1. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
OBJECTIVES
You will understand:
The format of letters, s and memos.
You will be able to:
Plan and teach writing lessons that make use of letters, e- mails, and memos.

2. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
WHY DO WE COMMUNICATE IN WRITTEN FORM?
People write letters, s and memos for a variety of reasons, such as requesting information, requesting action, providing information, describing an event, declining a request, and expressing appreciation.
Writing allows us the time to think about what we want to say, and how we want to say it. It gives us the chance to express ourselves more precisely and clearly.

3. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
WHY DO WE COMMUNICATE IN WRITTEN FORM?
Why is it important to teach students to communicate in written form?
How can writing help them be successful language learners?

4. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
WRITING LETTERS
Letter writing is not a large genre, yet it is still important for students to understand the requirements for writing one.
There are several kinds of letters that exist:
cover letters
personal letters
recommendation letters

5. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
COVER LETTERS
A cover letter gives a first impression of a person to a potential employer, and it shows that he or she understands business etiquette. An effective cover letter should explain the reasons why the individual is interested in the specific organization as well as identify the person’s most relevant skills or experiences. The individual should also express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position.
A cover letter ought to follow the basic format of a typical business letter by addressing three general issues:
1. Why the person is writing (introductory paragraph)
2. What the person has to offer (body paragraphs)
3. How the person will follow up (concluding paragraph)

6. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
COVER LETTER TEMPLATE

7. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
PERSONAL LETTERS
A personal letter includes all types of letters that are not written to businesses. These types of letters are sent to apologize, appreciate, complain, congratulate, invite, and so on. Personal letters are also known as friendly letters.
They normally have six parts:
1. The Heading: this includes the address and the date.
2. The Greeting: The greeting always ends in a comma. It may be formal or informal if that is appropriate.
Formal: Dear Uncle John, or Dear Ms. Breen,
Informal: Hey Jane, or Greetings,
3. The Body: This includes the message the person wants to write. Normally in personal letters, new paragraphs are indented.
4. The Complimentary Close: This short expression is always a few words. It ends in a comma.
5. The Signature Line: The name is typed or printed. If the letter is informal, this may be skipped, and the writer may just sign the letter.
6. The Postscript: If a letter contains a PS, it should end with the writer’s initials.

8. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
PERSONAL LETTER TEMPLATE

9. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
A letter of recommendation is often used by a company’s hiring personnel to gather additional information about a potential employee. It can also be used in an academic setting.
A reference letter should provide information on who is being referred, and how the letter writer is connected to them. The letter writer needs to detail why the individual is qualified and the specific skills that he or she has.
The following template is appropriate for an employment reference as well as a graduate school reference:

10. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION TEMPLATE

11. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
WRITING S
is a valuable tool for communication in both the corporate world and the personal domain. It is faster and cheaper than a letter, less intrusive than a phone call, and less trouble than a FAX. is able to overcome obstacles such as different locations and time zones.
There are certain tips that should be followed when writing e- mails if an individual wishes to write an effective that will be read and clearly understood by the reader:

12. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
GUIDELINES

13. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos

14. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos

15. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
Look at the letter and in Question 2 in your task journal.
Work in pairs to compare and contrast the letter and in terms of components, format, and language.

16. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
SAMPLE LESSON: USING LETTERS TO TEACH WRITING

17. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
SAMPLE LESSON: USING S TO TEACH WRITING

18. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
WRITING MEMOS
A memo is:
• a hard-copy document
• used for communicating inside an organization
• usually short
• contains To, From, Date, Subject Headings, and Message sections
• not necessarily signed, but sometimes has the sender's name at the bottom to be more friendly, or the sender's full name to be more formal.

19. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
WHY WRITE MEMOS?
Memos are useful in situations where s or text messages are not suitable. For example, if a person is sending an object, such as a book or a paper that needs to be signed, through internal office mail, he or she can use a memo as a covering note to explain what the receiver should do.

20. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
HOW TO WRITE A MEMO
Memos are a type of informal report.
Memos should be clear and concise documents.
The purpose of the memo should be clearly stated.
Headings can be used to make the memo clearer.
In some longer memos, it may be appropriate to summarize the message before going into a detailed discussion related to the purpose of the memo.
The memo should clearly state what the sender expects to happen next; the sender should either provide a recommendation or a suggested action.

21. 2.3.3 Letters, E-mails and Memos
Complete Question 3 in your Task Journal.
Task Journals can be submitted via to or (preferred) or printed and handed in.