Many students live their lives on the smartphones

testing and messaging their friends on Facebook; sending pictures of

good times and the not so good ones; communication is getting easier and

faster

and when students are writing to their teachers, they sometimes forget

that there are things that they need to consider

Here, Joey's writing an email to her instructor Peter Bramley

She's been sick, and missed her class, and she doesn't want her attendance record affected

She also doesn't want to miss out on anything important; let's see how she

gets on

Now, let me attend to some

of my emails

"Your student"

"I am sorry that I wasn't in class last week"

"I was ill and I can prove it"

"Please tell me the content of the lesson"

"ASAP"

"I am so worried. Thank you"

As you can see

Mr bramley's confused and irritated by the email; he doesn't know who it's from

the content is unclear, and the tone is rude; all in all

it is a very ineffective email that neither achieves its intention

nor leaves Mr Bramley with a good impression. There are a number of simple

things that you need to consider

when writing emails to faculty members; let's take a look

First of all, consider your email address

The email address you use will create an impression

If you're writing to a faculty member your advised to use your PolyU account

Second, pay attention to the greeting; in general

use "Dear", followed by the family name of the person you are writing to

plus the correct title; if your teacher is a lady

and you don't know her marital status use "Ms."

usually we use "Professor" only if the recipient

holds that title, so check this first

Thirdly make sure your subject is clear

Teachers receive lots of emails every day condense the main idea of your email

into a succinct subject, and use a noun phrase

where possible; for example if you are writing to ask for some ideas

for an essay title, you might write "Request for Assistance in Titling my essay

Fourthly consider the content move your email

Establish some good will; remember

that your teacher is a fellow human; it might be appropriate to write

"I hope this email finds you well", or "Thank you for teaching

us this semester"; the key is to be sincere

be clear and concise

avoid mentioning details you think are unnecessary

if you're sick and writing to explain your absence

it might not be necessary to explain your symptoms

however it might be appropriate to mention what the sickness is

refer to any attachments

readers often may not notice

that an email has something attached, so in the email

you should refer them to the attachment; attaching the file

before you type in anything is also a good way to ensure

that you have attached what you intended; avoid excessive punctuation

exclamation marks, smiley faces etc.

the best avoided since sending an email to your teacher requires a relatively

formal tone

avoid typing your message in capital letters; this can appear like you are

shouting

and is considered very disrespectful; consider an ending to establish goodwill

you want to finish on a positive and pleasant note

I look forward to seeing you soon would often be appropriate

if the future classes coming

Finally, include and appropriate ending; you can use "Best regards" or

"Kind regards" here; "sincerely" would be best reserved for longer

or more formal emails. Include the following at the end:

your full name and English name if applicable

your course code; your class day

and time; e.g. Monday 2:30 to 4:30

when you finished your email

remember to proofread it before you send; you will be judged

on your email, so try to spot any mistakes you've made

and check attachments before you send; it's also a good idea

not to send an email when you're angry or emotional, but to wait

until you've calmed down. So let's put these rules into action with Mr.

Bramley's student. "Dear Mr Bramley"

"I hope this email finds you well"

"I'm writing to explain my absence from class on March 2nd"

"which was due to an upper respiratory tract infection"

I have attached a medical certificate with this email"

"I will find out from my classmates what I have missed"

"and ensure that I study it. I look forward to seeing you next class"

"Kind regards, Joey Chan"

So, how's Joey's email this time? Clear, precise

polite and effective. Her attendance record will remain intact

and she'll leave a good impression. By following these simple practices

next time you email the teacher you can ensure that you get your message across

and sharpen your communication skills for success both at University

and in your future workplace