Written Communication (1 credit)

Product ID: MCN3

Fulfill your High School Written Communication requirement at home with training from Penn Foster High School. We’ll guide you through the course with class notes, textbooks and unlimited instructor support. Each lesson has been specifically designed for independent study – you’ll learn Written Communication in no time.

Course Description
 
A comprehensive writing and vocabulary course, Written Communication provides step-by-step instructions for handling sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and pronunciation. It emphasizes practical writing techniques and library research. Topics include increasing vocabulary, understanding others better, and expressing oneself (especially in writing) confidently, correctly, and effectively.

• Express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas more easily
• Communicate without being misunderstood
• Speak and write with greater confidence, and read more effectively
• Learn better, faster, and more easily as their vocabulary improves
• Understand more of what other people say, whether they are speaking or writing
• Identify basic parts of speech and write effective sentences
• Construct effective paragraphs, personal letters, and business letters
• Recognize and use both formal and informal English for letter writing
• Start a piece of writing and get the most out of the words they use
• Describe the difference between a dictionary and a thesaurus, and use both
• Use faraway and close-up words when describing something
• Use concrete illustrations and comparisons to put abstract ideas into close-up words
• Write something that is fun to read, and use tricks to punch-up their writing
• Organize their writing time effectively, and plan writing projects from beginning to end
• Locate books quickly using the card catalog or on-line catalog at the library
• Use their own experience, that of others, and research to provide material for writing
• Organize their ideas effectively in an outline before writing
• Write their ideas in detail, following a logical order and sticking to the subject
• Write essays and other kinds of writing of various lengths—and enjoy doing it

Course Outline

Writing Skills, Part 1

Grammar: A Guide to Success; Nouns and Pronouns; Adjectives; Verbs; Adverbs; Prepositions; Conjunctions; Interjections; The Sentence: What Is It?; Fragments; Subject and Predicate; Clauses; Run-ons; Paragraphs; Connecting Paragraphs; Why Write Letters?; Learning to Write Better; Putting Your Thoughts in Order; How to Tie Your Ideas Together; How to “Talk” to a Reader; Finding the Right Tone; Formal and Informal English; Essays and Other Writing; The Right Start; Writing and Rewriting

Writing Skills, Part 2

Idea Generation; Clustering and Freewriting; Why Increase Your Vocabulary?; Best Ways to Do It; Speaking-Writing Connection; Fun with Words; Word Flavors; How to Find the Right Word; Ideas into Word Pictures; How to Make Your Writing Fun to Read; Say It with Quotes; Make It Sound Natural; Conversational, Personal, and Humorous Touches; Vary Your Sentences; Live Writing: The Active Voice; End with a Bang!; Dash; Exclamation Point; Word and Sentence Patterns; How Writers Write; First Draft to Final Draft: Editing and Rewriting; Personal/Journal Writing; Reading for Writers

Writing Skills, Part 3

The Need to Communicate; How to Start: Make a Plan; Other Ways to Start; How to Get Ideas; List Ideas; Where Do Ideas Come From?; How to Use the Library; On-line and Card Catalogs; Using the Catalog; Finding Books; Using Library Books; Using the Readers’ Guide; Using the Internet; Reference Librarians; How to Take Notes; Field Trip: The Library; Using the Catalog and Indexes; Finding Information; How to Put Your Ideas in Order; Sorting Out; Beginning and Ending; The Safe Order; Creating an Outline; Parts of a Division; Parallel Construction; How to Put Your Ideas in Writing; Using Descriptive Detail; Three Writing Guidelines

Word Power Made Easy and the Study Guide

Lesson 1: Off to a Good Start: How to Test Your Present Vocabulary; How to Start Building Your Vocabulary; How to Talk About Personality Types; How to Talk About Doctors

Lesson 2: Achieving Success Through Word Power: How to Talk About Various Practitioners; How to Talk About Science and Scientists; How to Talk About Liars and Lying; Comprehensive Test I

Lesson 3: Gaining Increased Momentum: How to Talk About Actions; How to Talk About Various Speech Habits; How to Insult Your Enemies; How to Flatter Your Friends; Comprehensive Test II

Lesson 4: Your Total Achievement: How to Talk About Common Phenomena and Occurrences; How to Talk About What Goes On; How to Talk About a Variety of Personal Characteristics; Comprehensive Test III; How to Check Your Standing as an Amateur Etymologist; How to Keep Building Your Vocabulary. Also: Test Your Grammar; Notes on Modern Word Usage; How Grammar Changes; How to Avoid Being a Purist; How to Speak Naturally; Do You Always Use the Proper Word?; Interesting Derivations; How to Spell a Word

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How it Works
After registering for the Written Communication course, all of your learning materials will be shipped directly to you. If you like, you can also go to our website and download some of your study materials to get a head start. Your learning materials will guide you through the course content, explaining concepts and operations through a series of lessons. After each lesson, you’ll take an exam which you can submit by phone or our website. As you pass each lesson, you’ll proceed to the next topic until you complete the course.

There are eight exams that need to be passed to complete your course in Written Communication and you’ll have up to 15 weeks to complete the course.
 
Support
If you should ever need help with your studies, you can e-mail or call our instructors who will gladly help you with any questions that you might have.

Study Time
Since there is no set class schedule, you study when and where it’s convenient for you. You can complete your course as quickly as you’d like.

Completion
When you have successfully completed your course, you will receive a letter of completion along with an official transcript listing your completed course(s) and grades. You can apply your course towards our Diploma Program or a diploma from your local High School (be sure to check with your school authorities regarding mandatory attendance policies and whether they agree that the Penn Foster High School Program is acceptable toward the completion of your high school education). 
 
Accreditation
Penn Foster High School is accredited by The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools; has met the high standards of integrity and performance set by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), Washington D.C., and is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools.

Whether you’re looking for accelerated studies or credit recovery, regionally and nationally accredited Penn Foster High School provides the courses you need to complete your High School Diploma. 

Product ID: MCN3