
- How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
- Do you know where to find the template bank? yes / no / not sure
- A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
- Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking
Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.
Make it yours
5 fields to fill in, and you're ready
Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.
- Ld contact
{{LD_CONTACT}} - Company style guide link
{{COMPANY_STYLE_GUIDE_LINK}} - LMS or record system
{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}} - Survey 2 URL
{{SURVEY_2_URL}} - Course URL
{{COURSE_URL}}
FAQ
Common questions
Can I run clear workplace writing in english: Emails, messages and plain wording training online?
Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.
How often is this training needed?
At onboarding, as a monthly writing clinic, and before staff start writing to clients.
Who needs this training?
Non-native English speakers who write emails, chat messages and short reports (B1 to C1), with a variant for support staff; run by L&D with communications and customer-service leads.
What records should I keep?
Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.
Can I edit the content?
Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.
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Ready to run it?
Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.