In this issue:

• Memo or letter? Which one should I use?
• Tips on dealing with knowing when to use ‘a’ or ‘an’
• Did you know?
• Ask TSW!
• Spotlight on…Amy Cohen Efron

Let us take care of your words.

MEMO OR LETTER? WHICH ONE SHOULD I USE?

Typically, you write memos to people within your place of work, and letters to people outside your place of work. Even so, there are several differences between memos and letters. One major difference is the subject or title line found in memos. Since readers often decide whether to read the memo solely on the basis of this subject or title line, the words you choose are very important. Additionally, there are differences in style, format, and purpose:

• Memos have a direct style with a format that usually includes line-by-line information such as Date:, To:, From:, Subject: and then the memo text itself. However, e-mail memos do not require the Date, To, From and Subject lines, since they are already in the e-mail headers.

• Memos are normally used for non-sensitive communication – communication to which the reader will not have an emotional reaction, such as information about new staff, policy changes and meeting notices.

• Memos are short and to-the-point.

• Memos do not have a salutation (such as Dear Sir/Madam).

• Memos do not have a complimentary closing, such as, “Sincerely.”

Letters are considered to be more formal. If you are going to share bad news such as an employee’s termination, a complaint, or a personnel issue, a letter may be the better approach.

Sources: www.writing.eng.vt.edu/workbooks/correspondence.html#memos and oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/buswrite/memos.html

TIPS ON DEALING WITH KNOWING WHEN TO USE ‘A’ OR ‘AN’

How do you know when to use “a” and “an”? Why do we say an hour but a half, and a university? It can be confusing, but the rules are simple – sometimes!

Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound.

He wanted a Mercedes-Benz for his birthday.
She gave him an Acura instead.

When a word begins with the letter H and the H is sounded, use a. If the H is silent, use an.

When she was bad, she was a horrible girl.
Congress considered Vice President Ford an honorable man.

The same rule applies to acronyms. If the sound that begins the acronym is a consonant sound, use a. If it's a vowel sound, use an.

Sam was a CIA agent, and Linda was an FBI profiler.
Jeff is a UAW steward at the auto plant.
Shirley is an NAACP member.

This can become very complicated for deaf people who are unable to sound words out. A tip is that if a word seems like it has the you sound at the beginning of the word (such as university), then a is used.

Source: www.yourwritingguru.com

DID YOU KNOW? HALLOWEEN CARDS

The first Halloween cards in the U.S. were produced in 1908. Hallmark produced its first Halloween cards in the 1920s along with a limited line of Halloween party accessories, such as nut cups and bridge tallies.

Source: pressroom.hallmark.com/halloween.html and
www.amusingfacts.com/facts/Arts_and_Literature

ASK TSW! 

Is there an ASL or English question you've always wanted answered, but were too embarrassed to ask? TSW will answer your questions in each issue.

A reader from Faribault, MN, asks:

When I write things like e-mail or memos, my paragraphs are too long. In American Sign Language (ASL), it's easy for me to figure out when to pause or how to start a new topic, but in English, it's a different story! How do I know when to start a new paragraph?

TSW Says: In the first issue of the TSW e-Newsletter, we mentioned that the average sentence has 20 to 30 words, and the average paragraph has between 3 and 6 sentences. However, there are no strict rules about this.

Typically, a paragraph has three parts: the topic sentence, body sentences, and the concluding sentence. However, it is important to also include supporting details, which will strengthen your paragraph. The rule of thumb is to start a new paragraph when you start a new thought or point, even if on the same topic, or when the paragraph runs over six sentences.

You also don’t want paragraphs that are too short. Avoid choppy breaks much like you avoid making choppy signs or sentences in ASL. With written paragraphs that are between three to six sentences, readers will enjoy your words more and feel more motivated to keep reading. It’s also easier on the eyes.

Some helpful websites:

• www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Paragraph

• lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/para.html

SPOTLIGHT ON...AMY COHEN EFRON

Each month, TSW profiles one of its clients. This month, we talk with Amy Cohen Efron, the brainchild behind The Greatest Irony video.

Two things immediately strike you as you watch Amy Cohen Efron's vlogs: her compassion, and the strength behind her insights. Amy has been vlogging for only a year, but her vlogs have become globally renowned. In response to a dialogue regarding teaching sign language to babies, Amy created a four-part video, The Greatest Irony, that aired on March 17, 2007.

The video drew attention to the “greatest irony” of teaching sign language to hearing babies, but denying deaf babies this same access. Also discussed were two of the most popular and fastest-growing language teaching programs for hearing babies and Deaf babies. Response from the community was astonishing, and Amy quickly realized that she had touched upon an issue that brought opposing, often clashing perspectives.

Today, The Greatest Irony is one of the most-cited resources on this controversy, which has been a pleasant surprise to Amy. An outgoing person but also private by nature, Amy says, “Although I love people, this experience has heightened my compassion, sensitivity and empathy of people. It’s also made me realize just how many people are hungry for positive information about deaf and hard of hearing people.”

Based on the success of her video, Amy decided to make The Greatest Irony available for download and to create a Web site. For the development of content for the Web site, Amy turned to T.S. Writing Services. “My experience working with TSW was a very delightful one, and I truly enjoyed how my 'idea' in my head came to the fruition by creating something that is really unique for all of us,” she says. “The writing process starting with an 'idea' that was difficult to describe, but Trudy and her staff worked with me by brainstorming concepts, helped me to make critical decisions, improved the content and finally produced very exciting results! I immensely enjoyed working with TSW and I will definitely hire them again!”

She knows the Web site serves a valuable purpose. A school psychologist at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, Amy has seen firsthand the impact of visual access of such information for deaf people, although she thinks the community still has a lot of work ahead. “I wish the Deaf community knew about the blogs/vlogs available and how accessible the blogs/vlogs are,” she says. “This explosion in blogs and vlogs have helped to create a meaningful dialogue amongst ourselves about many different topics that are important to us. Also, the blogs/vlogs bring more exposure for members of the Deaf community.”

She adds, "The video is almost like a public service announcement. It has educated so many people, and in return, so many people have educated me. It’s been a great experience. Videos like this and blogs are probably the best way to promote ourselves to the world that we are a capable, colorful and creative group of people first, rather than ‘poor deaf folks who are silent and incapable.’ We need to take an advantage to promote ourselves more.”

Amy Cohen Efron’s new website is at www.greatestirony.com.

ABOUT TSW

T.S. Writing Services, LLC, is a Deaf-owned company that provides writing, editing, design, and translation services for American Sign Language and English users. For more information, visit www.tswriting.com.