Writing business letters takes on new meaning when put in the context of a practical role playing exercise.
Writing with a Tone Appropriate for Audience and Purpose
As with any other type of writing, business letters are written with a tone appropriate to the audience and purpose. Begin a business letter assignment by discussing tone and how it is achieved.
Organize Learning: First, create a t-chart on the board. Label one side of the t-chart "Friendly Letter" and the other side of the t-chart "Business Letter."
Modeled Writing: Provide students with modeled writing of each type of writing (Class Management Strategy: Collect excellent student models from your own classes so that you can use authentic writing for the assignment.), and ask them to read the examples.
Compare and Contrast: Engage in a class discussion about the similarities and differences between the two types of letters. Chart the comparisons on the t-chart.
Definition of Tone: Undoubtedly, students will mention differences between how the two letters "sound." At this point, you will want to introduce the definition for tone: the overall attitude a writer projects toward the reader and the subject matter. Sentence structure, formality and specificity of vocabulary, and neatness all contribute to a letter's tone. Whereas the language of a business letter will be quite formal and succinct, communication in a friendly letter can be informal and descriptive.
Parts of a Letter: Using transparency copies of the modeled writing already provided, label the parts of a letter on both the friendly and business letters. (heading, inside address, greeting, body, closing, signature) on both the friendly and business letters. Be sure to point out differences in format. If students will be writing on a computer, be sure to include information on how to set up tabs and line spacing. Also, discuss the importance of using a standard font (Times New Roman or Arial) when communicating in formal situations. Students may choose a more whimsical font for typed friendly letters.
Role Playing with Letter Writing: Put students into pairs for the purpose of role playing. Provide an assignment in which each writes an effective business letter in the role of an unhappy customer complaining about a malfunctioning or flawed product. That s/he has purchased. Next, students will answer their partners' letters playing the role of a customer service employee who is charged with mediating the situation.
Readers Theatre: Have pair groups read their letters to the class, keeping in character as they read. (Classroom Management Strategy: You may want to provide props -- ties, suit jackets, briefcases, etc. -- for the customer service employees to create more interest).
Student Evaluation: After each reading, ask classmates to fill out an evaluation rubric that rates student letters on tone, simplicity, completeness, and overall effectiveness. The teacher should likewise complete an evaluation sheet for each student.
Revision: Allow students to revise their letters based on the comments of their peers.
The copyright of the article Business Letter Lesson Plan in Curricula/Lesson Plans is owned by Susan Hyde. Permission to republish Business Letter Lesson Plan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
