December 2005

Volume 9, Number 3

Contents | TESL-EJ Top

Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence (New

Edition)

Author: A. Ashley (2003)

Publisher: Oxford: Oxford University Press

Pages ISBN Price

Textbook Pp 304 0-19-457213-7 £16.95

Workbook Pp 112 0-19-457214-5 £8.55

The new edition of The Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence is a welcome

revised and updated version of this reference guide to writing effective business
correspondence. The main strengths of the revisions lie in the addition of a necessary
section on the use of e-mail, an essential mode of correspondence in today's business
world, in addition to the more traditional memos, letters, and faxes, as well as the
inclusion of a new glossary of helpful business vocabulary and an answer key to the
comprehension exercises. The index at the end of the book has also been revised and
extended.

The handbook aims at providing a comprehensive guide and reference to the essential
writing skills needed in the business world. It offers practical help in improving written
style by explaining the language of business correspondence of all types, such as letters,
faxes, emails, application letters, and CVs. It also presents effective ways of handling
enquiries, payments, banking, insurance, and social correspondence. It is composed of 15
units, each containing an introduction to the topics covered and an explanation of key
terms; an analysis of the objectives to aim for when writing, with lists of alternative
phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that can be substituted in different situations; various
example correspondence and transactions, in addition to comprehension questions
focusing on content, vocabulary, and style; and finally, a summary of key information that
provides an opportunity for the reader to review the material covered in each unit.

The content of the handbook is as follows: Unit 1 introduces letters, faxes, and e-mails,
including a detailed presentation of the characteristic features of each and a discussion of
the advantages, disadvantages, recommended writing style, and appropriate uses of

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 emails in business correspondence. Unit 2 deals with content and style in business
writing, including length, order and sequence, organization, courtesy, idioms, clarity, and
accuracy in writing. Units 3 through 8 present the six following types of transactions:
enquiries, replies and quotations, orders, payment, complaints and adjustments, and
credit. Units 9 through 12 cover the four following types of commercial organizations:
banking, agents and agencies, transportation and shipping, and insurance. Unit 13 deals
with miscellaneous correspondence such as travel reservations, appointments,
invitations, and letters used in special occasions; Unit 14 presents memos and reports;
and finally, Unit 15 handles personal appointments, including letters of application and
CVs.

Each of the units is fully illustrated with various examples, provided from the main types
of commercial organizations such as banks, agencies, and insurance companies. Many of
the examples used are linked to one another throughout the handbook. For instance, in
Unit 4 ("Replies and quotations"), a "reply" letter is linked to the original "enquiry" letter
in Unit 3 ("Enquiries"), and in Unit 11 ("Transportation and shipping"), "a request for a
quotation for delivery by air" is linked to previous correspondence in Unit 10 ("Agents
and agencies"): "offer for an agency", "agent's reply, asking for more details", and
"manufacturer's reply, giving more details." This technique of providing continuation
and links among the examples used across the units is a very effective one that enables
the reader to place the transactions in a real-world setting.

Although claiming to be useful to anyone who routinely needs to write commercial

correspondence in English, the handbook seems to be primarily targeted at the UK
context. For instance, the sample correspondence and documents used mainly reflect
authentic transactions and supply information about commercial practice in the UK. In
addition, business writing style in the UK is emphasized throughout the handbook; for
example, in Unit 1 ("Letters, faxes, and emails"), the handbook informs readers that in
the UK, unlike in some other countries, it is acceptable to write the sender's name before
the address in business letters. Nevertheless, the handbook makes a few observations
regarding differences between American and British business writing style, such as
noting in unit 1 that while it is unusual in the UK to close a formal business letter with
"Yours truly," this practice is accepted in the USA. Another example is mentioning in
Unit 1 the differences between British and American designations for the different
members of the Board of Directors.

Thus, the handbook is primarily useful for students and teachers of business and
commerce in the UK; however, ESL learners may not particularly benefit from some of
the sections in the handbook. Indeed, some guidelines seem to be written with only the
native speaker of English in mind; for instance, in Unit 2 ("Content and style"), when
discussing idioms and colloquial language, the handbook warns readers that using
colloquial language or slang in business writing is not recommended because
correspondents may misunderstand if their first language in not English. In addition,
also in Unit 2, in presenting "prepositions," the handbook indicates that there are huge
differences between "The price has been increased to," "increased by," and "increased
from"; however, an ESL writer, even one with "intermediate to advanced" proficiency in
English (the English level targeted by the handbook) may need an additional explanation

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 as to how these prepositions alter the meaning of the sentence. Therefore, ESL writers
who need grammar practice should use, alongside this handbook, a book such as
Duckworth's (2003) Business Grammar and Practice that provides exercises aimed at
improving the intermediate and high intermediate business student's language skills.

Finally, the handbook does not offer an adequate discussion on cultural sensitivity in
business writing. Guidelines for writing openings and closings of letters and faxes, style
and courtesy in business writing, and even length should be accompanied by a discussion
of how correspondents from various countries or cultural backgrounds may react
differently to the same piece of writing. One instance where the handbook does mention
cultural differences is in Unit 13 ("Miscellaneous correspondence"); in the guidelines for
seasonal greetings, the reader is warned that people in different countries or from
different religious or cultural backgrounds may not share the reader's holidays.
Interested readers should refer to a book such as Gibson's (2002) Intercultural Business
Communication, for a discussion of cultural diversity in the business world. Although
Gibson's book does not discuss the issue particularly in relation to business writing, it will
nevertheless help readers to consider the importance of communicating effectively in
intercultural and international settings.

In spite of the few criticisms mentioned above, The Oxford Handbook of Commercial
Correspondence is an excellent guide to writing effective business correspondence, richly
illustrated with numerous sample correspondence models for writing emails, faxes,
memos, reports, and CVs. An accompanying workbook is available for further practice,
offering additional training in writing different kinds of commercial correspondence, in
addition to some exercises on grammar and vocabulary. The units in the workbook
conform to those in the handbook. Finally, for the business studies teacher, online
materials accompanying the handbook are available to help in lesson planning and in
providing additional resources and samples for students to use.

References

Duckworth, M. (2003). Business grammar and practice. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

Gibson, R. (2002). Intercultural business communication. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

Rula L. Diab
American University of Beirut
<rd10 aub.edu.lb>

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