Carolyn Carolyn Seefer

The 11th edition of Business English, co-authored by DVC business instructor Carolyn Seefer, has just been published by Cengage Learning.

Seefer said her co-author, Mary Ellen Guffey, wrote the first edition of the book more than 30 years ago. Seefer got involved as a contributing editor on the 9th Edition, and then was hired as co-author for the 10th Edition, for which she was completely responsible for updating and revising the book.

The two first met in 1998 at an Association for Business Communication conference in Portland, and have worked together since that time. Since Guffey lives in Santa Barbara, they see each other only once a year at that conference, and communicate via email and conference calls the rest of the year.

“Mary Ellen and I are excited about the new edition of Business English,” Seefer said. “We have streamlined the book, reducing it from 18 to 14 chapters in order to improve students’ comprehension and retention. Now all example sentences contain cutting-edge content so that, in addition to learning business English concepts, students also learn about trends in the business world. And yes, you’ll still find lots of familiar DVC names throughout the book!”

Business English is the best-selling college-level business English book on the market, and has been for decades. The publisher says of the book, “Business English, 11th Edition, makes students into successful communicators in any business arena with its proven grammar instruction and supporting in-text and online resources. The market leader in grammar and mechanics since its first publication, Business English uses a three-level approach to break topics into manageable units, and gives you flexibility in planning your course. Packed with insights from more than 30 years of classroom experience in business communications, Business English also includes access to the premier website, where instructors and students will find a vast array of resources for building language skills.” 

Seefer also works with Guffey on other textbooks in the business communications field as consulting editor and author of supplemental materials such as instructor’s manuals, test banks, PowerPoint slides, and web-based materials. Seefer has been teaching at DVC since 1996.