Professional Development in Hospitality Management

Course Module Template - Professional Development and Applied Ethics

• This course module template covers the professional development and applied ethics for bachelor's degree students in Hospitality Management and Tourism Management.
• The course aims to teach students how to communicate professionally and present themselves competitively in a competitive workplace environment.
• The course emphasizes developing communication skills through proper grammar, punctuation, and avoiding common writing errors.

Module 2: Role of English Communication in the Workplace - Review on Common Grammar Mistakes

• This module focuses on the importance of English communication in the workplace, reviewing basic grammar rules and identifying common grammar mistakes.
• The module's learning outcomes include understanding English grammar rules, practicing correct sentence structure and punctuation, and identifying common writing errors to improve communication.

Basic Parts of Speech

• Verbs: Verbs indicate time (past, present, future) and action or state of being.
• Adjectives: Adjectives modify nouns, adding descriptive details.
• Nouns: Nouns represent persons, places, or things.
• Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing information about manner, time, place, or degree.
• Prepositions: Prepositions connect nouns or pronouns, showing location, direction, or links between elements. They are followed by a noun or pronoun.
• Conjunctions: Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., and, but, or, yet, so).
• Articles: Articles act as determiners, indicating whether a noun is general or specific ("a," "an," "the").

Basic Grammar Rules in English

• Subject-Predicate: The subject is the main focus of the sentence, and the predicate typically describes the subject, including the verb.
• Complete Thought: A sentence must convey a complete thought.
• Clause: A clause is a group of words with a subject and predicate, functioning as part of a larger sentence.
• Dependent Clause: A dependent clause does not express a complete thought.
• Independent Clause: An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
• Fragment: A fragment is not a complete sentence, lacking a subject or predicate.

Common Writing Errors

• Passive Voice: Using the passive voice instead of the active voice when the active voice would be more effective and readable.
• Improper Apostrophes: Misusing apostrophes, especially for plurals vs. possessives.
• Singular "They": Using "they" to refer to a singular noun when a singular pronoun (he/she/it) is required.
• Gratuitous Capitalization: Overusing capitalization, which can be unnecessary and misleading.
• Comma Misuse: Incorrectly using commas, leading to ambiguity; unnecessary commas; comma splices; commas between a month and year; or overuse of commas.
• Number Disagreements: Mismatched number between subjects, verbs, and pronouns, causing grammatical inconsistencies.

Common Word Choice Errors

• "Which" vs. "That": Confusing the use of "which" and "that".
• "Effect" vs. "Affect": Using "effect" or "affect" incorrectly.
• "There," "Their," "They're": Confusing "there," "their," and "they're".
• "You" vs. "You're": Confusing "you" and "you're".
• "Advice" vs. "Advise": Confusing "advice" and "advise".
• "Device" vs. "Devise": Confusing "device" and "devise".
• "Between You and I":Using "between you and I" instead of "between you and me".
• "Compare To" vs. "Compare With": Using "compare to" when "compare with" is appropriate.
• "Convince" vs. "Persuade": Using "convince" instead of "persuade".
• "Cope Up With": Using "cope up with" instead of "cope with."
• "It's" vs. "Its": Using "it's" for "its" and vice versa.
• Unnecessary Prefixes: Adding prefixes unnecessarily (e.g., "regardless," "unthaw").
• "Figuratively" vs. "Literally": Using "figuratively" and "literally" interchangeably.
• "Compliment" vs. "Complement": Using "compliment" and "complement" interchangeably.
• "All Right" vs. "Alright": Confusing the spelling of “alright” with “all right”.
• "Cite," "Sight," and "Site": Confusing the use of "cite," "sight," and "site".
• "Continuous" vs. "Continual": Misusing "continuous" and "continual".
• "Whose," "Who's," "Who," "Which," and "That": Improperly using "whose," "who's," "who," "which," and "that".

Avoiding Double Negatives

• A double negative occurs when two negative words are used in the same clause, often for emphasis.
• Double negatives are generally considered grammatically incorrect except in informal speech or for specific emphasis.
• Double negatives can convey a positive or lukewarm meaning (e.g., "I was not unhappy").

Common Writing Problems

• Topic Sentences: Difficulty in formulating clear topic sentences that act as the main idea of a paragraph.
• Focus: Difficulties in keeping the writing focused on the main subject, with sentences relating to the topic sentence and thesis statement.
• Clichés: Overusing clichés, which can make writing sound unoriginal and stale.
• Repetition: Repeating words or phrases unnecessarily, making writing repetitive and boring.
• Redundancy: Using unnecessary phrases that add no new information.
• Wordiness: Using too many words when fewer would be more effective.

Avoiding Common Writing Mistakes

• Clichés: Avoid using clichés and overly familiar phrases.
• Redundancy: Avoid redundant phrases that repeat the same meaning (e.g., “the majority of” instead of "most").
• Double Negatives: Avoid double negatives in formal writing.
• Jargon: Avoid using technical jargon unless the audience is familiar with it.