1. Definition of Letter
A letter is a written message from
one party to another containing information. Letters guarantee the preservation
of communication between both parties. They bring friends or relatives closer
together, enrich professional relationships and provide a satisfying mean of
self-expression. Letters contribute to the protection and conservation of
literacy, which is the ability to write and read. Letters have been sent
since antiquity and are mentioned in the Iliad by Homer (lived
around 7th or 8th centuries B.C.). Works by both Herodotus and Thucydides,
also mention letters.
2. The Advantages of Letter
Despite email, letters are still
popular, particularly in business and for official communications. Letters have
the following advantages over email:
~
No
special device is needed to receive a letter, just a postal address, and the
letter can be read immediately on receipt.
~
An
advertising mailing can reach every address in a particular area.
~
A
letter provides immediate, and in principle permanent, physical record of
communication, without the need for printing. Letters, especially those with a
signature and/or on an organization's own notepaper, are difficult to falsify
than an email and thus provide much better evidence of the contents of the
communication.
~
A
letter in the sender's own handwriting is more personal than an email.
~
If
required, small physical objects can be enclosed in the envelope with the
letter.
~
Letters
are unable to transmit malware or other harmful files that are able
to be transmitted by email.
~
Letter
writing leads to the mastery of the technique of good writing.
~
Letter
writing leads to the mastery of punctuation and paragraphing.
~
Letter
writing engages in reading and self-improvement, getting better at creativeness
and originality.
~
Commitment
to reading and thinking.
~
Letter
writing can provide an extension of the face-to-face therapeutic encounter.
~
Letter
writing can acknowledge special, unusual or challenging situations.
~
Letter
writing can help students in reading and writing procedure.
3. Types of Letter
- Bussiness Letter
A business
letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such
organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The
overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties
concerned. Business letters can have many types of contents, for example to
request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from
a supplier, to point out a mistake by the letter's recipient, to reply directly
to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business
letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written record, and
may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication.
Letter of Thanks
A letter
of thanks or thank you letter is a letter that is used
when one person/party wishes to express appreciation to another. A thank you
letter should be written as a standard business letter or personal letter, and
should not normally exceed one page. Personal thank you letters can be
hand-written in cases in which the addressee is a friend, acquaintance or
relative. Thank you letters are also sometimes referred to asletters of
gratitude. These types of thank you letters are usually written as formal
business letters.
- Love Letter
A love
letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written
form. Whether delivered by hand, mail, carrier pigeon, or
romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything
from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings.
Love letters may 'move through the widest range of emotions -
devotion, disappointment, grief and indignation, self-confidence, ambition,
impatience, self-reproach and resignation
- National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to
indicate a student athlete’s commitment to participating National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in
the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations
of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA)
provides governance oversight of the program. Started in 1964 with seven
conferences and eight independent institutions, the program now includes
676 Division I and II participating institutions. There are
designated dates for different sports, and these dates are commonly referred to
as "Signing Day".
Division III institutions are
specifically banned from using the NLI, or any similar document that is not
executed by non-athletes at those institutions.
NLIs are typically faxed by the
recruited student to the university's athletic department on a National
Signing Day.The NLI is a voluntary program with regard to both institutions and
student-athletes. No prospective student-athlete or parent is required to sign
the National Letter of Intent, and no institution is required to join the
program.
- Letter of Resignation
A letter of resignation is written to announce the author's intent to
leave a position currently held, such as an office, employment or commission.
Such a letter will often take legal
effect to terminate an appointment or employment, as notice under the relevant
terms of the position; many appointments and contractual employments are
terminable by unilateral notice, or advance notice of a specified period of
time, with or without further conditions. Even where an oral notice would be
effective, the effective date or time of termination may be directly or
indirectly fixed on delivery of a written letter or email, for the sake of
clarity and record. In response, different arrangements may be made or agreed,
such as an earlier effective date, or improved terms and conditions of
appointment upon withdrawal of the letter. It should normally be delivered
in advance to the appropriate supervisor or superior, and contain such
information as the intended last day at work. A period of notice may be required
expressly by contract, impliedly by the pay interval, or otherwise.
Nevertheless, in practice, some resignations can be effective
immediately. For courtesy's sake, a letter of resignation may thank the
employer for the pleasure of working under them and the opportunities and
experience gained thereby, and also offer to assist with the transition by, for
example, training the replacement. A more hostile letter may assert other
sentiments or claims, particularly that the contract or terms of employment
have been broken. In any case, the terms of the letter and its consequences may
often be negotiated, either before or after delivery.
the example of letter :
Application Letter
Resigned Letter
Love Letter
Reference :
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_(message)
2.http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surat
3.http://sample-resignation-letters.com/p378942-formal-resignation-letters.cfm
4.http://www.caramudahbelajarbahasainggris.net/2013/10/5-contoh-surat-cinta-bahasa-inggris-dan-artinya.html/5
