When was the last time you sent someone a letter by regular mail? Thanks to the Internet, many people prefer to send e-mails rather than mail letters using the postal system. Young people entering the working world today find themselves sending and replying to hundreds of business related e-mails every week.
However, many of these same young people don't seem to know some basic rules when it comes to sending e-mails at work. Most of the people said they didn't check their spelling or punctuation (标点) before hitting „send'.
Even more surprising was that 5% of them said they sometimes end e-mails to their boss with the words „love and kisses!' While this is fine for personal messages to friends and loved ones, it is normally considered improper in work place.
The main reason for this use of informal language in workplace e-mail is that a lot of young people have always communicated with others on the Internet—especially using e-mails—in a relaxed and friendly manner. For many people, online communication outside of work, such as talking with others in chat rooms, posting on message boards, and sending e-mail to friends, is usually for fun.
Another reason is that young people now are unfamiliar with how to write formal letters, because they have never had to write a formal letter before. They have had no training in how to write a basic business letter, and are unaware of the style and language that should, and should not, be used.
With more business letters now being conducted using the Internet than ever before, it is important for people to be aware of the differences in language use between personal and business communication—especially when using e-mails. So next time you send an e-mail at the office, remember you're not just online, you're at work.
