The aim of the course is to teach students to use written English in a specific professional context related to their degree.

The subject is organised into 2 blocks: Writing for Marketing and Advertising and Writing for Public Relations. Each block contains 3 specific topics which focus on learning how to create typical texts for each style and register. There are also related themes, such as street and guerrilla marketing, cool brands, qualities of a PR professional, jobs in PR/advertising, product placement and endorsement, stereotyping, offensive advertising, Corporate Social Responsibility, misleading advertising, crisis management, and successful PR and advertising campaigns. The “Back to basics” sections are designed to help students to address typical problem areas such as syntax, spelling and “false friends”.

Although the focus is on written English, the course also includes activities involving speaking, reading, and listening, which related to each topic.

Students are recommended to attend the sessions. There is no final exam.

Topic 1. Promotional copy-writing. Essential vocabulary for marketing. Street and guerrilla marketing. Back to basics: singular / plural nouns; subject-verb agreement. Writing workshop: a promotional text.

Topic 2. Writing advertising copy. Essential vocabulary for advertising and branding. Analyzing print advertisements. Ad-busting. Back to basics: accuracy in written English; use of articles. Writing workshop: body copy for a print advertisement.

Topic 3. Slogans and taglines. Back to basics: words with several meanings. Writing workshop: advertising slogans.

Topic 4. Essential vocabulary for PR. Emails. Back to basics: formal / informal registers. Writing workshop: a business email.

Topic 5. Articles and feature articles. Writing effective paragraphs and topic sentences. Back to basics: English sentence structure; nouns v. verbs. Writing workshop: a feature article.

Topic 6. Press releases. Back to basics: review of verb tenses. Writing workshop: a press release.

ECTS Credits

• Check the end of assessment period and academic management calendar.
• Plagiarism and/or the copying of assessed activities will result in the assessed work in question receiving a 'fail' mark and may lead to the student/s concerned failing the course. The School may also decide to take disciplinary measures. Anti-plagiarism programmes will be used and if this is detected in 20% or more of the material the final grade will be zero.
• Marks will be given for correct grammar and spelling, style and appropriateness of message. 
• Work handed in late or in formats other than stated for assessment purposes will not be accepted, and no alternative work will be accepted to pass the course.
• Class attendance is recommended in all cases, also for students who have opted for the single assessment system. Check cases in which it is mandatory.
• All learning activities are graded from 0-10.
• The minimum grade required to pass each learning activity is 5.
• To receive the grade of "Matricula d'honor", the student must achieve an overall grade of 10, and, according to the regulations, the number of Honours Grades can not exceed 5% of the total number of students registered in the subject.

Writing an article about a brand of your choice.

Writing a press release to inform the media about the opening of a new hotel.

Creating 2 texts from among the registers studied, to be chosen by the lecturer. These must be submitted before the retake date.

Creating 6 texts of different styles from the types studied, as with the continuous assessment system. The texts must be submitted 2 weeks before the exam date.

Creating 2 texts from among the registers studied, to be chosen by the lecturer. These must be submitted before the retake date.