Mastering the Art of Writing a Letter of Complaint

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Mastering the Art of Writing a Letter of Complaint

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to understand the structure of a letter of complaint and write one at an intermediate level.

Introduce the learning objective and emphasize that students will be able to write a letter of complaint after the lesson.

What do you already know about writing a letter of complaint?

Introduction

Understanding the purpose of a letter of complaint

Explain to the students what a letter of complaint is and why it is important to learn how to write one.

The Structure of a Letter of Complaint

Introduction, Main Body, Conclusion

Explain the three parts of a letter of complaint and give examples of what should be included in each section.

The Introduction

Start with a polite greeting, State the reason for the letter, and provide context

Explain how to start a letter of complaint, and give examples of a polite greeting and how to introduce the reason for the letter.

The Main Body

Provide detailed information about the problem, Explain how it has affected you, Offer solutions, and Ask for action to be taken

Explain in depth how to write the body of the letter and give examples of how to provide detailed information and offer solutions.

Using Formal Language

Avoid using colloquial language, Use formal language and expressions

Explain the importance of using formal language in a letter of complaint and give examples of formal expressions that can be used.

The Conclusion

Thank the reader for their time, State your preferred resolution, End with a polite closing

Explain how to conclude a letter of complaint and give examples of how to end with a polite closing.

Practice Writing a Letter of Complaint

Provide a scenario and ask students to write a letter of complaint

Provide a scenario for the students to work on in class, and give them time to write a letter of complaint using the format learned in the lesson.

Peer Review

Exchange letters with a partner and provide feedback

Have students exchange letters with a partner and provide feedback on the structure and content of the letter.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid being rude or aggressive, Avoid making unsupported claims, Avoid making too many demands

Explain common mistakes to avoid when writing a letter of complaint and give examples of how to avoid being rude or aggressive.

Using Templates

Use templates to help structure the letter

Explain how using templates can help students structure their letters and provide examples of templates that can be used.

Conclusion

Summary of the lesson

Summarize the main points of the lesson and emphasize the importance of being able to write a letter of complaint.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.